Ionia

No single concentration of power could force conformity. Free inquiry became possible. They were beyond the frontiers of the empires." In order to understand Ionias present we must first delve into their past. It began in a small town in Alaska with Blaise Beyhan. Born into an alternative community, Blaise grew up in a non-conventional setting with 7 siblings and a Mother and Stepfather who home schooled him. At the age of 14, Blaises world turned upside-down by the death of his Mother. With a broken family structure, the world that he knew ended. Blaise eventually left home, never staying in one spot for very long and never having a solid roof over his head. At 18 he hopped on a bus to NYC and decided to dedicate his time to music. Blaise was eager to meet some musicians that were serious about what they did. Enter Donato. The two met through a mutual friend that Donato frequently gigged with and began to hang out and jam together. They immediately realized that they had connected. Blaise and Donato decided to put an add out in the paper and after meeting with about 50 guitarists they finally met their match. Enter Craig. Born in Brooklyn with a passion for the guitar, Craig was just what they were looking for. With Ionias core in tact, they hunkered down in their rehearsal space in Manhattans lower east side writing and honing in on their sound. A few months later a rehearsal recording caught the ear of a lawyer who invited them to record a demo. Upon first listen you immediately feel that mood--the emotionally driven, intense vocals, blended with the fierce yet melodic crafting of guitar and the fervent drum grooves, the songs open a window into Ionias world. With the EP in their hands the guys knew that they needed to search for a permanent bass player. After months of trying to find someone, Blaise put a posting on the internet. Enter Freddie. Born in London, and living in various US cities Freddie ended up in Manhattan - he was that final piece they were searching for. With Ionias lineup now complete they are ready to jump into whatever challenges lay ahead of them. Weve all spent a lot of time devoting ourselves to our craft, and that evolution will constantly continue,but now we are finally in a position where we are creating something genuine and thats the most important thing.