Album Notes

Sometime late in the last century, the proverbial "friend of a friend" invited three young refugees from Northern California to provide music for her gallery opening in Los Feliz Village in Los Angeles. The young musicians in question were Steven Scott, Brian Canning and Alex Church. Instead of turning up with two turntables and a microphone, they brought their guitars and a wealth of pop smarts, little knowing they were on their way to becoming L.A.'s beloved sweethearts, Irving.

Soon after that, the trio was joined by keyboardist Shana Levy and Brent Turner on drums. Although all five were new to the music biz, each member had his/her own distinct personality and voice. And that's the truth as each writes and sings lead vocals. While for some that's a recipe for disaster, for Irving it's more like a sure cure for anonymity.

By the end of 2000, they'd toured the States, played CMJ's New Music Festival, and received prime airplay on L.A.'s KXLU, KCRW and KROQ. Before they knew it, Irving was in the studio committing a diverse collection of songs to disc. Celeb producer Andy Paley (Brian Wilson, Madonna, Jonathan Richman, Jerry Lee Lewis) manned the board for the song "L-O-V-E," even playing some guitar on the track. The rest of the songs were produced by the ever-inventive band. What emerged was 2002's entrancing GOOD MORNING BEAUTIFUL (Eenie Meenie Records). "[It] feels like a week-long, lazy coastal vacation with your best friends -- backing sounds fit for hours spent in the glow of beachfront campfires, crashing surf and all-night drunken dancing." - The Local Planet

Irving's diverse, charismatic song styling -- influenced by The Beatles, Zombies, Neutral Milk Hotel, Yo La Tengo and Pavement -- brought them notice on both coasts. "We're a group of individuals," says Alex Church, bassist. "We write songs that at once reflect our individuality -- and yet are unmistakably Irving."

"Yeah," agrees the charmingly immodest guitarist, Steven Scott, "and we are the best fucking band in the world!"
Most recently the band has wowed audiences at shows with such luminaries as The Polyphonic Spree, Creeper Lagoon, Imperial Teen, American Analog Set, Kaito, Enon and gogogo airheart. After Aaron Burrows replaced Ms. Levy at keyboards, the band started recording their new EP, I HOPE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER NOW, which was also released on Eenie Meenie Records in September 2003. "We've been told our album sounds like your best mix tape ever," Steven Scott says, "and we like that aesthetic."