IO Earth "devastated" after fire destroys band's studio

(Image credit: Press)

Birmingham prog rockers IO Earth have been left devastated after a fire tore through the complex that houses the band's studio HQ, destroying studio equipment, merchandise stock, musical instruments and hard drives containing the band's entire catalogue of music.

The band have launched a GoFundMe campaign to rebuild their career as they try to recover from the disaster.

In a statement, the band said, "Birmingham progressive band, IO Earth has been struck by a catastrophic event that has left the entire team in shock and grief. On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, a fire broke out in an adjoining unit at the site where IO Earth HQ is located, rapidly spreading and engulfing our beloved studio.

More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze tirelessly for days, but the fire’s ferocity consumed everything in its path. Sixteen years of relentless hard work and dreams ... our studio equipment, merchandise stock, and a cherished collection of musical instruments – guitars, drums, keyboards, and more – are destroyed.

Most devastating of all is the loss of the hard drives containing our entire back catalogue, an irreplaceable archive of our musical journey. The impact of this tragedy is profound.

As we navigate this heartbreaking period, IO Earth stands in limbo, with the full impact of the event still sinking in. We are deeply heartbroken and in complete shock.

In this moment of need, we turn to our IO Earth family for support. To help us rebuild, we have created this GoFundMe page. Your contributions will play a crucial role in our efforts to rise from the literal flames and continue our musical journey."

You can donate to the band's GoFundMe campaign here.

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Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.