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Ivy | |
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| Origin | New York City, United States |
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| Discography | |
| Years active | 1994–2012 |
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| Past members |
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| Website | thebandivy |
Ivy was an American indie pop band composed of Andy Chase, Adam Schlesinger, and Dominique Durand. [1] They were active between 1994 and 2012.
In 1991, Andy Chase placed an ad that attracted fellow multi-instrumentalist Adam Schlesinger. In 1994 they met Dominique Durand, a native of Paris who had moved to New York City to study English, and with whom they shared admiration for the Go-Betweens, the House of Love, the Pastels, Prefab Sprout and the Smiths. [2] Although Durand had never sung in a group, she was persuaded by Chase and Schlesinger to sing on some demos, and Ivy was formed. [3]
In 1994, Ivy signed with Seed Records and released "Get Enough," which the UK magazine Melody Maker named Single of the Week, followed by the EP Lately . In 1995, they released their first full-length album, Realistic.Lately's cover version of "I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive" impressed its author, Edwyn Collins of Orange Juice, so much that he invited them to tour together. Ivy also toured during this period with Lloyd Cole, Madder Rose, and Saint Etienne. [4]
Apartment Life (released October 6, 1997 on Atlantic Records) was praised by critics as one of the year's best albums and established Ivy as a band that wrote pleasant, well-crafted pop songs. They were assisted by several guest musicians, including Lloyd Cole, James Iha, Dean Wareham and Chris Botti. [5] The album received more attention when "This Is the Day" and "I Get the Message" appeared on the soundtrack for the movie There's Something About Mary . [4]
Apartment Life, however, did not produce any hits, and Ivy was dropped by Atlantic. They signed with 550 Music on the condition that the band reissue the album. According to Schlesinger, four of the songs were remixed and the album was remastered and re-released on October 7, 1998. [6]
Long Distance , their third LP, was released on July 10, 2001 on Nettwerk, and won the group a wider audience both at home and abroad. The album was released on November 8, 2000 in Japan, seven months prior to its US release, and the Japanese edition included a bonus track, "It's All in Your Mind" (the US version included The Blow Monkeys cover "Digging Your Scene" as a bonus track instead).
On Long Distance, lush soundscapes and dense rhythm tracks were brought to the fore, and bouncy pop songs were outnumbered by moodier, more atmospheric songs like single "Edge of the Ocean". Promotional videos were created for that song and the lead single, "Lucy Doesn't Love You".
By this time, the band had also found success on both the big and small screens, scoring the Farrelly Brothers’ Shallow Hal , [7] as well as having their songs featured prominently in numerous films and television shows. Chase and Schlesinger had also begun to receive attention for their work outside the band: Chase produced the debut album by French pop group Tahiti 80, which was a hit in many countries and led to production work with several other groups; Schlesinger’s other band, Fountains of Wayne, released two critically acclaimed records, and he also received an Oscar nomination for his title song to Tom Hanks's film That Thing You Do! .
Ivy released Guestroom on September 10, 2002 on Minty Fresh. The album contained 10 of the group's favorite cover songs, including The Cure's "Let's Go to Bed", House of Love's "I Don't Know Why I Love You", Steely Dan's "Only a Fool Would Say That", Serge Gainsbourg's "L'Anamour" (previously a B-side on the "I've Got a Feeling" single), The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" and Papas Fritas' "Say Goodbye". Picking from several different eras, they revealed some of their sources of inspiration, and also displayed their ability to reinterpret many different types of songs in their own distinct way. Five of the 10 songs on Guestroom were recorded during one group of sessions in New York. The remaining five tracks were recorded at different times over the course of Ivy’s career, but were difficult to find, having been released only on limited-edition singles, compilations or soundtracks.
"Digging Your Scene" was also included on the album, and released in Japan and UK as a CD single. A video for "Let's Go to Bed" was shot, depicting Durand and Chase in their NYC apartment, later joined by Iha.
The Lately EP was reissued in 2003 on Unfiltered Records with the same track list as the original.
Ivy gained even wider recognition in 2003–2004 for their song "Worry About You", which was used as the theme song of the Stephen King series Kingdom Hospital and in the pilot episode of the television series The 4400 .
In the Clear was released on March 1, 2005 on Nettwerk.
Ivy brought in UK producer Steve Osborne (New Order, Happy Mondays, Starsailor, Elbow) for his first-ever New York sessions to mix seven of the tracks.
In the Clear also featured guest appearances by friends like Iha, Porter, Brazilian string arranger Zé Luis (Bebel Gilberto, Caetano Veloso), and former Girls Against Boys frontman Scott McLoud, who dueted with Durand on the closing track, "Feel So Free".
