The group was founded in May 1988 by Mike Van Portfleet, in the summer of that year Will Welch joined the project. In November, Welch was replaced by John Fair. In 1989, "Wake" was recorded, defining their droning ethereal guitar sound.
John Fair left Lycia in 1990, and Will Welch returned. In the same year Lycia signed to Projekt Records and released "Ionia" in late 1991 after aborting the original first release, titled "Byzantine". They became one of the cornerstones of the Projekt label for over a decade, and one of the most influential bands in the American darkwave scene in the 1990s. They forged a relentlessly dark and driving sound with a wall of shimmery guitars and keyboards, pounding drums, overlaid by Van Portfleet's unmistakable whispered vocals.
1992 saw the release of "A Day in the Stark Corner" and Lycia began its first live appearances. In 1993 David Galas became a permanent member, and their sound evolved with a more mature and polished depth.
In 1994 Tara Vanflower, being a huge fan of the band, decided to meet Mike, and joined as backing vocalist contributing vocals on a couple of songs that were supposed to be for compilation appearances, but ended up on "The Burning Circle and Then Dust" (1995). Tara Vanflower and Mike VanPortfleet married two years later.
The band's sound became comparatively less dark, especially on their final two albums, "Tripping Back Into the Broken Days" and "Empty Space", mostly due to Vanflower's influence. This shift away from their original sound alienated some long-time fans and eventually Lycia broke up in 2003, with Van Portfleet pursuing a solo career.
Lycia reformed in August of 2006 with Mike Vanportfleet, Tara VanFlower and David Galas. "We’ve been slowly working on new material. This time, what we are doing is each of us are bringing in our own songs and then expanding from the initial ideas".
On December 2012, Lycia announced a new release, "Quiet Moments", through their Facebook page. It was released in August 2013.
Discography:
1989 - Wake
1991 - Ionia
1993 - A Day in the Stark Corner
1995 - Live
1995 - The Burning Circle and Then Dust
1997 - Cold
1998 - Estrella
2000 - The Time Has Come and Gone (originally released as under the name Estraya)
2001 - Compilation Appearances, Vol. 1
2001 - Compilation Appearances, Vol. 2
2002 - Tripping Back into the Broken Days
2004 - Empty Spaces
2010 - Fifth Sun (EP)
2013 - Quiet Moments
2015 - A Line That Connects
2018 - In Flickers
Side projects
Bleak - Vane (1994) really just Lycia recording under a different name and exploring a "harsher" sound.
Estraya - The Time Has Come and Gone (2000) accoustic side project with Van Portfleet and Vanflower
Ionia
Lycia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She creeps to me, she begs for me
I can not go, not this again
I'm much too weak...I'm conquered
And then I feel myself decline in the grip of Ionia
And then I see myself resign to the lust for Ionia
And then she takes me down, down, down
And then she keeps me down, down, down
Love as misery
(as I lose control)
She clings to me, she won't let go
And then she takes this all away
She's tainted me, I'm nothing now
I'm so obscure...I'm conquered
And then I feel myself decline in the grip of Ionia
And then I see myself resign to the lust for Ionia
Oh Ionia, oh Ionia, oh Ionia, oh Ionia
This time isn't anything...it's nothing
Oh Ionia I swear, that you always will haunt me
And I'll never know why I resign all the time
And reach straight for nothing
Oh Ionia I swear, in an instant you're lonely
And just like all the time, you will throw this aside
And you'll move on to nothing
Oh Ionia I see, through the haze she is fading
Oh Ionia I see, as I lose control again
"Ionia" by Lycia is a song about getting lost in a haze of addiction, represented by the character of Ionia. She creeps into the singer's life and begs for him to come with her, but he knows he cannot go through it all again - he's too weak and has already been conquered. Despite this, as the song progresses, the singer gives in to the grip of Ionia and sees himself resign to the lust for her. She takes him down and keeps him there, speaking of love as misery. He becomes nothing, tainted by his addiction to her, and he knows that she will always haunt him. Even though he knows he'll never know why he resigns himself to her time and again, he can't help but reach straight for nothing, consumed by his desire for her. In the end, she fades away into the haze again, but the singer knows that she will always be waiting to take hold of him once more.
The lyrics of "Ionia" are powerful and evoke a sense of helplessness and desperation that is all-consuming. The use of Ionia as a character to represent addiction adds a layer of depth to the song, as it personifies the singer's struggles and shows how addiction can easily take hold of us and trap us in a cycle of self-destruction. The chorus repeats the name of Ionia, driving home the fact that she is always there and always waiting, a constant and ever-present danger.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep in this haze, I see her face
Despite confusion and chaos around, the singer has a clear image of 'her' in mind.
She creeps to me, she begs for me
The singer has a feeling of being pursued by someone and being tempted by their proposals.
I can not go, not this again
The singer feels a sense of dread and trauma, and doesn't want to repeat the same mistakes or experiences.
I'm much too weak...I'm conquered
The artist feels their willpower and strength is inadequate in resisting the alluring temptation.
And then I feel myself decline in the grip of Ionia
The artist is aware of and experiencing the negative influence of 'Ionia' that they are unable to escape from.
And then I see myself resign to the lust for Ionia
The singer acknowledges that they are submitting themselves to the desire and longing for 'Ionia'.
And then she takes me down, down, down
'Ionia' is dragging and leading the singer down a dark path.
And then she keeps me down, down, down
'Ionia' reinforces and prolongs the submissive state of the artist.
And then she speaks of love, love, love, love
'Ionia' uses love and the promise of it as a manipulative tool to control the artist.
Love as misery
(as I lose control)
The artist realizes that the idea of love presented by 'Ionia' is flawed and causes more harm than good as they are losing control.
She clings to me, she won't let go
'Ionia' is persistent and unrelenting, unwilling to let the singer go.
And then she takes this all away
'Ionia' has the power to take away everything from the artist, leaving them with nothing.
She's tainted me, I'm nothing now
'Ionia' has corrupted the singer, leaving them feeling worthless and empty.
Oh Ionia, oh Ionia, oh Ionia, oh Ionia
This time isn't anything...it's nothing
'Ionia' is constantly present, even though this time may seemingly be insignificant and meaningless.
Oh Ionia I swear, that you always will haunt me
And I'll never know why I resign all the time
And reach straight for nothing
The singer acknowledges the puzzling power that 'Ionia' holds over them, causing them to give up and aim for nothing.
Oh Ionia I swear, in an instant you're lonely
And just like all the time, you will throw this aside
And you'll move on to nothing
The artist realizes that 'Ionia' will ultimately discard them and move on, leaving them with nothing.
Oh Ionia I see, through the haze she is fading
Oh Ionia I see, as I lose control again
The artist is slowly recognizing the negative effects of 'Ionia', yet is still unable to resist her grip and control.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind