The year 2020 was set to be a monumental one for loud-alternative rockers, The Ivins. The band, still riding the wave of success from their acclaimed album, The Code Duello, had spent the last two years working on the follow-up, Conditions, when the whole world came to a screeching halt.

Once the lockdown began guitarist Jim Ivins tapped into what would become one of the most creative periods of his life. He began writing songs in earnest, without any direction or limits in mind. It began with a new Ivins single, “Bloom.” An infectious musical jaunt with guitar-driven groove and an Ivin-esque signature, hook-laden vocal.

The song was soon followed by Jim Ivins’ new solo album — the aptly-titled, Quarantunes. A 12-song collection of material covering the spectrum of rock, pop, r&b and punk. For this project Ivins recruited an arsenal of Nashville heavyweights to lend socially-distant performances, including renowned players from the area and bands like Florida Georgia Line, Daughtry and Three Doors Down.

Fans can also expect a future release of The Ivins’ Conditions album as well, which was engineered by Michael Zuehsow (Colt Ford, Cherub) and mixed by Robert Venable (Kelly Clarkson, Twenty One Pilots)

I recently spoke with Ivins about “Bloom,” his new music and more in this exclusive new interview.

How would you describe The Ivins sound? Is there a way you can put into words what your music is all about?

Jim Ivins: I’m trying to make loud-alternative a genre classifier. When I was growing up alternative meant powerful guitars with deep, introspective lyrics. Today it’s more melody-driven and almost dance/pop. I’ve taken the position of taking the music I grew up with and bringing it into the now.

What can you tell me about the band’s most recent single, “Bloom?”

Jim Ivins: “Bloom” came out of what ended up becoming one of the most creatively fruitful periods of my life. The Ivins had just finished an album we’d be working on for almost two years, and the week it was mastered was when the lockdown happened and everything came to a halt. With the unfortunate reality of 2020 I found myself with a lot of time on my hands and no distractions. I started writing anything that came to me. I wrote the music for “Bloom” as a nostalgia-driven track and brought it to the guys. They all liked it and put their own stamp on it. Lyrically, I wanted to write a song about my longtime girlfriend and what she means to me. It’s a song about a lost person meandering through life, and how it only takes one person or connection to change things around.

Read the rest of my
Interview with Jim Ivins by Clicking Here.