INTERVIEW: IOTA drops new single “Kaibo”

Rising from Bristol’s underground music sphere, IOTA have bene making an impression with a sound that’s at once volatile and intricately controlled, operating as a band shaped by the friction between noise and nuance. Based in the DIY scene, their path has been paved by emotional honesty and a fiercely original sonic output. Drawing from the intensity of grunge, the atmosphere of shoegaze and the spectral echoes of late 90s and early 2000s rock, IOTA exist in a constant state of musical flux, balancing abrasion with atmosphere to forge a sound unlike any other.

Their identity has been been inseparable from a state of transformation, not just in sound but in feeling, resulting in music where moments of quiet emotion are stretched to their limits before collapsing into towering, distorted peaks. Leading their sound is frontwoman Jodie Robinson’s incredible vocal presence which moves between extremes, shifting from near-whispered reflection to powerful delivery.

In 2019 they unveiled their original sound with the debut single “Visions,” returning in 2022 with a trio of new tracks before dropping their first EP, Tyrants, later that year. Since then they’ve continued to go from strength to strength with a string of well-received singles while winning over fans across the UK and beyond. Collaboration has played a role in their story, with past work alongside figures such as Lee Kiernan of Idles and producer Sam Bloor helping to shape the band’s sound into something more focused.

Recent releases like “Pony,” featuring Heaven Unknown, alongside “Heaven” and “Sober” have taken their sound further into high-impact areas, supported by a run of live performances across the UK that translated their intensity into physical space. On stage, those shifting energies become even more pronounced, the band leaning into the full range of their sound with a presence that mirrors the emotional impact of their recordings.

Now, with their latest single titled “Kaibo,” IOTA presents a powerful punch of their anthemic alternative rock sound. Where previous work often grappled with external pressures, this latest release shifts focus to something more reflective, exploring the quiet disillusionment that can follow the pursuit of conventional success. The track is based in the realisation that status, material gain and social hierarchy rarely deliver the fulfilment they promise, leaving behind a sense of emptiness that can be difficult to navigate.

The track continues to play with contrast, building from restrained, almost fragile moments into the band’s signature distorted crescendos that land with gripping potency. Within the raucous arrangement there’s a conceptual thread that runs deeper and the idea of “Kaibo” itself becomes a kind of refuge, a mental space where the noise of expectation falls away, replaced by something more honest and real.

Building from an atmospheric intro of clan guitar tones and the emotive sound of breathy vocals, the track erupts with pounding drums and storming layers of stacked guitars to form a burst of metal energy. Rolling with rattling drums and hazy guitar textures capped by expressive vocal performance carrying enthralling melodic leads, “Kaibo” sees IOTA serve up a thrilling rock ride that’s memorable, exhilarating and original all at once.

We caught up with IOTA to find out more about their musical journey so far, their new single “Kaibo” and what they’ve got lined up for the future. Check out our interview with IOTA below.

Hey IOTA, how’s things?

All good thanks 🙂

What’s your earliest memory of making music?

We all have different experiences from early ages, picking up instruments and some of us having parents influence our early ages of wanting to be in a band. Friends at school, I think a general consensus was the music we loved was all guitar led, heavy, loud music and it just inspired us to pick up our instruments and start something ourselves.

Which artists do you draw most inspiration from?

Deftones, No Doubt, Smashing Pumpkins, Fontaines DC, Hole

How else do you find inspiration for your music?

In art, in the people we meet, the dreams we have, the lives we’ve lived and mistakes we’ve made

What was your highlight of 2025?

We were able to do our first UK/EU tour, supporting Heart Attack Man. It was so incredible to play shows all across the UK in some venues we’ve always dreamed of, not to mention across Europe. I’d been to a show the previous year at Cassiopea in Berlin and to then play the same stage the year after felt surreal

What do you love about the Bristol music scene?

Bristol’s music scene is so diverse, theres never any judgement, theres community, you see the same people at shows because they love music! A lot of people living in Bristol are struggling, financially, we’re in a place where its so hard to get by. The Bristol music scene always comes together to help and create community and an escape!

What would you say is the perfect setting for listeners to enjoy your sound?

In your bedroom with a hairbrush microphone after a big break up

How has your own style and sound evolved since you started out?

We’ve grown so much since we first started, when we first started IOTA – we could never pin down the sound we wanted, it was all very floaty and mis matched our song would differ song by song, I’d say we only truly found our sound and how to replicate it on recording when we started working with Sam Bloor. He’s our producer. He helps us blend all the influencers we have in our head

Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

Deftones would probably be our dream artist to collaborate with!

How did you find making your new single “Kaibo”?

It’s always a pleasure working with Sam Bloor, we recording Kaibo along side our two previous singles, Pony and Heaven.

What message did you want to get across with this release?

We wanted to create a song about an escape, we actually created this place in our head where we could run and hide from all things, painting it as a real physical place but its totally made up in our minds.

What artist have you been listening to most recently?

Yeule, NewDad, Narrow Head, Mercury, Jutes, Die Spitz! New Music is popping off!

What’s the main thing you want people to get out of listening to your music?

We want it to feel emotional but energetic, it needs to feel like a real live band

What’s been your favourite live performance so far?

The tour we did recently across UK/EU with Heart Attack man was full of amazing shows – honestly its hard to pick, from that tour Leeds and Nottingham were epic. But we’ve has so many tiny headline hometown shows, seeing all our Bristol family getting involved is forever heartwarming

Who would be 3 artists to headline your dream festival? And where would it be?

Deftones (obvs), No Doubt, Turnstile

Do you have any advice for a new artist wanting to follow your footsteps?

Find a producer that is passionate for your music and knows what you want and how to get you there! Make music, have fun, don’t deep it or strive to be famous and rich – your choosing the wrong industry 😉

Finally, what do you have lined up next

We’re playing Burn it Down, 2000 Trees and Dot to Dot festivals. We also have a tour ready to be announced, heading back to Europe.

Listen to Kaibo below