The album was given a warmer reception than previous releases. An animated promotional video clip was created for "Thinking About You".
All Hours was released on September 20, 2011 on Nettwerk. The first single from the album, "Distant Lights", was released on June 7, 2011, and the second single, "Fascinated," was released on July 26, 2011. The third and final single, "Lost in the Sun", was released on April 10, 2012.
Ivy have cited the Go-Betweens, Burt Bacharach, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Orange Juice, the Smiths, the Velvet Underground, the Beatles and Françoise Hardy as influences, as well as other artists covered on Guestroom.
Durand's vocal technique and Parisian pronunciation are often compared by reviewers to another French singer, Lætitia Sadier of Stereolab. [8]
Along with Fountains of Wayne, Schlesinger was a member of Tinted Windows.
Durand and Chase, with Michael Hampton, recorded one album, 2004's This Is Where We Live , as Paco.
Chase's solo project, Brookville, released three albums: Wonderfully Nothing (2003), Life in the Shade (2006) and Broken Lights (2009). In November 2012, Brookville changed their name to Camera2, [9] releasing the "Just About Made It" single, followed by EP releases in 2013 and 2014.
In his video "How Music Should Sound," Rick Beato mentioned he played with the band for "about six weeks" in 1994.
Apartment Life is the second studio album by American band Ivy, released by Atlantic Records on October 6, 1997. After being dropped from Seed Records following the release of Realistic in 1995, the group signed to Atlantic due to connections that Adam Schlesinger had with the record label. In addition to band members Andy Chase and Schlesinger, the album was produced by Lloyd Cole and Peter Nashel. In contrast to their previous releases, such as Lately (1994) and Realistic, Apartment Life is a pop album with varying forms of production consisting of keyboards, brass, and string instruments. Some of the compositions featured on the record were compared to the works of My Bloody Valentine, Pixies, and the Smiths. To promote the album, Ivy embarked on a series of promotional tours across the United States.
In the Clear is the fifth studio album by American band Ivy. It was released on March 1, 2005 in the United States by Nettwerk. Considered the "follow-up" to Ivy's third studio album Long Distance (2000), it continues the intimate and refined approach of modern indie pop and indie rock music. Band members Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger produced the album, while musician Steve Osborne co-produced one of the album's tracks.
Andy Chase is an American musician, record producer, and label owner. He formed the band Ivy with Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne and Dominique Durand, now his wife. Chase owns Unfiltered Records and co-owned Stratosphere Sound studio with Schlesinger and James Iha of the Smashing Pumpkins.
Long Distance is the third studio album by the American band Ivy. It was released on November 8, 2000, in Japan, while the US version was released on July 10, 2001, by Nettwerk. A departure from Ivy's previous studio albums Realistic (1995) and Apartment Life (1997), Long Distance was influenced by new wave, but maintained Ivy's signature blend of indie pop and indie rock music. Ivy collaborated with long-time producer Peter Nashel for two of the album's tracks, while the rest were written and produced entirely by members Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger.
All Hours is the sixth and final studio album by American band Ivy, released by Nettwerk on September 20, 2011. Following 2005's In the Clear, the members took a hiatus from music, allowing Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger to work on side projects and Dominique Durand and Chase to begin raising a family. After reuniting in 2008, they started work on a project exploring a new sound following concerns that their songs would become obsolete and unimaginative due to their break. All Hours features 11 songs written and produced by Chase and Schlesinger; they take influence from electropop, indie pop and synth-pop music. Unlike their previous albums, All Hours experiments more with electronic music and contains tracks reminiscent of the music from the 1980s.
"Edge of the Ocean" is a song by the American band Ivy for their third studio album, Long Distance (2000). Lead singer Dominique Durand wrote the song with band members Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase, who both produced it. It was released as the album's lead single in the United States in June 2001, through Nettwerk. Various physical singles were distributed throughout the following year, in addition to an adult alternative airplay release in the US. The song is an electronic-inspired trip hop pop ballad with minimal and simplistic lyrics. Durand's vocals were described as childlike and compared to those of Karen Carpenter. American musician Michael Hampton, a member of Durand and Chase's other band Paco, contributes to the track's instrumentation.
"Lucy Doesn't Love You" is a song by American band Ivy for their third studio album, Long Distance (2000). Lead singer Dominique Durand wrote the song with band members Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase, who both produced it. In 2000, it was chosen as the album's lead single in Japan and distributed via Chase's Unfiltered Records label. Musically, the song was described as a melodic, horn-led trip hop and synth-pop track. Its lyrics find a woman confronting a lovestruck man who desires a different woman, named Lucy, who is not in love with him. American musician Eric Matthews performs trumpet on "Lucy Doesn't Love You", alongside Paco member Michael Hampton, who contributes to the song's instrumentation.
