Cowes Week gets its rocks off with new music stage

And now the up-and-coming band from Burton-on-Trent are heading to the Isle of Wight for the first time to play the inaugural Lendy New Generation Stage as part of the sailing bonanza that is Cowes Week.

The day of music is a new initiative from the event's sponsor, peer-to-peer investment company Lendy, to highlight new acts that have successfully used crowd-funding.

2107's Back In Line and their July release, The Ghost Light were both funded by Theia's fans through crowdfunding website Pledgemusic.

Kyle Lamley, Theia's frontman, says that the experience of using crowdfunding has been a huge boost for the young band. '˜It was really self-confirming that we're on the right track '“ it's a boost because you don't quite know when you put out a project like that how it's going to go.

'˜We could have gone one of two ways, and thankfully it went the right way, which was a huge relief!

'˜More and more people will speak to you online and then these faces and names crop up at shows and you realise this community has been there the whole time, and it's just so nice to meet these people.They're getting behind it not for the sake of it, not because they're bored, they're investing their money in a band they believe in.'

The classic-rock sounding The Ghost Light was released last month on WDFD Records.

'˜This show is great timing, it's a new crowd, lots of fresh faces, and with this new album, we're really confident we've got something people can get behind.'

The speedy follow-up to album two is influenced by the bands Theia admire who would pump out an album a year, and their own strong work ethic.

'˜It comes from the bands we've listened to and the bands we've grown up with and their output. Like AC/DC, they're a prime example, they never rested on their laurels, if they had the songs the put them up '“ they believed in it.

'˜We've tried not to stick to a formula, we haven't said we have to put out an album everyyear, but we had the material there, so we said this is good stuff, lets go and record it.'

And the new album is all new songs too.

'˜They were all songs we'd written in the past year '“ we'd had lots of time on the road which gave us lots of time to write together. There's always a few ideas floating around '“  you don't always manage to catch them the first time they come into your head, sometimes they sit around and they brood for a bit, but thankfully those ideas made their way into the album and we're really pleased with it.

'˜I am the main songwriter - I often have lyrics running around my head at 100mph, if I don't have a pad nearby, I'll record them on my phone, otherwise you forget which is really frustrating. Those ideas will come at any time and you've just got to run with them.'

Amazingly, Kyle is already thinking about album four. '˜I don't want to jump the gun, but there's definitely ideas starting to swirl around '“ I just live and breathe the music, the same as the rest of the guys, and we want to make something of this while we're young and able.'

The band is rounded out by Paul Edwards on bass and vocals, drummer Jake Dalton.

'˜I would love to be able to keep the output this high '“ the quality is always going to come first, but you know, specially as this is the third album, we've found our comfort zone and we know our strengths.

'˜You have more of an idea if this material is going to work, if it's going to work live.

'˜The fans we've already got will get behind it, so in that respect the process is going to get easier.  I'd love to say we can put out an album a year!'

Theia are due on stage at 4.10pm on Wednesday.

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The Lendy New Generation Stage

Wednesday, August 8

lendycowesweek.co.uk

Stage times

2-2.40pm Tarot Rats

3-3.40pm Lethbridge Owen

4.10-5pm Theia

5.20-6pm Empyre

6.30-7.10pm Rainbreakers

7.30-8.10pm Little Brother Eli