An Interview with the Front Man of Ian Hammond and the Realistics

Cover of "Sea of Overwhelming"

Last week I sat down with Ian Hammond to discuss the inspiration behind his newly formed band Ian Hammond and the Realistics. After forming the band last September, the songs have evolved from Ian’s two bedroom apartment to the stage: the band plays frequent shows all over Chicago and even headlined Wicker Park’s staple music venue Subterranean.

So where did this band come from? Ian is no novice to writing and performing music. He has been a student at School of Rock Chicago for his entire high school career and performed with several self-formed bands. Ian decided to form a band of his own after mulling over the idea for years. After gathering songs he has written over the years coupled with inspiration gained from numerous live shows he has seen, he decided to set off and be the frontman of his own band. Ian had his doubts, though. He said he did not hope to come off as too self-obsessed by creating his own project with his name in the title. But he finally decided “to take the jump and not look back.”

He assembled a band made up of friends he had played with throughout his time at School of Rock. Within two weeks of forming the band, he booked their first gig. This proved to be a stressful start to the band, as they did not have enough songs or time to rehearse before playing the gig. Ian described that as sloppy as the first gig was, he was elated to have finally put a piece of himself out into the world.

I asked Ian how important the decision to choose which people for the band was to him when forming it. He told me that it was extremely important to him. He replied, “I am trusting these people with the inside of my mind. All of the music is fairly personal to me. It is me at the rawest form. I’m letting these people in, and it’s been really reassuring just how supportive the band has been.”

This is Ian’s first time being a frontman in all of his time as a musician. He started off as a bass player and stuck to it for years, but eventually it became too limiting. Ian describes that he wanted to explore different instruments in order to expand his understanding of music. So, he picked up the guitar he had lying around his apartment and decided to learn. Ian chose bass as his first instrument because he was a shy and introverted kid and would usually hide by the drumkit when playing on stage. However, Ian explains that he “grew into [his] neurotic energy” over the years of performing and became more and more noticeable to the audience on stage. He decided to exhibit this energy as a frontman. To him, performing “is the biggest form of catharsis that exists.” The ability to share his music that encapsulates such a big part of him on stage and have it resonate someone else is the most important part of performing. He recounts a piece of advice he learned from one of his music teachers: “If two people show up to your show, don’t punish those two people. Play to those two people and make it personal for them. Connecting to those two people is your goal.”

When writing music, Ian draws inspiration from all genres. He labels himself just a “fan of good music.” He attributes the process of synthesis from the music he listens to as inspiration for his songwriting. He applied this strategy to his first release, “Sea of Overwhelming,” which gets its name from a chorus to a song he never finished. He tells me each song on the record is inspired by a different musical influence. Listening to Radiohead’s “Hail to the Thief” on repeat inspired “Velvet Wave,” “9000” was influenced by Bon Iver, and King Crimson was an inspiration for “Intentions.” Ian adds, “anyone who knows me knows that Frank Zappa is a big one for me. The way he conducts his performances and his band is very inspiring.” When forming his song structure, Ian says that he gains a great deal of influence from pop music. He is attracted to the short and sweet song length with a catchy chorus and a lot of narrative. He is a fan of modern pop music because it includes an artistry that has been absent for a while (he cites Ariana Grande’s new record for reference), an artistry he aims to produce in his music. The Beatles will always be a songwriting inspiration to Ian due to their ability to deliver a catchy pop song with an often unique and unconventional twist. Ian’s biggest goal in songwriting is to create music that will resonate with those who casually listen but also speak to seasoned musicians. Bridging this gap has been the hardest part in his songwriting process.

Ian Hammond and the Realistics

Ian seemed hopeful and excited when discussing the future of the band. He told me that in addition to regularly played gigs, he will be going into the studio soon and professionally recording his demos. He hopes to expand his band, adding horn, strings, and vocal sections in the future. For right now, he tells me he just wants to see how things go. When discussing his goals he says, “I just have to hold on to what I feel confident about.”

Listen to “Sea of Overwhelming” here:

https://soundcloud.com/ian-r-hammond/sets/sea-of-overwhelming