IO Earth release new album Aura today

IO Earth standing against a colourful wall

(Image credit: Wendy Hagenbeek)

Birmingham-based proggers IO Earth will release their brand new album Aura tomorrow. The new album sees the band retain their mix of progressive ideals and genre-defying musicianship. They've also been talking about the issues raised in finishing and releasing a new album during the current Covid-19 crisis.

"It’s been a difficult process, getting this album ready for release, with the current world crisis, but we felt that, if people ever needed a new release of chilled out, calming IO Earth music, they need it now," guitarist Dave Cureton tells Prog.

"The pre-order was well underway before the pandemic arrived, so we’d already promised our IO Earth family that their CD was on it’s way," adds keyboard player and writing partner Adam Gough. "We couldn’t let this situation get in the way of that

"Especially tricky, is the fact that we had several hundred fans that had requested their copy to be signed by the band," adds Cureton. "In normal circumstances that would have been a quick and easy process... Not the case right now. We had to sterilise our studio, and get everyone in, one at a time, in full protective gear, to do their part.

Adds Gough: "Yeah. It took several days to make sure it was all done safely, but we managed it! And now, the album is officially released."

Order Aura.

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.