Ivoryline | Prepared To Walk The Line
Written By: Jameson Ketchum

n a scene known for being oversaturated with copycats and one hit wonders, there has been a new class of performers quietly working away in support of their innovative yet underrated material. One such band is the Tyler, Texas outfit Ivoryline. With one independently released EP and one full length album under their belts, the boys from Ivoryline have wasted no time getting back into the studio to record the follow up to their debut album on Tooth N’ Nail Records entitled There Came a Lion. Drawing comparisons to heavy hitters such as Anberlin and The Almost, Ivoryline is poised to join similar ranks with their second full length release slated for the near future. Vocalist Jeremy Gray was kind enough to answer a few of our questions while taking a break from writing the album.

Where are you guys at right now in the writing process?

Jeremy Gray: We are right in the thick of it. We have about nine songs written so far, and each one surprises us. One of us is constantly saying “this one is my new favorite!” So yeah, we are very excited. Right now, I’m focusing on writing lyrics and melodies, praying for inspiration so the words will be poignant and meaningful in a way I could never achieve on my own.

Do you have any titles for the album locked down quite yet? Themes?

JG: I have already written down a ton of possible album titles, but frankly, I don’t know if any of them will stick. With “There Came a Lion”, that phrase came to me. Sure, I had my eyes open, but I really feel like the Lord was like “bam! Here’s your album title.” It just struck me when I read it. So I’m open to Him disrupting my plans for the album title (laughs). Most of the title themes I have written down so far have to do with desire, coming alive and living from the heart.

What would you say is going to be the major differences between There Came a Lion and this upcoming release?

JG: Hard to say. The overall feel, sound, mood, whatever you want to call it of this record is going to be different. I guess you could call it more serious, more urgent, and more intimate. The songs of this record also have more dynamic range. I think the heavier parts are going to be heavier, and the prettier parts, softer. But the really cool thing is that we didn’t try to do any of it. Everything we’ve written has been natural and honest. We didn’t know what this record was going to sound like. I hope people who listen can feel that true quality of what we’ve written.

You guys toured quite a bit for your previous album. How was life on the road? Will we see aspects of those experiences on the new record?

JG: Life on the road is a roller-coaster. I mean, you never know what’s going to happen in a given day. You don’t have that security of being at home in your comfort zone, in your hometown, with your friends and family. The only thing you know is, tomorrow you wake up and do it all again. Different city. Different people. It really has forced us to become closer than brothers. We know each others strengths, weaknesses, struggles, and moods. And I think for the most part, we’ve learned to love all of it.

Some tours we’ve felt God’s favor and presence and things have run like clockwork. Others, we feel like we are fighting for our lives – battling sickness, depression, lack of money, discouragement and the like. It really is true though. You learn more when you are pressed. Much of the knowledge and bits of wisdom I’ve learned have been in the hardest times on the road. All of that will be reflected in the lyrics of this next record. Just not sure exactly how it will be worded yet.

What are some of your plans for the summer?

JG: After two weeks of Warped, we are driving back to the East Coast to tour with Emery. That tour is “Thee Summer Bailout Tour” and we’ll be on that for about a month. So we’re stoked. We’re also going to still be working on the record whenever we can while we’re on tour and the time we do get at home.

You guys seem to have a great connection with your fans. Is that something that was always present or was it something you had to work at?

JG: It’s something we’ve always tried to have and honesty with our fans has always been a goal of ours. But yes, we’ve worked for it though. We’re learned over the years how to play better live, how to better involve the people in the audience to really create an experience for them. We love our fans. It still amazes me that so many people have listened to and enjoyed our music. We are truly blessed, and we are going to do everything we can to keep that connection with our fans vibrant.

What would you say makes Ivoryline’s music unique?

JG: I find it hard to answer that question from my perspective. To me, our music is unique simply because we are creating music, which becomes songs, which becomes an album out of nothing. We write music that gets us excited, and work toward those moments when something we play or sing actually freaks us out! (In a good way) I guess what makes it unique is that we each put ourselves into the song in some way. We always write and craft the songs as a group, so we are constantly meshing the feelings and opinions of four different guys together. Lyrically, we try to write songs that people can relate to, be inspired by, be challenged by and feel connected to in a meaningful way. Having people sing along to our songs has always been an honor for us. We love it. We also know that it’s hard to be unique these days and that’s not really the point. So we don’t try. We just are ourselves.

What are some of your sources of inspiration while writing lyrics? Do you feel like you have to be specifically inspired or can you just sit down and bust out song after song?

JG: I definitely thrive off inspiration. I pray for the Lord to inspire me daily with the songs he wants me to write. Something really has to resonate with me for me to write it down and then sing it. I definitely don’t crank out songs. It’s more of a crafting process. There have been a couple times when the Holy Spirit has inspired me (written through me) and I have been able to write a song from start to finish without stopping. The main source of inspiration for content comes from my life directly: things I’ve learned, ways I’ve crashed and burned, relationships, my faith and relationship with God. Also, I’m a big reader so I have drawn measureless inspiration from authors like John Eldredge, CS Lewis, and John Piper to name a few.

What are some long term goals for Ivoryline?

JG: Honestly, we want to keep writing music and touring as long as we feel it is what we are meant to do. It’s amazing that we are able to do what we love as our career, and we realize that. We try to never forget how far we’ve come and focus on our blessings. It’s so easy to get lost these days in what you don’t have, or comparing yourself to all the other bands and their success. That’s all a trap though. Every day is a gift. Ideally, we want to be able to support our families when that time comes around. If we’ve learned anything so far through this band though, we’ve learned that God will surprise us. His plans are so much great than ours, so for the most part, the long term is up to Him, and we will fight to make it happen.

Who is currently on constant rotation on your ipod?

JG: Recently, I’ve been listened to Bjork almost non-stop. Her greatest hits record is amazing. I just love how emotion and different her sound and her voice is. I’ll also rotate in some Radiohead, Interpol, the Killers, Nada Surf.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

JG: Thanks for talking with us. To those of you who read this, we hope to see you a show soon!