Album Notes

Ian Wilson is a piano-wielding singer-songwriter recently transplanted from Boston to Chicago. Originally trained in jazz, showtunes, and classical music, Ian fell prey to girl rock and internet radio, and eventually Virginia Woolf novels and trashy gay romance films. On various occurrences of his birthday, Martha Stewart has gone to jail, Jacques Derrida has died, and the Great Chicago Fire has started. He loves Derrida, Chicago, and sometimes fire, but is indifferent to Stewart and never likes jail. On airplanes he prefers the window seat and on road trips he prefers I-90, listening to alt-rock women of the 1990s..."and the other one's playing a piano." Ian Wilson’s debut self-release, “The Crater EP,” combines Ian’s folk-rock and classical influences with the energy and humor of his live solo performances. The title track bridges the wide span of imagery, history, and cultural critique that personify Ian’s songwriting. Known for his surprising lyrics, “The Crater EP” evokes comparisons from the metaphysics of Modest Mouse to the emotional transparency of Tori Amos. With a sardonic sense of humor, tracks like “Andrew” and “Inanimate Objects” flirt with the darker side of narrative, while “Let’s Go” and “Creative Writing Workshop” reveal a more candid and personal voice. Unified by Ian’s eclectic style of piano playing, “The Crater EP” opens wide the possibilities for piano-based rock.