The Ivory Piece have arrived with their self-titled debut EP. Listeners are invited to take an immersive dive into the world of The Ivory Piece, and are rewarded with tracks that build to anthemic climaxes and poetic lyrics which carefully explore the deepest parts of the human psyche.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with The Ivory Piece about the debut release, challenges, technology and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
It’s hard to say where I’m from. My dad was in the restaurant business when I was growing up, so we moved, literally, almost every year. But I was born in California, spent about 4 years of my childhood in Colorado Springs, CO, and junior high and high school in Silverdale, WA. After high school, I went back to Colorado Springs to attend the Air Force Academy. I graduated in 1999 and, once again, began moving around the country. I separated from the active duty in 2007, was hired as a pilot with United Airlines, and moved to Brooklyn in 2008. I’ve been here ever since.
My style of music, I suppose, would be some sort of dream pop, proggy, art rock thing. I have my influences, but nothing I write really sounds like anything else I was influenced by. I guess that’s normal, and probably a good thing. An artist has to follow their gut, and try their best to get what’s in their head out there for everyone else to hear, regardless of how different it may be. Of course, they’re never quite satisfied with what they create, so they create again—and again and again. That’s how one develops a style. I’m still trying to find mine.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I started late in life. I didn’t pick up a guitar until I was 27. Before that, I wasn’t even very serious with listening to music. I can’t really explain what grabbed me or why it grabbed me; but when it did, I was hooked. From that point, all I knew was that this was my calling, and I had to pursue it.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
Well, this is my first album release. It’s been a long time in the making. I cut my teeth on these songs, which is one reason why it has taken so long to get them out to the public. My only goal was to get what was in my head out in an aural format, as accurately as possible.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
This is the challenge to both the artist and the listener. Yes, there’s so much out there to choose from—it’s overwhelming, frustrating, and kind of demoralizing to try to sift through all the noise to find something that speaks to you. And if you’re an artist who truly feels like they have something to say, you face those same issues waiting for someone to pay some serious attention. But you do it because you love it. If you’re lucky, you’re able to do it for as long as you want.
The good thing about all this technology is that it does allow the artist more control over their art. If they’re talented, tenacious, and patient enough to learn to write well, and savvy enough to effectively navigate social media, they should do fine. It’s not like it was 30+ years ago, where if an artist was hoping to make it, there would come a time where they’d be subject to a few suits in the room with one thing in mind: how to fill their pockets while effectively using up the artist’s available shelf life. It’s harder to earn a living now, but you also don’t risk as much trying to “make it.”
What was the last song you listened to?
The Walkmen’s “French Vacation”
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
I guess MP3s, out of sheer convenience. Vinyl brings me back to my childhood. I remember listening, with my father, to everything from David Gates to Boz Scaggs, to Pink Floyd, Gilbert and Sullivan and Waylon Jennings. Those were some pretty fond memories. Still, I don’t own any vinyl.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
Hmm, I don’t really have a preference on that either. I had subscribed to Spotify Premium about 5 years ago, then I stopped. Like a lot of people, I have a problem with the scraps they throw to artists. If I feel the need to go looking for new music, I’ll hit up different music sites to find out what they’re liking. If I like it, I’ll just buy it on iTunes. Also not the ideal option, but I feel better knowing I purchased the song instead of just streaming it. I mean, who can’t spare 99 cents for a song they enjoy?
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Instagram and Facebook for daily updates, as well as Bandsintown for our live show schedule. And, of course, our music is available for purchase and streaming on various online music stores
