[CM] Ian, tell us how you got started in music
How did that come about?
[CM] How did you transition from artist to
in the first place?
producer?
IAN: I like to joke that as an artist, “I’ve been
IAN: As a kid, I remember being completely
dropped by every record company in Nashville
IAN: I only really wanted to be an artist and
overwhelmed by melodies constantly swimming
multiple times”. In reality it’s not far from the
a writer. Honestly, I was a reluctant producer.
through my head. I would air guitar and sing
truth. After college I moonlighted in a few bands
In hindsight it was a bit strange that my labels
in front of the mirror to The Police and Adam
like Code Of Ethics, Newsboys, etc… playing
used to give me a small budget and say, “Ok
And The Ants, pretending I was on stage. I’m
keys and doing a bit of singing.
Ian, go make your album.” I guess because I
thankful there is no video footage of this.
had an early grasp on the music technology
This led to the release of my first solo album
and the sound I wanted there was never a
Even though I was average at best and
on a division of a division of a division of Word
discussion of hiring a producer.
not classically trained, I gravitated toward
Records, and a follow up album with Reunion
keyboards and singing. At 16 I worked all
Records. I was about to be label-less again
After the heavy touring days I started writing
summer long as a hotel bellhop to buy my first
when a three month tour sharing a bus and
songs for other artists, and when the demos
keyboard - a Yamaha DX 27 that had a split-
opening for Steve Taylor changed my whole
started to get pretty good, presto! I was a
able keyboard; bass down low and synth on
perspective on what Christians could be singing
producer.
top (whoa!). The natural progression was a
about. I immediately transitioned my solo thing
series of embarrassing 80’s synth pop bands
to a band thing called All Star United, which is
[CM] Let’s talk about the recording studio you
where I excelled in the finer arts of bad hair and
where my career really started to take off. It was
have built for your projects. What are you using
worse dancing.
really freeing to be able to write Christian social
as far as recording? Monitors? Mic’s? Signal
commentary songs with a hint of wit. Though I
processing? Guitars? Give us the skinny on
Looking back it was cool to come up in
don’t tour anymore, I still do some recording as
the tools you use for making those number one
a time when music technology was in its
All Star United because it’s so much fun.
songs…
infancy. Working in the first sketchy versions of
programs like Performer 1.0 entangled in a nest
IAN: I built “The Holiday Ian” about 10 years
of MIDI cables running random boxes certainly
ago and it has served me well. I call it the
has given me a huge appreciation for where we
incredible shrinking studio, because these
are now. I still have nightmares about locking
days you just don’t need very much. I didn’t
tape and machines with SMPTE.
build a drum room because in Nashville you
can bounce around to phenomenal drummer’s
[CM] You signed with a record company and
places who are all set up and ready to rock.
had a career as an artist back in the day when
I then bring it all back on a hard drive called,
there actually were a lot of record companies.
“The Holiday Ian Express”.
22
Sep Oct 2016
ChristianMusician.com