iamthemorning are one of the most delicate and distinctive acts in modern progressive rock — a Russian duo who craft intricate, classically-infused “chamber prog” from little more than piano, voice and strings. Built on the partnership of singer Marjana Semkina and pianist Gleb Kolyadin, their music is hushed, ornate and deeply emotional, drawing on classical music, folk and jazz as much as on prog. Quietly beloved, they have become one of the genre’s most singular and award-winning voices.

The short version

Formed in Saint Petersburg in 2010, iamthemorning play delicate chamber-prog of piano and voice — intricate, classically-influenced music built around Gleb Kolyadin’s grand piano and Marjana Semkina’s pure, expressive vocals, coloured with strings and woodwinds. Across three studio albums from “Belighted” (2014) to “The Bell” (2019), including the award-winning “Lighthouse” (2016), this Russian duo have carved out a sound entirely their own. They are among modern prog’s most beautiful and original acts.

Saint Petersburg: piano and voice

iamthemorning came together in Saint Petersburg in 2010, when singer Marjana Semkina met pianist and composer Gleb Kolyadin and the two began writing together — taking their name from a song by the band Oceansize. After building a following at home in Russia, they self-released their debut album in 2012, and then, remarkably, became the first Russian act to successfully fund an album through Kickstarter. That record, “Belighted” (2014), brought them to the respected post-progressive label Kscope and to a wider international audience.

Delicate chamber prog

iamthemorning’s music is intimate, intricate and quietly spellbinding. At its core are Gleb Kolyadin’s classically-trained piano and Marjana Semkina’s clear, multi-tracked voice, framed by strings, harp, woodwinds and the occasional rock instrument — a blend the duo themselves call “chamber prog”. Drawing on classical music, northern folk, jazz and ambient electronics, their songs are elegant and emotionally rich, with lyrics, often inspired by literature and art, that explore melancholy, loss and the harder corners of human experience with great sensitivity and an underlying current of compassion. Few bands sound so fragile and so assured at once.

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Belighted, Lighthouse and The Bell

iamthemorning’s three studio albums form a small but exquisite body of work. “Belighted” (2014) introduced their chamber-prog to the world, with Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison guesting on drums. Its successor, “Lighthouse” (2016), is widely regarded as their masterpiece — a richly textured, deeply felt album, approaching difficult emotional themes with beauty and hope, that won Album of the Year at the Progressive Music Awards. Their third, “The Bell” (2019), is their most eclectic yet, weaving jazz, folk and heavier moments into their delicate sound.

Album by album

Three albums of delicate, intricate, classically-infused chamber prog. Tap any title for its guide.

The players

iamthemorning are, at heart, a duo: singer, lyricist and art director Marjana Semkina, whose pure voice and vision shape the band’s identity, and pianist and composer Gleb Kolyadin, widely admired as one of the finest pianists in modern prog. Around this core, the pair build their albums with a rotating cast of guest musicians — including, memorably, Porcupine Tree’s Gavin Harrison and Colin Edwin, and Riverside’s Mariusz Duda — alongside string and wind players. Self-producing throughout, Semkina and Kolyadin have kept complete creative control over their singular sound.

Where to start

Begin with “Lighthouse” (2016), iamthemorning’s award-winning masterpiece and the perfect introduction to their delicate, emotionally powerful chamber prog. From there, the eclectic “The Bell” (2019) shows their more adventurous side, while “Belighted” (2014) captures the duo’s early, intimate charm. Three albums that reveal one of modern prog’s most beautiful and distinctive voices.

Why they still matter

iamthemorning matter as proof that progressive rock can be quiet, intimate and classically refined, and still utterly captivating — a duo who built a sound from piano, voice and strings that resembles no one else’s, and who brought real beauty and emotional honesty to the genre. Their award-winning music has earned them a devoted following far beyond their native Russia, and stands among the most exquisite in modern prog. For anyone drawn to delicate, heartfelt, chamber-influenced progressive music, iamthemorning are essential listening.

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