John McIvor

Biography:

John McIvor's story starts when he began writing his own songs at the tender age of twelve. John (born in Dublin, Ireland) was influenced by a diverse range of artists and soaked all of this influence up through his teens, until finally moving to London in 2005, aged eighteen. John played all kinds of music during his time in college, trying anything and everything. It wasn't until the summer of 2008 when things started to pave the way. John moved into a new house with friends and it was at this time that he set up a band around him. Long nights were spent in a bathroom / conservatory in Acton (London), listening to records, drinking wine, and playing music. The influence of this period, the consideration and patience that it fostered, is at the heart of John’s music. After a long gestation, John was shown the open air at the Golden Cannon in Brighton on the 21st of February 2009.
With the aim of injecting something new to the sound that was already starting to solidify, John recruited drummer Boris Baumeister. Boris brought a voice all of his own, a dynamic range, and a rhythmic playfulness, that lifted the songs by their bootlaces, taking the music to new territory (though one entirely sympathetic to the sound already defined by John, in that conservatory in Acton).
With the addition of Baumeister, hard work began on the first EP. Self-recorded and self-produced, it is a testament to the subtlety and emotional depth that some music can sometimes achieve. It has been described as “possessing qualities which are perfect for the genre; addictive, introspective and positively calming..." (Shelley Hanvey - eFestivals). The opening track, Heroes, has found a particularly warm reception, especially live. From its opening chords, it builds, dragging the listener through deeper and deeper water, finishing with a wild, emotional crescendo.
The EP was released to an eager public and a sold-out Whelans (Dublin) in March 2010. Extensive gigging followed, including performances at Isle of Wight Festival 2010 (headline act – Paul McCartney), Manchester's M.A.P.S. Festival, Little London Fields Festival, and the Flowerpot in Camden, London. The EP was aired on various radio broadcasts, including Tom Robinson's Introducing on BBC Radio 6Music, and other various online stations, followed by a performance on Balcony TV (London) in the summer 2010. Throughout the proceedings, new songs were being written, a tour of the UK and Ireland planned, and work began on a second EP planned for release in early 2011.
Soon after this the tour was on the brink. In his white transit van, John traveled with the band across the UK and Ireland. They covered 12 dates in three weeks, sowing their music where it would take root (notably, Islington's O2 Academy 2, the Troubadour in Earl's Court (London), Manchester’s Night and Day Café, and Dublin's The Palace).
While on tour in Ireland, the band entered Windmill Lane Studios (Dublin) for the last intensive recording session, resulting in their second EP, Institutionalised, which was released April 1st 2011. The new material shows a maturing of John's distinctive sound; the same subtlety and emotional depth, but crystallized in a man now thoroughly comfortable in his own skin, confident, and uncompromising. With the addition of this EP to his catalogue, Johns music has now been aired on various digital and FM radio stations all over the world (including stations in London, Manchester, Wales, Germany, Russia, not to mention quite a few stations in America. Institutionalised, the title-track of the EP, reached number 2 in the Top 5 Tracks Of The Week on Boston radio station, UNregular Radio.
2011 is set to be a big year for McIvor, with the release of the Institutionalised EP, and two more EP releases planned for later in the year, including his long-awaited solo EP (due August 2011). John is also featured playing one of his songs on Communion: The Flowerpot Sessions album (released through Island Records in June 2011). The compilation also features artists such as Lissie, Damian Rice, The Staves, Angus and Julia Stone, Alan Pownall to name a few. Summer 2011 was full of recording and festival dates for the songwriter, including a return to Isle Of Wight Festival on 10th June, and a debut performance at Field Day Festival, in London (6th August). John is currently finishing his next EP which is due for release in spring 2012.