IVY GOLD plays female fronted blues rock feat. Manou, Tal Bergman (Joe Bonamassa, Billy Idol, Rock Candy Funk Party, a.m.m.), Sebastian Eder (Avalon), Kevin Moore (Jennifer Rush), Anders Olinder (Glenn Hughes)
Interview conducted March 31, 2021
By Dan Locke
What is your upbringing?
Manou: I grew up in the countryside in Austria. so, I was into skiing a lot and initially wanted to become a pro! Glad that I changed my mind though 🙂 Well music did not play an important role in our house except that I got a hold of ELVIS at an early age. So I listened to his songs, got magazines and posters for my room and always admired his charisma. He had something really special that hardly any other artist has, a certain aura that always impressed me very much!
How did you discover music?
At some point much later, I discovered Sheryl Crow and got inspired to take vocal lessons. I even felt guided to take guitar lessons which I really always loved. Initially I took classical lessons for a couple of years which gave me the opportunity to work on a good singing technique. I considered singing somehow to be my own personal therapy, a way to stay healthy and in a positive overall condition.
How did you start to write music?
Well after quite some years of musical education and training, I wanted to find a way to express myself better and I started to write little bits and pieces. In the beginning it was more like journaling, but I was so happy about it. Singing other people’s songs never felt right to me.
Sebastian- How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
Yes I have still have it. It was an acoustic guitar but from the first day I was dreaming from an e-guitar to play riffs, solos and some modern stuff. I don’t have that one anymore. I grew up in a time – in comparison to today’s time – where kids don’t get realized all their dreams. So I put my pocket money aside every month, many month, even years … until I had enough money to buy my dream guitar. I had a picture of my guitar on the wall …! But one day it was the day and I was the most lucky boy in the world … I have been around 12-13 years old.
Sebastian- What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model?
My first guitar was an Ibanez, I played many different guitars over the years, and I now ended up with a Fender Telecaster. It’s a great guitar, I like that heavy guitar, that typical percussive sound, the sound of a Telecaster! It’s special and even if I play rock music, it gives the music / sound a special note. The Tele is the Richie Kotzen signature model, I love it and since I got this guitar I’m only playing the Tele – nothing else. I don’t know what to do when I’m on tour … as I always need a replacement guitar just in case!
Manou- What was your background before Ivy Gold?
I have a classical background, so for many years I worked with different classical ensembles, choirs and gospel projects. At some point I wanted to express my own feelings better and changed over to modern music, worked with different local bands and finally started writing my own material.
Anders- You worked with Amy Winehouse. Do you have any stories you can tell us about her?
I have the greatest respect for Amy Winehouse. It was great to work with her a few times. We did a Stevie Wonder tribute, and she sang those Stevie-songs so well!
Tal- You have played with people like Joe Bonamassa, Billy Idol, Sammy Hagar, Simple Minds, Roger Daltry and Herb Albert. What was your first world tour like?
My first big world tour was Charmed Life with Billy Idol. It was the first time for me playing big venues 5 times a week. It was a great experience and crazy fun. Before the first I thought to myself “Ah that’s going to be easy fun gig I don’t need any bandages on my fingers or drum gloves”. Four songs later I had blisters on both hands and they opened and I had to do the whole concert like that. Not fun and not easy 😉
There are more stories but I keep them to myself….
Kevin- What was it like to play with Jennifer Rush?
Giant fun! A luxury gig with rhythm section, keys, horns, strings, backup singers so a really lush, full, tight sound; all the players seemed at the top of their talents every night and I felt very fortunate to be there every night. Quiet as it’s kept, Jennifer’s a hoot! We had a lot of laughs. She’s hilarious, full of stories and really good natured and pleasant, not at all snobbish, too full of herself or stand-off-ish as one might expect. When she looked back at the band she was always smiling. Plus, those amazing pipes! Sometimes the mic seemed like a prop because she could fill most venues without one.
How did your band form?
