Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Flanders.
Hi Jason, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started out learning drums at around eleven years old (I’m twenty-five as of now) – I became interested in music at a young age, starting out as a dancer at around age four or five years old music has always been a part of my life in some way and I’ve always had rhythm. I’ve always known that I’ve been meant to be a performer in someway, shape, or form….combining my love for music and performing for people has been the greatest joy of my life as the drummer of the Ivypaint.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This journey has been anything but easy! Over the last eight years, I’ve been involved in about seven or eight different musical projects including the one that I’m in now. Finding the right group of people who share your same goals and aspirations is not easy and sometimes you want to hold on to the group that you’re with because you like them as people and friends but, sometimes it’s just not going to work out professionally and it took me a while to come to that conclusion. Starting from scratch over and over again has not been great on my mental health but finally finding the right project with Ivypaint and seeing the hard work that I have put into being a professional musician finally pay off after all this time has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Being a part of this project with a very dedicated fanbase is not something that I take for granted. Also, being in a project that starts off completely self-funded is not easy, it’s not cheap either. And there was a time when I was literally sleeping on park benches and still putting all of the money that I had left right back into my music projects because I believed in it that much… I do not endorse that example but I do not regret it either because it made me stronger and has given me a lot of perspectives.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Ivypaint is (for lack of a better term) a pop punk/pop rock band started by our singer Sean Duong. I play the drums and don’t have a lot to do with the lyrical content of the writing process but I also take a big role in the business/behind the scenes workings of the band. Getting to wear both hats is very fun! When I was a kid my parents had this nickname for me: “Director Jason” they were definitely making fun of me and it was very discouraging considering the fact that I was simply acting the way I was because I cared so much. They weren’t wrong though, I am very invested in the inner workings of making sure the entire project is running smoothly even if I’m not the one writing the lyrics, it’s fun to wear that hat. Having our newly appointed manager “Nathan Darmody” has also been a big help. I am very proud of the steps that we have taken behind the scenes not only to make good music but to make sure we can get that music out there in front of people. Because of this, we have been able to book some tours around the country that are coming up as well as gaining a decently sized fan base that helped get our last album over 1 million streams in under a year. Another thing we are very excited about heading out to Austin, TX this spring to play the annual SXSW music festival with the likes of Shawn Mendes and Lizzo!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
There are two podcasts specifically that have really helped me stay informed on how to get things done “The Punk Rock MBA Podcast” and the “Don’t sh*t On The Bus” podcast our two podcasts where the interviewers talk to people that work in all corners of the music industry! Super informative and I definitely recommend those two shows to anybody looking to get some valuable information.
Contact Info:
- Email: Jason.ivypaint@gmail.com
- Website: Www.ivypaintband.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivypaintband/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Ivypaintband/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ivypaint/with_replies
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Ivypaint/playlists?view=1
- Other: Teespring.com/stores/Ivypaintmerch
Image Credits
@GabeLugophotos
@symphicshoots
@santokumedia
