Hi readers.
Here’s an excellent submission from intern extraordinaire Phill Picardi on, what I am sure, is his new favorite band.
With their last single selling over 450,000 copies, a new single on the way, and an album that’s been on the Billboard’s HeatSeekers Chart for over 45 weeks, one thing’s for sure: the guys from Thriving Ivory are here to stay.
The lead singer’s voice croons into a throaty falsetto that seemed to cut right to the heart, and immediately, the crowd is lost in the upcoming single “Hey Lady”, from Thriving Ivory’s self-titled debut album. It’s one song that has the entire audience – even the noisy guys in the back – in absolute silence. When the song draws to a close, everyone is moved to applause.
“Thank you,” Clayton, the lead singer smiles, adding his witty jokes and stories in between songs. It’s easy to tell from his banter that these guys really are your typical California crew; appropriately dressed in vintage-inspired Vans, v-neck graphic t-shirts, and tough stubble that only looks good with a West Coast tan, The members of the band draw much inspiration from their roots.
“We all went to school in Santa Barbara,” says guitarist Drew Cribley, “and that’s really where we made an impact. We used to play concerts with up to 500 people, but when we moved to Los Angeles, the scene was ‘pay-to-play’. It was tougher to draw a crowd.” Still, he insists, the band’s inspiration is not all California-inspired.
“Our inspiration in common is definitely U2 and Coldplay, but everyone comes from a different place musically,” he says. “Our pianist grew up on Billy Joel and Elton John, whereas the drummer comes from a punk-rock background.”
So, the band moved back to the Bay Area, where one of their concerts happened to boast the attendance of top radio producers and Columbia Records executives alike. After the concert, Wind-Up Records CEO Diana Meltzer took the boys out to dinner, where she stood up on the bench in the middle of the restaurant and asked (loudly) if they wanted to be signed.
“It was so real. There was no hierarchy, no middle man. Just Diana and her husband, Alan, out to dinner, asking if we wanted to be signed,” said lead singer Clayton Stroope. “And of course we did.”
Just like that, the band joined big names in rock and roll like Creed, Evanescence, Hawthorne Heights, and more on Wind-Up Records. Their hit single, “Angels on the Moon,” quickly climbed Billboard’s Heat Seekers chart. This June, they launch their tour at the legendary House of Blues in New Orleans, but not before a quick stop in Boston.
“Well I can tell you guys one thing,” Stroope addresses the audience, “we have played a lot of gigs before. But never one that looked like this. When I walked into my hotel room, I was afraid I was going to break something.”
And rightfully so. Hotel Indigo of the Boston-Newton Riverside offers a modern, chic atmosphere complemented by eco-friendly accents. The 191-room hotel offers accommodations like flat-screen TVs, Aveda products, spa showers, and a swanky restaurant “BOKX” where the band played for its audience. Waiters offer the crowd elegantly garnished hors d’ouevres, as well as a diverse cocktail menu.
“It’s so strange playing these gigs sometimes,” bassist Bret Cohune confides. “We don’t always see that we’re the artists people are coming to see.”
The band was surrounded at the meet-and-greet, with the crowd at Hotel Indigo primarily being the Gucci-clad 30-somethings. But two little girls also eagerly waited to get their picture taken with the band.Evidently, fame may be something the band has to get used to. Thriving Ivory opens for rock-group Switchfoot this summer, and has already opened performances for singers like Sarah McLachlan, an experience that Stroope describes as “surreal.” They even surpassed their idols, Kings of Leon, on the iTunes Charts, a feat that Stroope ashamedly admits he monitored on his iPhone for weeks.
“If there’s one thing we want to do, we want to create music people can relate to.” Cohune says. With their heart-wrenching ballads, and stories of love that will certainly leave you more than pensive by the album’s end, the music is certainly universal.
“I just hope that when we look back at our process of writing, we’re not sitting down and thinking ‘this chorus isn’t gonna hit at 45 seconds’ or creating an intro because the radio DJ needs one,” said Stroope. “We want to stay creative. Most importantly, we want to be a band with staying power.”
And from the sound of it, they certainly are.For exclusive tracks off their debut album, click here.
The group’s album, Thriving Ivory is available in stores and on iTunes.
For information about their tour and upcoming appearances, click here.
