Ivy

Ivy have been together for some time now. French singer Dominque Durand, songwriter/producer Andy Chase and Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger all hooked up circa 1994 and promptly released their wonderful debut set, 'Realistic'. Beginning life on indie label Seed Records, the band soon got snapped up by Atlantic and commissioned to record a follow up, that would emerge as Apartment Life in 1998. Gunning for a similar audience for that gained by St Etienne, Donmique's dreamy, understated vocals gave the band a distinct sound. Adam and Andy's songwriting instincts meant the band maintained a distinct pop sensibility, although radio found them to be too lacklustre. The second LP did spawn a minor radio hit in the form of This is the Day, a track that features in the comedy hit There's Something About Mary. However the band were dropped by Atlantic and had to shop around for another deal.

Signing to 550 Music, an imprint of Sony, Apartment Life got re-issued with a new cover. The band began work on their third full-lengther, when they found time between other projects: Adam's Fountains of Wayne were in full flow by now, and both him and Andy Chase began establishing themselves as reputable producers. Andy worked closely with Tahiti 80 on their debut set, Puzzle, while Adam worked on tracks by Swirl 360, David Mead and others.

The third album Long Distance, failed to catapult them to major success but did re-affirm their position as the chief purveyors of dreamy, lounge-pop.

The band's latest effort is a covers album on Minty Fresh, entitled Guestroom.