Jeremy Ivey Catches Up With the Movie in His Mind

Milestones usually come with a little space between them. Jeremy Ivey, however, just managed to squeeze four major ones into the month of June. The biggest would be Ramona Lynn Ivey, the new daughter he and his wife Margo Price (the country phenom you know for her albums Midwest Farmer’s Daughter and All American Made) brought into the world on June 4. Later in the month, he announced he’d signed a record deal with independent label ANTI-, which had signed his friend and fellow Nashvillian Darrin Bradbury earlier this year. That came with two more significant announcements: Ivey will release his debut solo album (as yet untitled) in the fall, and he previewed it with his first official single, “Story of a Fish.” 

Getting signed with ANTI- as a solo artist was something of a surprise to Ivey, whose musical output thus far has been of a decidedly collaborative nature. He’s especially known for co-writing with and producing for Price, who returned the favor for Ivey by co-writing one track and contributing to the production of his forthcoming LP. Their musical partnership, regardless of whose project is on deck, is one driven by mutual respect and excitement.

“If I’m writing something and [Margo] really likes it, she kind of demands she helps, you know?” Ivey says, laughing. “Which is the way I am, too, with her. You’re excited about something and you want to be a part of it.”

But the bulk of Ivey’s debut album is all him, as he wrote the rest of the album’s material by himself. Ivey describes writing alone as being nearly therapeutic, as well as a way for him to immerse himself in his own imagination without feeling any pressure to perform for others.

“It’s more freeing,” he says of writing solo material. “When I write for myself, I’m not working. I feel like when I’m writing for other people, it’s a little bit like work. It’s still enjoyable, but when I’m writing [songs] for myself, especially this first album, I don’t expect anyone to ever hear them. It did feel like it was relaxing mentally to let whatever comes out fall out.”

On “Story of a Fish,” Ivey explores his place in the world as an adopted child through the metaphor of salmon making a long journey home after birth. The song was a last-minute addition to the album that Ivey wrote quickly, with little time to reflect on its meaning until after he, Price and his band recorded the track.

“I wrote it the day before we went in the studio,” he says. “Once ANTI- put it out, I had to start thinking about what it was about. I always liked the story of salmon and how they had to travel so far to find a mate. Then I realized, after thinking about it, that it really was about me being adopted. … I don’t want to sound self-indulgent by saying this, but it’s true. I’ve always — since I was a kid — had this movie playing mentally, and if I sit down in a certain mood and I write, I pick up wherever the movie’s at.”

When asked what the rest of his debut LP would bring, Ivey hints that the album won’t sound much like his work with Price or with their former band Buffalo Clover. You can get an idea of what it might sound like on Friday, when Ivey and his band The Extraterrestrials play The Basement. “Story of a Fish” is a fitting first taste, as the track pairs image-rich storytelling with brooding psychedelia, accented by manic guitar stabs and sparkling stacks of vocal harmonies courtesy of Price’s production.

“There are a few songs that are more wordy and more lyrically psychedelic,” he says. “There’s a song about a dream I had when we were playing a show in Mexico. We had some tequila, and I fell asleep and I had this dream about this figure, who had a green, glowing orb in its head, and I ended up waking up in the middle of the night and writing it down. The next morning I had this good feeling and didn’t know why, and checked my phone and I had played a demo of it into my phone.” 

Ivey notes that for now, he views his solo career as “getting in and getting out” — he does not envision himself touring into his twilight years. But for now, Ivey says having the backing of a label has pushed his songwriting “into hyperdrive.” He feels empowered to follow his muse, whether it leads him to collaborating further with Price or to writing more solo material. 

“Now that ANTI- has started believing in me, and the ball is rolling, I’ve found myself a lot more inspired,” he says. “I’ve written and recorded a second album, and I’ve already written most of a third, too. I’ve written stuff with Margo; she’s going to put out a record next year. I co-wrote a lot of those songs. … I definitely felt some pent-up energy. Now that the gates have opened, it’s relieving. It’s nice.”