Holly Stephey & Spencer Drate talk to Ivan Julian, The Naked Flame .
“I started playing in bands when I was 13 years old, and that’s when I decided that music would be my life,” states Ivan Julian. “It’s always been important to me to be what I do, and not leave it behind at 5 o’clock.”Although his new release The Naked Flame is his first album under his own name, Ivan Julian has been one of rock’s most celebrated players and most in-demand collaborators for more than three decades. The album, Julian’s first collection of his own songs in more than 20 years, finds the veteran guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer effortlessly stepping back into the role of frontman/bandleader.
“I look at this record as a harvest of everything that has come before,” Julian says. “All of us are the sum of our experiences, and these songs are the product of mine.” The Naked Flame features a dozen compelling new songs that benefit from Julian’s commanding performances as well as his seasoned studio skills, which give the tracks a timeless warmth and immediacy. “I’ve had my share of triumph and heartbreak,”he concludes. “Everyone goes through that, no one escapes. It’s all about how you ride it. And I think that if you’re a musician, it’s your obligation to put the joy, the sorrow, the laughs and the tears into the writing and playing. You have to take it all. And one day you realize: this what I do and this is who I am. That’s when the ride starts to make sense, and you just relax and do it.”
“I started playing in bands when I was 13 years old, and that’s when I decided that music would be my life,” states Ivan Julian. “It’s always been important to me to be what I do, and not leave it behind at 5 o’clock.”Although his new release The Naked Flame is his first album under his own name, Ivan Julian has been one of rock’s most celebrated players and most in-demand collaborators for more than three decades. The album, Julian’s first collection of his own songs in more than 20 years, finds the veteran guitarist/singer/songwriter/producer effortlessly stepping back into the role of frontman/bandleader.
“I look at this record as a harvest of everything that has come before,” Julian says. “All of us are the sum of our experiences, and these songs are the product of mine.” The Naked Flame features a dozen compelling new songs that benefit from Julian’s commanding performances as well as his seasoned studio skills, which give the tracks a timeless warmth and immediacy. “I’ve had my share of triumph and heartbreak,”he concludes. “Everyone goes through that, no one escapes. It’s all about how you ride it. And I think that if you’re a musician, it’s your obligation to put the joy, the sorrow, the laughs and the tears into the writing and playing. You have to take it all. And one day you realize: this what I do and this is who I am. That’s when the ride starts to make sense, and you just relax and do it.”