Captain Ivory

Captain Ivory returns to Indy to perform at the Fountain Square Brewing Co.

Indianapolis is no stranger to Captain Ivory. The Nashville, once Detroit/Ann Arbor area band tested the Circle City waters early in their career. Not more than a year old, the group was invited to Indy to play at the Ratskeller. It was their annual Christmas event and the owner caught word of the band. Impressed, he put them on the bill.

“We got really lucky,” said Robbie Bolog. “We opened for a cover band, which was weird, but it was packed. Our first show in Indy, we played for 250 people. And it was the crowd that would be into our kind of music so it worked out really well for us. We built a following, strangely enough, in Indy from that first show. Indy’s been really good to us ever since.”

Through the years they have built up a fan base and Indianapolis is a destination whenever they tour. The band makes a return, March 1, this time at the Fountain Square Brewing Co.

Captain Ivory – Paper Towns

With a third album in the works, they will be trying out some new songs. Experimenting with new material on stage has been their philosophy since day one. “Playing shows early on helped define our sound. We tested everything we wrote in front of a crowd. You begin to figure out which one resonates more.”

“Our process has always been to write music first and then develop a lyrical idea around that when the music is laid down. With that in mind we spend a lot of time crafting the overall vibe and sonics first. There is a lot of attention paid to that from the beginning. Certainly on No Vacancy than our first record. Part of that comes from drilling influences. You spend a lot of time with the band and everyone has slightly different stuff they will play on the Spotify and that gets in your ear and internalize that.”

With the upcoming release, hopefully due out before June 2018 when they embark on their third European tour, the band continues to experiment with the emotion of their music. Bolog explains.

“The first two have been slightly dark and moody albums. The songs on this new one are going to be more upbeat. We’ve made a conscious effort to make the songs a little more positive with some shorter. I don’t want to say that we have made any changes artistically because that’s not the case. But all of us have wanted an upbeat sound after playing the first two records for so long.

“We started recording three new songs last weekend. We are doing it all at our studio space where we shot all those videos on YouTube. Outfitted it with the ability to record. And we have hired one of the engineers who has worked with the Eagles to get what we expect will be our best sounded album to date.”

Captain Ivory – Here You Are

For the band, converting a living space into a studio has been one of their biggest contributions to the quality of these albums, as well as a creative perk to the band. Robbie continues:

“It’s been really fun in your own space. I love recording in a studio but you have this thing in the back of your mind that the clock is ticking, the dollars are adding. Time is money when you are in the studio. Here at the house we are super relaxed.”

When the guys get together, they form a natural bond that makes it seamless to piece together songs. Like their first album, they got into a room and hashed out a combination of interests that range from classic rock to modern bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Radiohead. Before they knew it, they had nine songs written.

After the debut album, they moved to Nashville to be more centrally located and near a more burgeoning music scene.

Captain Ivory – Broken Light featuring Evan Redwine

“We had gigged around the Midwest for two years,” siad Bolog. “We just got the vibe that all of us grew up in the area and a change of pace was the inspiration. The music scene was not as strong as when we started. Then we all wanted to tour more and Nashville is centrally located. You can go four hours in any direction and be in a major city, whereas, being in Michigan you can only head south or Chicago. Geographically it made more sense. Obviously there is a really healthy music scene in Nashville. You can go out any night of the week and find a kick ass band playing. It’s pretty inspiring.”

As February turns into March, we will get to experience all of these songs that are now staples from their debut and No Vacancy. And not only does quality rock push through this band’s bloodline (their influence of classic and modern rock, along with a history of Detroit music is deep), they have always been about accessibility. It’s the mantra that keeps them pushing a Midwestern DIY ethic.