Rock band Ionia, was started when vocalist, Blaise Beyhan landed in NYC to pursue his passion for music. Through a mutual friend he met drummer, Donato Paternostro and soon the two realized they were meant to start a band. The duo began auditioning guitarists and found Brooklyn native, Craig Bauer. With the core of their band intact they started writing and rehearsing in the Lower East Side where they caught the ear of a lawyer who invited them to record a demo. Once the EP was put together the guys realized they needed to find a permanent bass player. Enter Freddy Epps, a London born musician living in the US who happened to be in Manhattan. From that moment Ionia was formed.
Upon first listen to Ionia, you cannot help but get hooked. There is a mind-blowing, raw emotion that is emitted from their music.
While Ionia is mainly a hard rock band, each track of the 6-song self-titled EP has a distinct sound illustrating their diverse range of musical stylings. Tracks like “Winning Is Everything” and “Rewind” feature fast upbeat drumming and heavy guitar riffs, while songs like “Skin and Bones” and “Loneliness Will Not Be Televised” have a twinge of slower rock.
There is something hauntingly captivating about the pairing of the heavy drumming and guitar riffs against the heartfelt vocals of Blaise Beyhan. This is evident on the ballad “Gasoline Rainbow” which has a perfect mix of slow and heavy rock.
This album is an awesome combination of dark melodies and fierce lyrical romanticism that instantly grabs you by the heartstrings. Ionia has an amazing sound and they are definitely one of the great bands to come out of NYC.
Ionia has a new EP coming out in March 2009. Their first self-titled EP is out now. Get it on 
!