LA-based rock n’ roll band Ivory Deville will release their debut self-titled album on December 9 via Kill/Hurt Records. The band has been steadily making waves in the unforgiving LA music scene – highlighted by a recent appearance at the Echo Park Music Festival and a supporting slot on Jam in the Van’s residency night at The Satellite. They also performed at the Eagle Rock Music Festival on October 4.
Ivory Deville has been compared to various branches of rock and soul – including references to artists like T Rex, Lucero, Chuck Berry, The Band, and The Animals. Their soul-filled, classic take on rock n’ roll music creates a high-energy live show – backup singers and tambourines included.
Ghettoblaster recently caught up with Ivory Deville to discuss the record and this is what they said about it.
When did you begin writing the material for your self-titled album?  
“White Lights” and “The Shaker” were actually written before Ivory Deville took form, so probably sometime around the end of 2012.  On the other end, when we knew we were recording for vinyl, it was “well, what do we want to hear as soon as the needle drops?” So “Tattered” was written as the opening track. The rest of the songs popped up at different points over the past year.
What was the most difficult song to take from the initial writing stage through recording and mixing?  Why was it so troublesome?    
We’d already been playing the majority of them live, so it wasn’t much different when we got in the studio.  Most of the songs worked themselves out fairly easily.  We tracked live and did a few overdubs, pretty simple really.  I guess “Starline Blues” was finicky for a moment because we hadn’t really worked it out yet, but I still think we got it on the fourth or fifth run-through.
Which of the songs on the record is most different from your original concept for the song?
Honestly, they are all pretty true to their origins.  “White Lights” experienced some minor tweaks, it soars a little more, and it picked up a few country bends.
Did you have any guest musicians play or sing on the record?
Well, we did have a couple great players in mind, but I think we just forgot or ran out of time. Maybe we’ll do that on the next one and stretch out a little more. I guess the good thing right now is, whenever we’re on stage, we can play the parts you hear on the record.
Who produced the record?  What input did that person have that changed the face of the record?
We recorded the album at The Barber Shop Recording Studio in LA, and Scott Barber (owner) engineered and helped produce it. Scott’s great, he’s got a straightforward, rational approach – but he’s also down to try anything just to see what happens, and he’s extremely calm. That combination worked well for us. So he created a comfortable environment and basically let us do our thing.  He’s also skilled at saying “let’s try that again.”     
Is there an overarching concept behind your new album that ties the record together?
Probably so. We didn’t approach this as a concept album or anything, but I imagine an astute listener could make a diagnosis. If I had to pick a theme right now though, it would be “insomnia, isolation, and itchiness.”
Have you begun playing these songs live and which songs have elicited the strongest reaction from your fans?
Almost all of the album tracks are in our live set at the moment, and the fans have been really participative. It’s a great feeling to hear people singing along.  So far though, “Drainpipe” seems to be the winner. It puts a dangerous look in their eyes.
(Fans can pre-order Ivory Deville at the official Kill/Hurt website, and can find out more information on the band at http://www.ivorydeville.com.
“Drainpipe” on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/killhurt/ivory-deville-drainpipe
www.ivorydeville.com
www.facebook.com/ivorydevillemusic
www.twitter.com/ivorydeville)