Simon Clark gets to know Sydney based band The Ivys, who recently released their debut EP In The Company Of Wolves. They talk about the album, produced by Eric J Dubowsky (Weezer, Art Vs Science), touring with Keane and how Rammstein stole all their ideas!

How would you describe your sound?

Our sound is constantly evolving. Each time we record, we try to delve into new territory as we explore new ways of writing. Our latest EP has been compared to bands from the indie/post punk scene like Sonic Youth and more recently Placebo.

What has producer Eric J Dubowsky brought to the mix?

Energy. Eric J was on the ball from the moment we stepped into pre-production and it really got us all pumped to be in the studio working with him. We also had Brock Fitzgerald from The Scare playing guitar on the record who was another high-energy guy, not to mention an extremely talented musician.

How's the reaction been to the EP and the new songs so far?

We’ve been blessed with an extremely loyal group of fans since we toured with Keane back in 2009, so it’s nice to have something new for them. Just recently we released a b-side exclusively to all the fans on our mailing list.

You are just about to go out on tour again for a couple of dates, excited?

Yeah, this is our first show since the Edge Radio Birthday Celebrations down in Hobart which was lots of fun. These last few weeks have been very productive, working on new material in our home studio.

What would you say you have learnt from touring with the likes of Trial Kennedy and Keane?

You take little things away from those experiences by seeing how professional these guys are and how good their energy is on stage. It definitely pushed us to perform better. They are also awesome dudes who have given us great support.

How do you while away the hours on the tour bus?

We wish we had a bus... We play this awesome game we call “Try-To-Fit-In-One-Car”.

What can we expect from an Ivys show?

We had plans for a lot of pyrotechnics, a treadmill suspended from the sky and a large flying penis but Rammstein stole our stage setup. So it’s back to the drawing board... But you should definitely come and find out.

What's the plans for the future? Is the next step the album?

We’ll continue to play shows up until it’s time to start tracking, but a full length record is definitely the plan. We’re looking forward to spending lots of time on refining a sound and having a little more creative control by doing more experimenting in our home studio.

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Check out The Ivys LIVE in Sydney on the 12th of August at the Lansdowne Hotel and on the 17th of September at the Mona Vale Hotel. Their debut EP In The Company Of Wolves is available now.