IVANA JUNE HAS BOTTLED THAT SUMMER FEELING

WORDS ALICE LAMBERT 

It seems fitting that when I sat down to chat with Ivana June ahead of the release of her new single today, that she called me from Laredo. The coastal Spanish town, just outside of Bilbao, forms one half of the dual settings that have inspired her latest release, Verano!; the other being the urban lifestyle of her hometown, London. 

It’s a toe-tapping track oozing with groove. The Latin influences make your shoulders sway while warm sunshine prickles your skin and a soft sea breeze ripples through your hair. It’s a song for those chasing the promise of an endless summer; Ivana’s hazy vocals capturing the freedom of dancing till morning on long, balmy nights and the nostalgia that creeps in as grey skies roll in again. 

First written by the English-Spanish songwriter when she was 17, Verano! encompasses Ivana’s experience of spending warmer months between the two places, and how their contrasts have shaped her summers. We sit down to discuss the real meaning of summer, exploring her English and Spanish heritage through music and what to expect from her upcoming EP.

Alice: Ok let’s get stuck in. To start, how would you describe your music to someone who has just discovered you? 

Ivana: I guess I would describe my music as a true mix of all the genres that I love. I love jazz. I love soul. I've always loved bossa nova, anything Latin influenced. And especially with this song, there is a touch of flamenco, because of course I have a love for it, having a mum that's Spanish.

Alice: You write and produce your own music, which part do you enjoy more? 

Ivana: I would say the production. I love sound. It brings the songwriting and lyricism to life. And in a way, I produce as I song write as well, because I'm always producing demos.The production itself is always a part of the songwriting for me. 

Alice: When did you first start out with writing and production? 

Ivana: I was pretty young.  My dad was a musician, a composer. He had his own equipment at home where he would compose and produce. So he would lend me technology, like, you know, a laptop and a little microphone. I was like 11 when I started with GarageBand but I would say I'd properly go into production and songwriting when I was about 15.

Alice: You’ve said that your songwriting is about personal storytelling. How much of yourself do you find you're putting into your music? Are there parts that you're trying to keep private? 

Ivana: I'd say I pretty much lay it all on the table, however it's usually quite delayed. Instead of actively being like, “I'm going to write about what I'm going through right now”, when I’m writing, I’m going back and working through feelings that I didn't know I had about something. I actually feel like I need time to process what I'm going through and then [write it]. So it is authentically me, just not at the exact moment I’m experiencing it.

Alice: How does it feel when you’re looking back? Is the writing process cathartic?

Ivana: Definitely. It’s therapeutic in a way because it's a chance to be introspective on yourself.

Alice: We must talk about your new track Verano!, how are you feeling about its release? 

Ivana: I'm feeling good but I'm always nervous. I always want [my music] to do well, especially because I'm an independent artist. There are lots of hats to wear and things to sort out. It's all down to me–and the algorithms! 

Alice: I can imagine. What are some of the biggest things you've learned from being an independent artist?

Ivana: I think I've learned to enjoy the things that I initially found hard. A big thing for independent artists now is content creation. I think a few years ago, I used to get a bit down about it, like, “oh, I should just be a musician and I shouldn't have to make loads of content,” but I’ve learnt that embracing the content side and embracing the creative side of content creation–because it is creative–has meant that I now enjoy it way more. 

Alice: You began writing the Verano! at 17. How is the track sitting now as you're releasing it compared to when you first wrote it? 

Ivana: I would say it's pretty much the same, with only a slight few differences. When I first produced it, I had more of a hip hop beat behind it. We’ve also expanded the live element of the percussion. But the structure and the way I sing every part has actually stayed the same, which I'm kind of surprised about. I feel like my style has grown since then, but this song has always felt fitting for me. 

Alice: That’s fun–almost like you got it right the first time around?

Ivana: Yeah. If anything though, I had so many extra sections that I cut out. I think when I was younger, I was like, “oh, this is cool. I'm going to add this, I'm going to add this.” The song ended up being five minutes long. 

Alice: If someone was listening to Verano!, what do you hope they're thinking as the track fades out? What are you hoping to leave people with? 

Ivana: I hope they end up feeling like they just want to continue playing music and dancing. I think that's the main thing. I wanted the song to feel like a "dancey" track where people just feel like they could just have a bit of a groove, a little bit of a bop. I mean, that's literally the chorus, your feet stepping in time with the music. 

