Ioearth

Ioearth is a rock band with a strong emphasis on progressive rock and a broad crossover style. It is the project of long-time friends and writing partners Dave Cureton and Adam Gough, who form the core of the act. The band emerges as an attempt to write an album that sounds unlike anything else, and its music draws on rock, jazz, dance, ambient, electronica, classical and orchestral ideas.

Their debut album appears in 2009 and becomes closely associated with the progressive rock scene. It runs for almost 100 minutes and moves through a wide range of forms, from piano and string-led opening pieces to guitar-driven instrumentals, power ballads, ambient dance grooves and sweeping orchestral sections. The first track is a seven-minute piece called “Introduction”.

Ioearth’s sound is described through contrasts between melody, complexity and genre blending, with Dave Cureton’s guitar work often compared to the style of players such as Vai and Satriani, while avoiding excessive showmanship. The band also develops a direct relationship with its listeners, who are referred to as the “IOEarth Family”, and they are included in the group’s work. The strong response to the debut album leads the band to recognise that progressive rock audiences accept highly unusual composition and genre mixing.