Ilayda Cicek (born 1997, Genk) is the frontwoman and songwriter of Belgian alternative rock band ILA. The band broke through in 2022 by winning Studio Brussel's De Nieuwe Lichting with 'Leave Me Dry', which spent three weeks at number one in De Afrekening. Debut album Ayna followed in 2024 via PIAS; second album Motherland, recorded in London with producer Mikko Gordon (Idles, The Smile), is due on 9 October 2026. The record draws on the story of Cicek's father, who left Turkey for Belgium in the late 1980s.
ILA released the new single 'Sorry' and announced the second album Motherland, which will be released on October 9, 2026.
After support shows for The Streets, ILA is preparing for an extensive European tour in autumn 2026, with four shows in the United Kingdom in November.
ILA performed at Pukkelpop 2026 and is scheduled for November 2026 at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels.
Guitarist Mattias Stynen joined the band, after which ILA wrote Motherland as a quartet - the first album that was created entirely as a band.
Debut album Ayna was released in 2024 via PIAS and was positively received by the press.
Belgian indie rock band ILA performs with their ambitious album Motherland, recorded with producer Mikko Gordon.
ILA returns to MEZZ with her new album 'Motherland', a grander and more ambitious record exploring family, identity and loss through personal storytelling.