Alice: What would you say the track is about?

Ivana: I would say it's very indicative of my experience growing up. I am half Spanish and half English. My summers were always split between being in London, having the kind of urban love for a city and spending the summer there. But also always coming here, [to Laredo], spending time with my family. It’s a very different kind of summer. Family-based versus being with your mates and staying out. So to me, it's about my summers as I was growing up and how it kind of shaped me. 

Alice: If Verano! was a place, where would it be?

Ivana: It's Laredo for sure. The beach. 

Alice: You sing a few lines in Spanish on Verano!

Ivana: Yes!

Alice: How did it feel getting to combine both your languages for the song? 

Ivana: It was very fun because I haven't done that before with releases. I usually stick to English, but this EP that I’ll be putting out has a lot more Spanish influence. Sometimes it just feels right to sing a bit of Spanish. 

Alice: Is there a reason why you tend to release more in English than Spanish? 

Ivana: Maybe because I've lived there. Even though I was born here in Spain, I've lived in London most of my life and gone to school there, gone to uni there. I do feel culturally aligned with both, but particularly in terms of my music culture, it’s very London and British, so I think naturally I just sway to English. 

Alice: Has growing up in London influenced your sound? 

Ivana: Definitely, because of my love for jazz and soul, which is a bigger scene in London. Going to Ronnie Scott's for the first time was so inspiring. 

Alice: I know that verano is Spanish for summer, but what does summer mean to you? 

Ivana: It almost feels like timestamps throughout my life. I feel like I kind of think about my life through summers. Like even the summer I'm in right now, I know it's going to have so much meaning in the future for me.

Alice: What’s currently soundtracking your summer? 

Ivana: I'm listening to a lot of Sade. She has this kind of summer energy about her. And also, a lot of reggaeton. I feel like I’m in the mood to party. I always gravitate towards more hyped up music in the summer. 

Alice: Nice! What other artists would you say inspire you?

Ivana: I've got to say Olivia Dean. I love her songwriting but also as a performer. I was lucky enough to go to her show in June and it was just incredible. I think she's bringing back classic songwriting and performance; a talented person who's just storytelling–you don't really need anything else. Also Ezra Collective, I’m obsessed with their rhythms and their groove. And recently, I would say Pip Millet, I love her sound.

Alice: Do you have any dream collaborations? 

Ivana: Do you know what? I would say this would be a dream. Kind of crazy, but Tyler, the Creator. I feel like whenever there's a female artist collaborating with him, their section of the song is always brilliant.

Alice: Your EP is coming out at the end of the year. What can we look forward to seeing? 

Ivana: It's definitely jazzy. The next single I'm going to release is called Another Love, and that was when I was very inspired by Jamila Woods and Robert Glasper, those pure, neo-soul, jazz musicians. There’s also a big flamenco influence. A few songs are quite cajón-based, which is the box you tap on. And throughout the whole EP, the acoustic guitar is a big part of the sound. It's all played on the same Spanish guitar that my dad gave my mum years ago.

Alice: Obviously, Verano! Is inspired by summer, but does this EP have a general thread of a theme throughout it? 

Ivana I think I wrote this EP with a theme in mind, which was the theme of growing up, and growing up as a woman. When you’re younger, you're just starting to realise that women have it harder and you can feel that angst. I knew I wanted to release songs that I wrote when I was younger, like Verano!, but for the rest of the EP, I wanted to tap into that mindset and how I've grown since then into now.  And so that's basically the theme that it follows. Even the cover art that we've done for the EP is all set up in my bedroom. We've got flowers everywhere, and not to be too on the nose, but it's about showing growing in my bedroom where I produce all my demos. 

Alice: Are there any sounds you're looking to experiment with in the future? 

Ivana: I was actually talking about this last night with my brother. I will always have a jazz and soul influence. But I have been loving artists, like Sade, but even, Addison Rae. Pop feels so far away from my genre, but I love the production side [of it] and how it all feels quite ethereal. I do want to make a one-off EP or album where it's all ethereal vibes. Almost as if you feel like you’re in water. I love that. So maybe I'll be experimenting with that a little bit. 

Alice: And to finish, what's your favourite F Word? 

Ivana: Oh, oh my God. Um... I would say the F Word. Like, fuck is a pretty good... 

Alice: (laughs) Yeah!

Ivana: (laughs) Yeah, I feel like it's punctuation.

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