Ivy Gold got together kind of by coincidence – OUT OF THE BLUE. Sebastian and I had done a pre-production of a bunch of our songs. We initially just wanted to see what our songs sound like and that was it in a way. Most of the songs actually sounded pretty good and the idea came up to send the demos out to a few people and see what happens. Tal Bergman works with Joe Bonamassa and at home we listened to his band Rock Candy Funk Party quite a lot – so one evening I took all my courage I had inside of me and contacted Tal asking him if we would be willing to play drums on our songs. And guess what – he liked our music – believe me – I was thrilled! From that point on we knew we had something special going on – totally out of the blue we had a project and we decided to put a great band together, not only for the studio but also for live touring. Our friend Kevin Moore joined right after and then I asked my dear friend Sari Schorr to help me find a great keyboard player – that’s how we found the awesome Anders Olinder from the UK. And then I had put together a very special cosmopolitan band with members from the US, the UK and Germany!
How did you get your bands name?
The band name kind of fits our musical path just so good. My path as an artist as well as how the band got together was never really a straight path. We experienced twists and turns, ups and downs but we always followed our hearts. So the “Ivy” part of the band name represents exactly that path in a way … and GOLD stands for my golden boys and also the golden times coming up in the future! I have always been optimistic and I have always believed in good fortune and destiny. So Ivy Gold is a combination of all of my beliefs and values!
Describe your music.
Contemporary bluesrock would be a general term. Going deeper I would describe our songs as being full of energy yet very emotional, at times very rocky, then melancholic. The band knows exactly how to bring Rock-, Blues-, Funk- and Prog-song material to its full potential. So our music has many musical influences which makes it very interesting to listen too 🙂
What was your first performance at like?
As a newly formed band and a global pandemic going on for the last year, we unfortunately didn’t have the chance to perform together live! This is really sad and we keep our fingers crossed that we can tour very soon!
Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
No, I don’t belong to any organization.
What makes a good songwriter?
Authenticity, emotions, technique, the will to work hard, honesty and a strong connection to the universe!
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
Torero was actually my first original song that I ever wrote. No, I haven’t recorded it yet, it’s in German. I really love that song though, it’s very poetic. Maybe someday I’ll put it on a record….
What is the process of writing your music?
The creative process varies of course as writing music is not a linear process. Sometimes I have something on my mind and bits and pieces of lyrics just arise. Oftentimes Sebastian comes up with some great guitar riffs and plays it to me. Sometimes there is a melody right in my ear, sometimes not. At times the lyrics are the beginning. So, it’s a mixture of it all. After we have some sort of a structure, we go into the fine tuning of the song. And in the end – get the band together to make it sound really good!
Tell me about your debut album “Six Dustywinds”?
“Six Dusty Winds “delivers outstanding, versatile songs, packed with tons of emotion, energy and musical expertise. The awesome rhythm section with Tal and Kevin builds a groovy and powerful foundation for fun and groove. It sets the stage for some superb and diverse guitar performances which are simply electrifying and inspiring. Sebastian’s guitars melt with my voices producing a sunlit ocean of storytelling. With the tremendous chordal and chunky harmonic support from Anders – the band can really shine.
In your limited bundle, you have included a special blues rock lanyard. Will this get a person into one of your shows?
Oh no unfortunately that is not possible, and the question is anyways when and under what circumstances live shows will be allowed in the future.
Why are you releasing the album March 12 worldwide and March 26th in the UK?
That decision was made due to business reasons. The UK distributor made that decision…
How was your release party on the 12th?
We had a nice small release party at our home! Too bad we could not have a release show and party afterwards due to the pandemic. it is such a pity but we made the best of it and partied in person with Kevin here in Munich and had an online chat with the other guys plus our YouTube Video & Single release event of “Shine On” on the 12th. So that was really nice and fun!
What is your favorite track on your album?
Mmh that’s a really hard question for me! I feel that all of our songs are absolutely worth listening to – as they are very different as well. Each song has a special meaning and vibe to it! So I would suggest listening to all of them 🙂 But for beginners I would pick “Six Dusty Winds” because it’s the title track.
How do you stay healthy while performing?
Oh I drink tons of water and tea, eat healthy, try to get as much fresh air as possible, do some yoga and breathing exercises… and of course sleep and little talking 🙂 is important.
What are you’re feeling about streaming music?
Well, I think we have reached a low-point. After the heydays of the vinyl era including cassette releases leading into the CD boom, we got into a long period of decline when downloads, illegal downloads in the beginning, became popular. The current low-point situation is like that: physical sales have gone down dramatically, newcomer bands aren’t able to sell physical discs outside of their own website as the market is packed with new releases. Distributors can’t handle all the products that are available as costs for professional distribution won’t be covered by the sales. Digital sales or streams have overtaken already. Did you know that a musician gets less than 0,003 Cent per song per stream? That means that if a band gets 1000 streams, which is quite good, they earn 3 Euro… I think streaming has destroyed the value of music completely.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
Probably yes 🙂 but what are you gonna do about it…
Digital vs. vinyl?
