ilyAIMY (ill YAY' mee) has been in its quartet formation for nearly three years, with its newest member, co-front Heather Lloyd, added in 2001. As a duo, Rob Hinkal and Heather Lloyd have been wandering the country since September 1st of 2003, Living off of paper cuts and string cuts and their artwork and music. They survive on luck on fumes on spit on Love. But whether performing as the duo, trio or quartet, ilyAIMY is a high-energy show, with percussive acoustic performances featuring award-winning songwriting and signature male/female harmonies. Rounding out the band are percussionist Rowan Corbett, also of the award-winning neo-Celtic band, Tinsmith, and pianist/bassist Sharif Kellogg.
During 2005 alone, ilyAIMY was a finalist in the country's most prestigious songwriting and performance contests: Texas' Kerrville Folk Festival, Atlanta's Eddie's Attic Acoustic Shootout (as won previously by John Mayer) and the Susquehanna Music & Arts Festival (where Rob and Heather were independently selected as finalists, and Rob snagged 3rd place). They were also semifinalists at the 2005 Mountain Stage Newsong Festival, and won the inaugural Takoma Park Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase in 2004. In 2006, Heather won the Cape Fear Folk Festival High Noon Shootout and was again a finalist at Susquehanna.
With an unlikely set of nominations from the Washington Area Music Association (the WAMMIEs) in Contemporary Folk (Best Duo or Group, 2003) and Alternative (Best Recording, 2001), it's no wonder ilyAIMY has shared stages comfortably with folk acts (We're About 9, Devon Sproule and Steve Key), anti-folk acts (Hammell on Trial, Ember Swift) and pop-rock acts (Mercy Creek, Jeffrey Gaines, The Mosquitos, The Lloyd Dobler Effect). Often compared to Keller Williams, Ani DiFranco, America, Rusted Root, Buckingham/Nicks and even an acoustic Tool, an ilyAIMY audience consists of fans that listen quietly while nodding their heads thoughtfully, a couple of guys headbanding, occassional ball-room waltzers, and that woman over there doing that weird raver thing with her hands...
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