Ilya K win Murphy's Live 2007!
Waterford-based band Ilya K went home last night as winners of the Murphy's Live unsigned band competition.
The Hot Press Newsdesk, 11 May 2007

After 350 submitted demos that boiled down to six national heats which saw Exit: Pursued By A Bear, Citizen, Suddyn, Dirty Face Kids, Philtre, The Distractions, Secret Police, Star Belgrade, Lost, SuperJimenez and finalists Ilya K and The Chapters battle it out, Ilya K pipped The Chapters to the post at the Village, Dublin.
While The Automatic entertained the capacity crowd, judges Neil Hannon from the Divine Comedy, Angela Dorgan (First Music Contact), Ashley Keating (The Frank & Walters), Margaret Barron (Murphy's) and Shilpa Ganatra (Hot Press) scrapped over who would win the prize, worth €10,000.
Eventually, electro-rockers Ilya K, who have been together since 2004, were declared as winners by Hannon who declared it a tough decision - "and I'm not just saying that".
They walk away with a bounty that includes an EP launch with Fifa Records, studio recording time, a national distribution deal, full PR and a six month management deal.
With another Waterford band, Saviours Of Space, winning the National Student Music Awards this year, expect a few A&R heads chemically analysing what they put in the water there.