"Disappointed" is a song by American indie rock band Ivy. It was released as the second single from their third studio album, Long Distance (2000). It was released exclusively in the United States on July 10, 2001 by Nettwerk. The release was simultaneous with the release of '"Edge of the Ocean". The track was written by Dominique Durand, Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase, while production was handled by the latter two and Peter Nashel.
"This Is the Day" is a song by American band Ivy, included on their second studio album, Apartment Life (1997). It was released as the record's third single in the United States on October 19, 1998 by 550 Music following its inclusion in the 1998 American comedy film There's Something About Mary. The group had just been dropped by Atlantic Records but eventually signed to 550 Music after they reissued the parent album. The track was written by Dominique Durand, Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase, with the latter two producing it. It is a pop and alternative pop song that features the use of horns and was compared to the works of the Smiths.
"I've Got a Feeling" is a song by American band Ivy, recorded for their second studio album, Apartment Life (1997). It was released as the record's second single in the United States and Australia on October 7, 1997 and 1998 by Atlantic Records, respectively. The track was written by Dominique Durand, Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase, with the latter two plus Lloyd Cole and Peter Nashel handling its production. It is a pop song accompanied by light vocals and a horn section, with Durand gently singing about falling in love, over several layers of guitars and relaxed harmonies.
"I Hate December" is a song by American band Ivy, released on January 12, 1996 by Scratchie Records. The track came from the band's first extended play, Lately (1994). It was written and produced by Andy Chase and Adam Schlesinger, while Dominique Durand also contributed to the lyrics and Peter Nashel handled additional production. While the version that appeared on Lately was not released as a commercial single, a remix was created and distributed as a CD single instead.
Guestroom is the fourth studio album by the band Ivy. It was released on September 10, 2002 by Minty Fresh and Unfiltered Records. Unlike the group's previous albums, the album consisted entirely of cover songs, without any new material. Some of the songs featured on the album were previously released as B-sides to the band's singles.
"You Don't Know Anything" is a song by American indie rock band Ivy. It was released by Atlantic Records on April 29, 1999 as the fourth and final single from their second studio album, Apartment Life (1997). The single was made available exclusively in Europe and featured the same two B-sides as previous single, "This Is the Day", which had been released by 550 Music in Austria. The track was written by Dominique Durand, Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase while production was handled by the latter two and Peter Nashel.
"Get Enough" is the debut single by American band Ivy, released in 1994 by Seed Records. It was included as the opening track for their first studio album, Realistic (1995). It was composed by band members Dominique Durand, Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase, and produced by the latter two and Kurt Ralske. The song was conceived while the band was creating material for their first extended play, Lately (1994), a project that Durand was initially reluctant to work on. Its production, along with the rest of Realistic, was inspired by French musicians and exhibits a folk rock and pop sound.
"Lost in the Sun" is a song by American indie rock band Ivy. It was released as the third and final single from their sixth studio album, All Hours (2011). It was issued in the United States on April 10, 2012 as a digital download by Nettwerk and Unfiltered Records. The single was written and produced by Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase.
"The Best Thing" is a song by American band Ivy on their second studio album, Apartment Life (1997). Released on September 12, 1997 by Atlantic Records, it was the band's major-label debut single and served as the parent album's lead single. The track was written by Dominique Durand, Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase, and was produced by the latter two. A pop song, "The Best Thing" is accompanied by several guitars and a keyboard.
Lately is the first extended play recorded by American band Ivy, released in May 1994 by Seed Records. Developed in the same year as the formation of the group, Lately is a French pop album with acoustic and general pop influences. Originally conceived by members Dominique Durand and Andy Chase, the pair recruited Adam Schlesinger for additional production and lyrics. Sessions took place in New York City and Paris, where they recorded four original tracks and a cover of Orange Juice's 1984 song "I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive".
"Distant Lights" is a song by American indie rock band Ivy. It was released as the lead single from their sixth studio album, All Hours (2011). It was issued in the United States on June 7, 2011 as a digital download by Nettwerk. The single was written and produced by Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase.
"Fascinated" is a song by American band Ivy. It was released as the second single from their sixth studio album, All Hours (2011), and made available for digital download on July 26, 2011 by Nettwerk in the United States. The song was written and produced by both Adam Schlesinger and Andy Chase. An electronica song, "Fascinated" uses keyboards and a repetitive, simple chorus throughout its duration; Ivy's take on the production was called "European" by one critic.
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