From the heart of Los Angeles’ surf, skate and motorcycle scene, IVES has carved out a niche for themselves on the merit of their own sweat and blood. Truly self-reliant, the duo has emerged from their debut album, the Incredible Story Of Mr. Birch (produced by Kenny Riley), accredited and debt free – two adjectives few modern bands can boast. After a 35+ date run supporting indie heavy weights Eisley, the duo’s complex, yet digestible pop sensibilities, found their way on to the airwaves of over 200 radio stations and national television spots like MTV’s The Real World.
For their second record, dubbed "Rio Grande Project" (release 2016), the boys packed up and headed to Albuquerque to work with Ken Riley at Rio Grande Studios. After years of touring and a growing fascination with New Mexico, the raw southwestern landscape inspired stories of adventure, love and new beginnings while reviving bitter tales of heartbreak and regret. Like the dusty southwest itself, the new record is a tribute to both abundance and drought, in nature and spirit. Harvested from their collective experience, the new record is at once serene and self-asserting, if nothing sincere. For IVES, “Music is meant to inspire others to be proactive”, and the Rio Grande Project is fuel, forged out of life and limb, to inspire listeners to live wildly after love and adventure.
Members
Photos by Nina Duncan