Ivy
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Ivy inked a deal with local label Seed Records in 1994 and issued the Get Enough/Drag You Down single. Melody Maker in the U.K. jumped on it immediately and Ivys debut earned props as the Single of the Week. Several months later, the trio released the Lately EP. Their rendition of Orange Juices I Guess Im Just a Little Too Sensitive was a moderate hit among the indie rock circuit. Ex-Orange Juice frontman Edwyn Collins also enjoyed the track and asked Ivy to be the opening act on his North American tour in 1995. Ivys first studio full-length, Realistic, appeared that same year. Tours with fellow indie darlings -- Saint Etienne, Lloyd Cole, and Madder Rose -- allowed Ivys name began to soar.
By the time the band readied for a sophomore effort, theyd signed to a major label. In 1997, Ivy issued Apartment Life on Atlantic. This particular album highlighted Chase and Schlesingers impressive studio skills. Ivy was winning critics over with their sugary, sweet sound and Apartment Life was regarded as one of the years standout albums. Their star power was unstoppable, but gracefully so. I Get the Message and This Is the Day were featured on the soundtrack to the Farrelly Brothers comedy Theres Something About Mary. Their cover of Steely Dans Only a Fool Would Say That was also included in the Farrelly Brothers soundtrack for Me, Myself and Irene. Fashionistas got a taste of Ivy, too. A worldwide Volkswagen campaign catapulted the bands name into stardom. Ivy never lost face, though. What made them so impressive was how they kept things simple and followed their own formula. It would work against them in the majors, but it wouldnt break up the band.
Ivy founded Stratosphere Sound, their studio with Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha, before the 90s came to a close. Chase and Durand had also married; Ivy was focused on the bands musical atmosphere and the texture of their sound, and this space allowed them to focus. Sony let them go, so they had complete creative control. Unfortunately, things didnt go so smoothly. Stratosphere Sound was subject to arson while the band was recording a third album in 2000. Countless dollars and valuable recording equipment were lost in the fire, but this didnt delay the completion of the record. Long Distance arrived in fall 2001, four years after Apartment Life. This marked Ivys first release with Nettwerk and the trios classic pop sensibility was at its finest. Durand and Chase became parents of daughter, Justine, while also finding a new home with the Nettwerk label. That same year, the band composed the film score for the Farrelly Brothers Jack Black comedy Shallow Hal. In fall 2002, Ivy returned with an all-cover album, Guestroom. On December 17, Chase and Durand welcomed their second child, Julien. Over the next few years, Schlesinger released another album with Fountains of Wayne, 2003s Welcome Interstate Managers. Durand and Chase collaborated on a rip-hop album in 2004 under the Paco moniker. A year later, Ivy issued In the Clear.
