Profiles

Exeter-based Iko have been signed up by a Danish record company - and they're hoping it leads to bigger and better things for them here in the UK.

The five-piece group caught the ear of Copenhagen Records through Iko's site on Myspace.

The site includes songs from Iko's debut CD, I Am Zero, which the band released themselves in 2006.

Representatives from the record company flew over to London to watch the band - and offered them a deal.

Iko are: lead singer and guitarist Kieran Scragg from Heavitree; Neil Reed from Newton Abbot on keyboards; drummer Rob Maxwell from Bradninch; Exeter-based Darren Harvey-Regan on bass guitar; and Beth Porter from Bath.

Kieran and the band have been writing new songs

Their musical influences include Neil Young, The Cure and Radiohead.

Kieran says the deal with Copenhagen Records is very exciting: "We've generated a lot of interest through the Myspace page.

"Copenhagen Records listened to our songs and liked them. We did a showcase in London and they flew over to to see us so we knew they were interested.

"We got on well with them and signed a deal."

Initially, an EP of five Iko songs will be released in Denmark, and the band will be doing some gigs there to promote the release.

"To have someone backing us like this is very exciting - just the fact that they are putting money into us," said Kieran. "And quite a lot of Scandinavian bands have influenced our music as well."

The band has been busy writing songs for a new CD which they hope to release some time in 2007. They have already performed some of the new songs at gigs in the South West.

To listen to their songs and for gig dates, visit Iko's pages on Myspace - linked from this page.