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Ivan started as a teen guitarist in the early ’70s touring with The Foundations and then in 1977 was a founding member of Richard Hell and the Voidoids. After an album with them (and a recording with The Clash), he fronted The Outsets through the early ’80s and then toured with Shriekback, briefly co-led a group called Lovelies, toured and recorded with Matthew Sweet, was in a band with Alejandro Escovedo, and has become a producer for bands such as The Fleshtones.
We discuss “I am Not a Drone (Alone)” (and listen at the end to “Voodoo Christmas” from Swing Your Lanterns (2023), his second album. We then turn to the title track from his first solo album, 2011’s Naked Flame. We look all the way back to Ivan’s instrumental that Richard Hell wrote lyrics over called “Liars Beware,” from Blank Generation (1977). Other clips: “Everything or Nothing” by Outsets from Punk Voodoo Collection (1984) and “Someone to Pull the Trigger” by Matthew Sweet from Altered Beast (1993). For more, see ivanjulian.com.
Watch the documentary You Don’t Know Ivan Julian (2020). Watch the video for “The Naked Flame.”
Watch the video for Ivan’s new single “Tell Me Lies.” Listen to all of “Godiva.” Hear all of “Everything or Nothing” and more Outsets tunes.
Watch Ivan playing and singing “Blank Generation” live with Yo La Tengo. Here’s Ivan live with Matthew Sweet in 1997. Here he is is live with Alejandro Escovedo. Listen to his album with Lovelies.
While I can’t find live footage of Ivan with Shriekback, you can hear the kinds of tracks he was joining in on (with Lu Edmunds on guitar on the studio version). Hear my past episode with Shriekback’s Barry Andrews.
Hear more Nakedly Examined Music. Like our Facebook page. Support us on Patreon; supporters get an additional Ivan song with Alejandro Escovedo’s band The Fauntleroys and a little discussion of that relationship.
Sponsor: Check out the Songs My Ex Ruined podcast.
Ivan is also a great friend as well as singer/guitarist