The rock musician was DJing China Chalet at 15 years old with his online friends; now, he enters a new phase of his solo music career.
By Jade Gomez
Photos by Leia Jospe
Published
For Issue 04: Hacking It, Byline teamed up with Urban Outfitters and Dickies to highlight individuals who have paved their own paths and unlocked new levels in their respective industries. These creators defy the system by making their own rules, and in other words, they're Hackers.
It’s hard to tell whether James Ivy is so self-aware, he’s able to downplay it, or if he truly doesn’t hear what comes out of his mouth. After spending several minutes poetically ruminating on his finite time on Earth and his quest to get closer to his rough idea of perfection, the 23-year-old musician brushes it off as rambling. I explain that I listened to the title track of his debut project, Everything Perfect, on repeat right before our call, and a short burst of energy jolts him awake.
“Well, I have to say something profound now.”
His soft giggle grows into long-winded tangents about anime, emo bands, and Drake tier lists. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a sense of urgency when it comes to his craft, but music is less of an impulse and more of a necessary outlet for James to brain-dump his musings on adolescence, heartache, and love. He apologizes for giving me “half answers” throughout our chat, but in each fraction is a piece of what makes James Ivy whole.