ILYA are Joanna Swan and Nick Pullin. They are from Bristol and work from their studio in the woodland that surround the Avon Gorge in North Somerset. ILYA started work on their debut album in 2001 and 'They Died For Beauty' was released on the Virgin Label in 2004 to massive critical acclaim ; delivering the band's first flagship song 'Bellissimo' (which was used in worldwide advertising campaigns by Revlon and Cacharel). ILYA played live extensively throughout the UK and Europe during this period. Joanna Swan has a voice of rare and astonishing beauty; somehow combining aspects of Ella Fitzgerald, Dusty Springfield and Nina Simone. The range and power of this incredible vocal presence is now more in evidence on ILYA's second album, Somerset, where they have largely eschewed the widescreen epic easy-listening of their debut. Somerset has a rawness and vibrancy resulting from being recorded mostly live. This is very much in evidence on t...