Ian Davis: Rock Band walks the line between careful songwriting and spontaneous bursts of energy. It’s the kind of project that feels less like a band and more like a collective—friends coming together to make music when the stars align.

Ian Davis, a New York-based guitarist and composer, steers the ship, but the band’s sound is shaped by the creative input of its members, making every release a little unpredictable.

Their debut, ‘passing phase’ (2020), leaned into softer, synth-heavy textures, but with their second album, ‘Alternate/Opposite,’ things have shifted. “It’s a more guitar-driven record,” Davis explains. “We added Julian Cubillos to the lineup, so now there’s this dynamic interplay between the two guitars. I was also listening to a lot of punky bands from the early ’80s like The Nerves and The Dils, and that energy seeped into the songwriting.”

The band itself is a powerhouse of players: Jason Burger (Witchduck, Scree, Adeline Hotel) holds down the rhythm on drums, while Dandy McDowell (b o t, Amen Dunes, Rubblebucket) adds groove on bass. Julian Cubillos brings his sharp, versatile guitar work, with four albums to his own name. Michael Coleman (Michael Rocketship, tUnE-yArDs, chris cohen, Sam Evian) adds texture on synths, and Renata Zeiguer (an acclaimed artist with her own second album out) brings a mix of melodic depth and atmospheric keys.

Recorded in Red Hook in 2021, ‘Alternate/Opposite’ captures the energy of that odd post-lockdown era when the world was still trying to find its rhythm. The result is a set of 14 songs that feel immediate and alive without losing the band’s careful attention to detail.

<a href="https://iandavisrockband.bandcamp.com/album/alternate-opposite">Alternate/Opposite by iandavis:rockband</a>

The album drops November 22 via Figure & Ground, with a release show that night at The Owl Music Parlour in Brooklyn. For the collectors out there, a limited run of 50 red cassettes—complete with download codes and hidden bonus tracks—will be available.

Outside the band, Davis stays busy. He’s collaborated on orchestral arrangements for artists like Feist and Cassandra Jenkins, plays bass in other projects, and even wrote an opera that premiered in the Czech Republic earlier this year. But with ‘Alternate/Opposite,’ it’s clear that Ian Davis: Rock Band is where his heart is—a space where careful craftsmanship meets joyful experimentation.

Ian Davis: Rock Band Official Website / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube
Figure & Ground Official Website / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube