IAN SWEET on Shiverstruck, Cathartic Performances and Fighting Comparison

Words: Gina Tonic | Photography: Taryn Segal | Special thanks to The Good Human Group

It’s a hot night in the Lower East Side in NYC and between rain showers, girls are filing down Orchard Street on their way to the Polyester issue launch at Susan Alexandra. As well as wanting to cop a zine, the crowds are abuzz with excitement towards the night’s lineup - readings from the likes of Mackenzie Thomas, Elsie Fisher and Ruby McCollister; a Q&A with Polyester editors and Forbidden Fruits writer and director Meredith Alloway and, to round out the evening, a live performance from IAN SWEET.

Jilian Medford arrived for our soundcheck only half hour before we opened the doors. It was the easiest tech rehearsal of my life because, after taking in the space, guitar in hand, Medford said all she needed was a stool, her voice and the instrument she’d brought with her. IAN SWEET has been the indie pop persona that Medford has performed as for a decade now, and she’s more than confident with what she can deliver.

Her set was hauntingly moving. The room of women stood stock still to take in the acoustic renditions of two of Medford’s songs and only went back to scurrying around the bag store turned zine launch like rabid ants after a round of applause for the artist. We caught up with Medford following the performance to talk through album inspirations, the symbolism of breaking her guitar post performance and advise for others in the industry.

Shiverstruck is such a beautiful album title, how did you come up with it?

Aww thank you!! I actually made up the word (I think?) haha. I wanted a title that captured that feeling of being completely swept away by life…whether it's in love, heartbreak, pure joy, longing etc. The record captured moments that caught me off guard and left me changed in their wake, Shiverstruck really felt like the only word to hold all of those feelings.

I'd love to know more about your process for writing an album, where do you begin?

it usually starts with me obsessing over a thought or an idea at the time. I don't really set out to write an album but kind of just make songs until I notice they're all having the same sort of conversation. Eventually they start existing the same dimension. I’m just constantly jotting down notes or thoughts or little blurbs and I look back at those to help build a song and a world around it.

Do you feel different after completing an album compared to going into it?

Definitely. Every record has taught me something about myself and changed me in more says than I can say. but with Shiverstruck I feel like I really let go and let the record take on its own shape without trying to control it. I really let the imperfections shine both in the recording and in what I was writing about. Writing it left me feeling lighter and finishing it I feel a lot more curious and excited about what's next.

Your songs are very emotional. I was so moved after your performance at our launch. Do you find performing live cathartic? What do you like about doing your songs live?

Awww thank you! That means the world to me. That performance was super cathartic because I had just picked up my old acoustic guitar from my ex boyfriend’s house then I was playing a song about our relationship in this small room sharing something really intimate with a bunch of strangers haha. 

Then the guitar broke after the performance and it felt like a huge closure moment. Kind of crazy! Playing my songs live is so special to me because no matter where I’m at in my life the songs find a way to reinterpret themselves and fit into the present moment and I’m really lucky to be able to process my emotions that way.

Do you have a preference for the kinds of audience you perform to? I imagine between festivals, tours and intimate shows, they can be quite different.

I love all of them. I just really love to perform and truly feel like my most authentic self on stage. Small rooms feel like everyone's in on the same secret, which is always so special. Festivals and larger tours are so cool ! I get crazy adrenaline playing for big crowds. I also love the challenge of winning over people who maybe haven’t heard my music before. I just try to be as present as possible and really leave it all out there! 

Shiverstruck is all about transformative emotions and life changes. How do you translate these feelings through IAN SWEET as a persona versus Jilian as a person?

The gap between IAN SWEET and Jilian has gotten a lot smaller over the years. Early on it felt like a character I could hide behind. But over the years the project has helped me make sense of my life and process a spectrum of emotions. This record is probably the closest those two versions of me have ever been. And I think that’s why it feels so authentic 

As someone who has been in the industry for a minute, I found it really powerful for you to eschew digital production in favour of the physical. Why do you think you favour more DIY methods?

I was really leaning into the little mistakes, the room noise, the sounds you can't really recreate with a plugin or computer. It was like proof that I was actually there making this thing, all in. I wanted this record to have that room to breathe and really capture all the messy, raw and unfiltered emotions I was feeling in real time. 

If you could give any advice to someone trying to stay true to themselves in the music industry right now, what would you tell them?

Comparison is probably the fastest way to lose your voice and yourself. Things are constantly changing truly faster than we can keep up with but our instincts are always so important to trust and run with. The moments I'm proudest of in my career all came from following a weird or exciting idea that I didn’t second guess and definitely staying true to myself and my singular voice has made me the most confident version of myself