Ian Axel

Early on the morning of January 1st, in a rambling Pennsylvania farmhouse rented by a group of old friends, phrases burst in Ian Axel's head like midnight fireworks. "another year. another chance. do not wait. live for now. say everything. speak louder. give meaning. we are the voices." Perhaps inspired by the whispers of emus in the adjacent field, or more likely by a little book of paintings and poetry given to him in the year's waning minutes, these thoughts formed the genesis of the title track from This is the New Year. The debut LP of New York songwriter, pianist, and stage stomper Ian Axel, This is the New Year is an album of beginnings. While This is the New Year is the product of a fresh voice, full of promise of a new calendar, Ian's history with the piano goes back a long way. As a toddler in Fair Lawn, NJ, he would pick out his favorite songs by ear on his grandmother’s upright piano ("Tequila" being the first). Inspired by childhood hero Yanni, Ian manifested his own canorous compositions starting at the age of 3 (though not in the style of the aforementioned Greek PBS fundraising juggernaut). Through his tight and melodic songcraft, Ian captures the wonder of our earlier years. He says, "I always feel like I'm trying to reconnect to something that I had when I was a kid. Children have a glow and an energy we lose later – because they are closer to where we came from, I think." This is the New Year taps into this innocence on tracks like "We Are," written as a heartfelt birthday present to a hometown friend. While writing perpetually from his very first time in front of the piano, it was not until college that Ian started to sing. The encouragement came from Chad Vaccarino, whom he met in a class at New York University. Chad happened to hear a song in-progress that Ian was humming and was so inspired, he forced Ian to take voice lessons and even paid for them. “Everything in my life changed,” Ian says. “Even my hair turned curly.” Chad co-penned most of Ian's early songs, and his vocals make up an integral part in the title track, "This is the New Year." Ian began performing frequently at venues in lower Manhattan. In 2007, he put out his first EP, I’m On To You, mostly recorded in studios at NYU. With the help of his mom, Ian self-catered his shows with bountiful trays of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (a gastronomic favorite of his which was mentioned in both "Girl I Got A Thing" and "Amazed"). Discovered and promoted by Tower Records in Japan, I'm On To You earned Ian Axel (or イアンアクセル in kana) cadres of fans across the Pacific. Stateside, the six-song collection was well-mined by MTV, who featured four of its tracks on episodes of "The Real World" and "The Hills." I'm On To You also made its way into the hands of executives at Apple, where he found enthusiastic support. Ian was featured in the "What We're Listening To" section on the front page of iTunes, and his songs were heard hourly on the playlists of every Apple store location in the world. Apple also invited Ian to tour over 20 stores in cities nationwide including NYC, LA, and Honolulu (where he surely picked up inspiration for the ukulele-based "Pacific Sun"). Ian took up a residency at Rockwood Music Hall on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Shows became so crowded that the barmaid was unable to make her normal order-taking rounds – every possible bit of floor covered by audience singing a call/answer refrain of "Leave Me Alone!" The ranks of devotees ever-expanding from these energetic live outings, the time had come for Ian to thump some studio ivories. This is the New Year was recorded over several weeks in Spring of 2009 by Dan Romer, who has also helmed sessions with indie-poppers Ingrid Michaelson and Jenny Owen Youngs. Ian, along with bassist Chris Kuffner and drummer Adam Christgau, laid down the driving live foundation in a charged two days at Sear Sound. Additional parts were tracked at Romer's, Drawing Number One studios in Park Slope, Brooklyn. String parts arranged by Ian and Dan are particularly rich on Eastern European influenced "Waltz" and the more wistful "Cannonball." But even when tinged with longing, This is the New Year doesn't dwell. Ian says, "We often get stuck – stuck in these unnatural routines and following other people's agendas. You have to hold yourself accountable to make changes and live in the now. The world responds to what you give. That’s what I hope people can take from this record. It's as simple as saying that if you smile, you are going to have a better day." With Ian Axel in your headphones, it is almost impossible not to feel some part of you beaming, embracing the open future that stretches ahead. This is the New Year. Your fresh decade starts now, and this is its soundtrack.