They are contemporaries of fellow Celtic artists Enya and Clannad; however, Iona's works are also influenced heavily by jazz-fusion, prog-rock and ancient Christian themes.
For Iona's 1990 debut album, the band added: drummer Terl Bryant, bassist Nick Beggs (former bassist of Kajagoogoo) and several studio musicians -- Fiona Davidson (Celtic harp), Peter Whitfield (strings), Troy Donockley (Uillean pipes) and Frank Van Essen (tuned percussion). The self-titled album received very little press, even in their home country, though a Dutch network compiled a documentary based on Iona, the band and the island.
Two years later, Iona returned with "Book of Kells", and the album was praised by North American critics
as well as those of the British Isles. David Fitzgerald left in 1992 to pursue a degree in music and, as a result, Iona lost much of its jazz influences by the following year's Beyond These Shores. The group made up for Fitzgerald's absence, however, by inviting Robert Fripp to guest on the album. Both albums also featured former Kajagoogoo bassist/stickist Nick Beggs. A contract with England's Alliance Music led to "Journey into the Morn"; the album was released in 1996 in the U.S. and Canada, and was listed among the top five folk albums in Q Magazine's Year End Review. "Heaven's Bright Sun", a live album, came the following year, then "Woven Cord" in 2000, and "Open Sky" in 2001.
Their latest release, new to 2007, is called "The Circling Hour".
iona has been a Leipzig, Germany based postrock-band from 2005-2010 that now reemerges as The Yuki Rush. https://ionanoise.bandcamp.com/album/a-noise
There is also a Romanian experimental / hip hop band who also go by the name "Iona",
Wind
Iona Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See it go, watch it go, let it go
All sails grow from you
In your soul, in your soul
The lyrics of Iona's song "Wind" metaphorically express the experience of letting go of someone or something dear to your heart. The first line suggests that the heart, which is often associated with emotions and love, sails out from the individual. It highlights the feeling of detachment and the act of releasing something you love. The second line emphasizes the importance of not holding onto the past, but rather acknowledging the departure and allowing it to happen.
The next lines talk about the growth of sails, which can represent new opportunities or possibilities. However, it also implies that these new sails emerge from the individual's soul. This line may suggest that growth and progress come from within and that one can use a painful experience to develop and move forward.
Overall, "Wind" is a song about accepting change and the emotions that come with it. It reminds us that even though it may be difficult to let go of someone or something we love, it can also bring new growth and innovative opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
Heart sails out from you
Your emotions are like a ship that sets sail from your heart.
See it go, watch it go, let it go
Observe your emotions leaving your heart and allow them to depart without holding on.
All sails grow from you
Your emotions are the source of all your actions and decisions.
In your soul, in your soul
Your emotions come from the deepest parts of your being, from your soul.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID BAINBRIDGE, TROY DONOCKLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alyson Kelly
on Revelation
Revelation
by Iona
____________________________________________________
Waiting for the Spirit of Truth to tell
Power on Earth to stand in the face of hell
Waiting for the sky to clear
Waiting for the Son to appear
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Learning the purifying flame
Regeneration after the growing pain
Longing for the words to flow
Longing for the world to know
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your
Revelation
Waiting to see you
Waiting to hear you
Waiting for vision
To see your, your, your, your
Revelation