Ikaros; winter 2006
You can’t find a band currently slogging it out in the indie underground as Ikaros.
The difference? This 4 piece deliver more melodic harmonies, raw groove and genuine innovation than ten of their likes.
The boundless and respect less approach Ikaros has towards writing a chorus will make your brain work extra hard for not missing out as it settles. They are keeping out of the ordinary and safe figures that the music industry tries to brainwash the youth with. They are not keeping out because they want to. It’s just the way their music comes out.
The music that Ikaros play is not set out to be an opposite of what people call “catchy musicâ€, because Ikaros music is “catchyâ€. It’s all about Pop sensibility. Not disability.
Inspiration comes from acts such as Mew, Radiohead and Pink Floyd.
The songs progress out of small city boredom and the unique craftsmanship these friends share. Every member is born and raised where punk and indie shares the same space in respective record collections.
That is the single reason why Ikaros music will most likely be accepted and adored by people who share the same open mind towards music.
Ikaros were born in the city of Gävle, Sweden. Gävle is the kind of place where the everyday is all that happens.
David Lehnberg, singer, guitarist, songwriter and Gunnar Forsman (drums) formed the creative outlet after they put their former band Leiah to rest. Leiah with over 5 years of excessive touring and record releasing disbanded before becoming what most people call “old and boringâ€.
The energy and chemistry between the members were gone so without any hesitation David and Gunnar went looking for new members since Ikaros was set out to become the new spark.
Everyone knows that friendship is what makes a band interesting and puts soul into the music so it was to no ones surprise when Ralf Kuja-Halkola and Dan Engkvist were asked to join the band.
Ralf had been playing music with David since childhood and he is the co-pilot in David’s solo project Ariel Kill Him (Kasual Recordings).
With some years at Jazz school David and Gunnar knew he would be the perfect friend to play the organ and keyboards. Dan, the multicoloured musician from Hälsingland would be the other member to complete the band. Dan has the ability to play any instrument given in his hand and he is also an old childhood friend to Gunnar so with Dan in the band Ikaros was complete.
In December 2004 Ikaros signed a record deal with the Swedish indie label Kasual Recordings. The long awaited EP on Strange Fruit found its way out to the audience in mid 2005 and just after the release of the EP Speed on Future
Ikaros first full-length album Speak Music got released in Scandinavia and later in Europe. Ikaros toured as support to Further Seems Forever and Engine Down in Scandinavia. The bros also played The Ieper Fest the summer of 2005. And with that festival a mini euro tour was born.
For 2006 the world will see a new tour in Germany and the rest of Europe as Ikaros is now signed to the Grafklose Booking Agency. Speak Music will also be released in Japan early 2006 through the very excellent label Fabtone. New songs progress in the Jesus Lo-Tech facility and Ikaros main goal is to have a new record out in 2007.
More to come folks…
» www.ikarosmusic.com
