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The sanctity of a live performance provides artists two roads to follow when an audience is in the way:
- Perfectionists akin to Talking Heads prefer a live soundscape that’s almost identical to their studio production, showing off their cohesion in one full go.
- Bands like Hotline TNT treat performing and recording as two separate acts entirely, creating a live listening experience that keeps the audience on their toes.
For Ian Sweet, the whole band — especially frontwoman Jilian Medford — seem to be riding the high of a nationwide tour that fully shifts the tone of their new record Shiverstruck.
“It’s always been me at the front driving this beat-up truck of a project,” Medford said at a Studio Milwaukee Session ahead of Ian Sweet’s show Thursday at Falcon Bowl. “But I have to say that I just feel a special connection to this band and this record. Being able to play shows with these guys is so special.”
Medford has fronted the project for over a decade, with five albums under her belt and a rotating cast of musicians behind her every step of the way. This new lineup provides an intoxicating level of musicianship that reels the audience into the music.
Opening the session with “Hired Gun,” the California indie rockers made their music heard. What’s normally a downpour of Medford at her lowest, begging for an end to a love forlorn, turned into a much sunnier live rendition. The band was playing at their best ahead of their Milwaukee concert, with a certain confidence that provided less ego and more charm.
The record itself is somber to the core. Yes, there’s a range of instrumentation that gives some songs a noisier atmosphere. But the tone is built on Medford putting her heart on the line. There’s a level of desperation that shines through each track, such as the breathy “Silver Screen” or the damp acoustics of “987.” However, Medford’s sorrow shifted into musical joy during this performance.
Following “Hired Gun” came the album's seminal song, “Criminal Kissing,” a tenderly woven but bitter love song about someone who can’t commit wholeheartedly and who Medford is trying to not make peace with. Played live, this song was a firecracker of catchy lyrics, pounding rhythms and noisy melodies accentuated by a bursting keyboard. The four musicians on stage played to their strengths, building off the main melody to add their own flair to each section.
Their tone shifting was impressive, in that it created a whole new experience without losing the soul of the music itself. The core was still there, allowing Medford’s inner turmoil to be felt in a different way, one that makes it feel like she enjoys the chaos more than she lets on. It could be an active choice, changing the dynamic into one she’s in full control of, or it could simply be her subconscious breaking guard and giving the audience a different taste of the same thing.
“I use Ian Sweet as a way to process the things that maybe I’m not ready to deal with yet,” Medford said. “It’s sort of a vessel to see those things before the rest of the world.”
The band feels like two separate beings both live and in-studio. Regardless of which one you listen to, this is a band of pure charm and talent.
Studio MKE: Ian Sweet set list
- “Hired Gun”
- “Criminal Kissing”
- “La La Love”
- “Jillian” (post-broadcast)