Spotlight on stand-out indie artists

16 November 2024

Band: ILA
Who: Vigorous Belgian rock quartet led by formidable singer-songwriter/guitarist,
with Turkish roots, Ilayda Cicek who’s blessed with a unique voice and shares
unadulterated emotions, sonically and lyrically.

I remember seeing Ilayda Cicek for the first time as a solo artist, about seven years ago.
She looked shy and vulnerable but her set of intimate musings in a small club was one not to forget. She impressed my ears with her soul-stirring voice and subtle acoustic guitar play. Her vocal tone, timbre, and range caused goosebumps.

A couple of years later, she started to turn up the decibels with the help of a full rock band and drew the attention of new fans and also the press. Her debut 7-track debut EP Felt showed us her high-quality songwriting skills.

‘You Leave Me Dry’.
In a normal world (does that exist?) this
striking stroke should be a global hit.

I suppose Ilayda will be tired by now of being compared with PJ Harvey all the time,
but that is how imposing, how compelling, and how special she is. Her vocal fervency, profound passion, and emotive energy cause a sort of trance-like experience.

Last Thursday she played in the city of Ghent, billed as the official release show
of her first longplayer, titled ANYA. Without a shadow of a doubt, the best debut
of 2024 on my list. No fillers, all killers. Heartfelt ardency in motion.

One of the LP’s highlights.

Again (I saw her about 20 times) she confirmed the top level she has reached by
now, on record and on stage. Her rousing voice filled the cozy venue, her presence
was magnetic and her band has become a top turbo. It was another 5-star performance. Hail hail!

Album artwork

ILA is for real, ILA is authentic,
ILA is here to entertain us for
a very long time (I hope).

– ANYA –

ILA: Facebook – Spotify

(Live photos by Turn Up The Volume)