Continuously showcasing their creativity and versatility, Wavedash and James Ivy’s friendship, tracing back to their teenage years, has intersected at a crucial point in their musical careers for the release of “Chicago Loop,” out now via Create Music Group.
Debuting on Skrillex’s label OWSLA in 2015, Wavedash has since developed their own style of electronic dance music. Receiving industry-wide praise from artists like Skrillex, Porter Robinson, Madeon, and many more; in 2021, their 12-track debut album, World Famous Tour, left a bold and positive mark on the dance music community. Now liberated from label stipulations and creative control, the trio look onwards to seek artistic fulfillment in the next chapter of their careers. The release of “Chicago Loop”, a track that was initially introduced 3 years ago, thus, carries great meaning to both the artists and their fans, as the trio collabs with their long friend, and rising artist James Ivy.
James Ivy, a 23-year-old Korean-American singer/songwriter/producer from New Jersey, since his debut in 2020, with “Staring Contest”, has been developing his artistic presence in the PC music scene. Receiving praise from the likes of MTV, Flood Magazine, NYLON, and continued releases of singles and in 2021, his debut EP, Good Grief, James Ivy has impressed both media and the fans. Crossing between genres and facing new frontiers in his career, his addition to “Chicago Loop” is something that once again proves his indefinite musical capabilities.
“Jimmy (James Ivy) has been one of our best friends for over 8 years now. During that time we’ve grown up together and came into our own as artists. We help each other out with everything, whether it be Jimmy lending his voice to us or Me, Michael, and Gavin lending Jimmy our production skills. When we made“Chicago Loop,” we thought it was just another one of the hundreds of songs that would never see the light of day, but thanks to the overwhelming response from fans we are unbelievably excited to share it with you guys.” – Wavedash
“Chicago Loop” was a song born from an ironing board acting as a makeshift desk and a Bluetooth speaker in a hotel room in Chicago. Me and the boys had flown out to Chicago for Lollapalooza and it ended up being the biggest let-down of a weekend ever. Me and the boys started a song purely off of the desire to make sure the weekend was not a complete waste. The lyrics, that were mostly freestyled on the spot, ended up being an ode to this feeling we had this weekend, of being at a shitty party and being like “let’s get outta here”.” – James Ivy
An upbeat indie/electronic track, Wavedash immerse listeners in a dreamy electronic instrumental. The production heavily lies on funky drums, synths, and futuristic effects that add to the colorful display of Wavedash’s adventurous sound. James Ivy further decorates the track with layered vocals as his catchy melodies gracefully merge with the lively instrumental. Wavedash and James Ivy stand to face a new chapter in their exciting career. As Wavedash moves on to the post-album era as they now create music truly without limits, this collaboration with James Ivy is something that fulfills both the sonic endeavors of the artists and the expectations of their fans.
The left-field Texas-based production trio and band Wavedash debuted in early 2016 via Skrillex’s OWSLA, unveiling their first single on the inaugural episode of “OWSLA Radio,” the imprint’s Beats 1 residency. At the time, Luke, Michael, and Gavin secretly tuned into the broadcast straight from their high school science class. After a few chart-climbing singles and attention from every big name in the scene, the risky release of their debut album World Famous Tour in April 2021 sees the maturation of their craft. The trio continues to receive renown and drive their artistry forward with their ability to capture hyper-specific aesthetics and deliver a consistently diverse sound.
Growing up in Austin, TX, Luke, Michael, and Gavin formed Wavedash as young teenagers over mutual interests with each other – being the only kids they knew who were into artists like Skrillex, Porter Robinson, and Kanye West. The trio began their music career under a few monikers and collectives until settling on the name Wavedash.
After years of generating buzz with singles and EPs and backing by the likes of Porter Robinson and Madeon, Wavedash released their studio debut, World Famous Tour, in the Spring of 2021. Compared to Wavedash’s earlier work, World Famous Tour was, with production that leaned heavily on samples, drum fills, and synths that create a far more varied and cohesive sound than anything the trio has attempted before.
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Good Grief!, in James Ivy’s words, is “my attempt at, or best interpretation of pop music.” His debut EP, released via FADER Label in October 2021, is a snapshot of just one of James’ myriad production styles: he began teaching himself the ins and outs of production in high school, inspired by boundary-challenging electronic music innovators SOPHIE and PC Music. At 15, he played his first show at Manhattan hotspot China Chalet, followed by gigs in Los Angeles and at SXSW. From there, he found an online global community of like-minded fans and producers: “We had this little scene headed by Simon Whybray, who had a radio show called JACK Dansu.”
Upon moving to New York to study music, James had enough technical skill to build a solid tune. “I was comfortable producing, but I wasn’t fulfilled,” he reflects. “Doing electronic music was confining me from what I could do with songwriting. I still needed to find my voice.”
Since then, James has been on a continuous journey, refining a signature sound all his own. In the process, he detached from the computer and began writing with guitar in hand. Simultaneously grungy and dreamy, drawing from ’00s punk, pop, emo, and electronic influences, James’ defiantly catchy, genre-crossing music remains honest to where he’s been and where he wants to go. “There isn’t much Asian-American representation in rock music, and I don’t want to be boxed into any of those expectations,” he says. “I want somebody to see this and think, ‘I can do that too.’”
Follow James Ivy:
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https://soundcloud.com/jamesivvy