I love vinyls… it is such a great experience and a lot of fun to sit down and listen to vinyls. The sound is just so great and real!!
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Michael Jackson “Heal the World”. Just look at the world out there… this is what this song means to me. We have to change the way we think and go about our lives in a big way, so we can start to live in harmony together..
Sebastian- You were from the band Avalon. Did you ever think you would be working in a female fronted band?
Well, you may remember, AVALON was a rock band with a female bass player! So, I was used to have a girl in the band and to be honest, the band feeling is totally different to a all-boy-band! At that time we had a cool band feeling, we were a “real band”: everyone supported the other and Petra (bass player) was the “secretly star” in the band. The way she was playing and performing was very cool and the audience always loved her. I remember some album reviews of the first album back in the 90s saying that rock and metal music is a pure men’s-world and what in hell we are doing with a female bass player! We were so angry about these statements but good to know that this opinion changed completely!
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music? Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Sure, over the last year the virus has killed live music.. and yes the pandemic will change the music business but also many other industries. We have to go with the flow and see how things develop.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
We don’t have self-quarantine per se. We have been very lucky so far to be healthy, so there is no need for that.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
To be honest we have been so busy with our music project, writing, recording and preparing everything for the release that there was no time left for many other things beside the daily routine of sports…
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on livestreamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
Sorry, I haven’t really made up my mind about this.. I don’t even knew about it to be honest. But I actually don’t care so much about Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as these platforms because I don’t want to depend on them too much. We use them to build up a fanbase and to communicate but if they don’t offer a live stream option in the future.. then I would go to a different one.. There are many other options in case we need it.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merchandise to them at the show?
We stay in touch through the social media platforms, our website, our mailing list and of course through new videos that we put on Youtube, live premieres with chats etc.
Is pay to play still a thing? Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
That is still an option of course, like it has been many years. It’s too bad for the artist to be kind of forced into paying to play… really hope these changes someday.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Music has to be experienced and felt live with people, with loud music, with emotions. this is the only way Music will survive. Everything besides that is just to get by, to cover a short period of time. In the end we will have to go back to the old ways of performing on stage.
Did you know that the Grammys MusicCares can help artist. The MusiCares COVID-19 Relief has helped thousands of music industry artists and professionals during these difficult days. This is the most recipients helped, for any single event, in MusiCares’ history. The need remains great, and these unique times remain critical for music people. It has taken a community uplifting one another to get through this pandemic, and MusiCares has pulled together a list of additional organizations and resources to further support you. https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/relief-resources. Have you applied for it yet?
No, we haven’t applied for it yet.
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants.. If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
I would always write and create music, no matter what, no matter what the circumstances are. We are releasing our debut album during the worst time ever, nothing is perfect in live… if I had to do anything else, I would make that decision at that point of time.
What is your happy place?
I love being near the ocean – that’s my happy place.
Sony Music in November and Warner Music Group in December, The ByteDance-owned video app revealed on (February 8) that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group. Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
As of now, we are not planning on it because we feel that for our audience this is not relevant. We’ll see how things develop…
Danny Wimmer Presents just announced their 2021 Festival Calendar: Which includes the following live shows:
DWP Partners With Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival For July 23-25 Event In Mansfield, OH
Louder Than Life Set For September 23-26 With Newly Added Thursday Night Celebration In Louisville, KY
Welcome To Rockville Expands To 4 Days And Shifts From Spring To November 11-14 In Daytona Beach, FL
Aftershock Set For October 7-10 In Sacramento, CA, Almost Sold Out
Would you be willing to play these shows and what precautions would you like to have in place?
We’d be willing to play shows of course! I believe that the venues have to adhere to so many different regulations and precautions in order to be allowed to carry these festivals out that I would feel safe enough to perform.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Let’s all stay positive and connect with each other through our music! Music is a healer and builds bridges amongst people, no matter where you are, what skin colour you have and what belief system you follow – we are all one with music 🙂
Thanks so much for this interview!! And of course for sharing and supporting Ivy Gold 🙂 we really appreciate it a lot – it means a lot to us!!
All the best to all of you!!
Manou & Ivy Gold
