iAN Ottaway is an American born singer/songwriter raised in Wichita, Kansas with a bloodline of criminals, carnival barkers, gospel luvers, and working class sweethearts.
With his most recent album 'Roll With the Damned' released October 31, 2020 he delves into the cinematic realm with hints of trip'hop, electronica and plain old dirty rock'n'fuckun'roll with a hint of western goth.
Read below our very interesting chat on his most recent album as well as his view on the music industry, life and art in general.
RockOverdose: Dear Ian, Welcome to Rock Overdose Tell us about your latest album and your recent plan.
iAN Ottaway: Recently I've been designing ideas with Ray Vale and Violet Booth from Slow Burn Drifters.I've spent the last year writing & recording new songs for 2 new albums to be released in 2024 / 2025 Working on 2 books of Witch-House poems and 1 book of American Grit poems and a Children's picture book titled Nobody care for me, so me no care.
RockOverdose: What is your favourite music era?
iAN Ottaway: My favorite era of Music is Right Now because nothing is as exciting as present possibilities.
RockOverdose: When did you first start writing music?
iAN Ottaway: I began to take writing songs and poetry seriously before the age of 21
RockOverdose: What is your advice for the new musicians, artists?
iAN Ottaway: If you're going to truly create then be disciplined in the mediums of your choice. Challenge yourself.
RockOverdose: Take the future seriously. Why?
iAN Ottaway: Because the future takes You very seriously.
RockOverdose: Who were your childhood heroes?
iAN Ottaway: Dyonysus, Hermes, Aphrodite, Eros, Apollo,Kris Kristofferson, Rimbaud, Cupid, Native American Indians, The Lone Ranger, Daniel Boone, Elvis, The Shadow,The Man with No Name, Patsy Cline, the Harlem Globetrotters, David Bowie and Isis
RockOverdose: What are you listening to lately?
iAN Ottaway: Witch~House, Humanist, Slow Burn Drifters, Suzi Stapleton, Clairvoyant, Tanya Tagaq, Inuit Throat Singing, Occult Ambience, The Platters, Cigarettes After Sex, Dungeon Synth, Doja Cat, Sexxy Red, Einsturzende Neubauten and as always.. the Night Porter.
RockOverdose:Name your favourite voices of all time.
iAN Ottaway: Little Jimmy Scott, Kris Kristofferson, Mark Lanegan, Jeff Buckley, Clair Fortner, Jennifer Herrema, Jessie Buckley, Rale Vale, Jeffrey Lee Pierce, JB Dunckel, Peter Hayes, Lil Jon and the late Mimi Parker.
RockOverdose:10 books everyone should read!
iAN Ottaway:
The Bible
The Koran
Bread and Jam for Francis
Dark Night of the Soul
Satan Speaks!
Sing Backwards and Weep
A Season in Hell
Flowers of Evil
Faith, Hope & Carnage
Actual Air
Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet
RockOverdose:Was Μark Lanegan easy to work with, how was he as a human being?
iAN Ottaway: He was Always on time with me and his word was Good as Gold. He was a Scholar & a Gentleman, but if you crossed him or were a chump, a Lame or a buster?Then he was your worst fuckun' enemy for Life.
RockOverdose: Can you share some stories with Brett Anderson, Jeff Buckley, Maynard James Keenan and Ian Astbury?
iAN Ottaway: Mr Anderson is a gentleman straight out of a JG Ballard Novel Mr Buckley was a charming, affectionate, musically gifted, and spontaneous human poem. Mr. Keenan is a proper cult leader now and Mr. Astbury a tool.
RockOverdose:The music business changed radically, how do you think an artist can make it these years?
iAN Ottaway: I see the music industry coming back in the near future with new rules Introduced by power players like Kanye and Jay Z that shall help to benefit all designers and creators, similar to Elon Musk overthrowing twitter and creating X and wanting to help people get paid,get some shine and be seen.
I also think it is good to work a full time job just like anyone else and be disciplined because if it was only about fame and the money in the first place then your artistic medium sounds like a very depraved animal, that is unlikely to appeal to anyone
with impeccable taste, vibrant spirit or interesting heart.
RockOverdose:Vinyl, Cd or Pc?
iAN Ottaway: Whatever the format, I just wanna make sure that the artist gets my money.
RockOverdose: Please share some stories from the studio with the stars you worked with.
iAN Ottaway: Τhere are no fun studio stories.. studios are where the eyes of desperation wildly blink and there are hostile and venomous words shot from the ugly mouths of depraved artist whose minds have turned into Quantum Mechanics and slowly warping like a decomposing creature.. write, rewrite, delete, sing it again, and the guitarist playing the same 3 notes for 10 hours. In the studio there are no stars.. only Zen Masters and Desperate Animals.
RockOverdose:Life, what do you think counts the most in this journey?
iAN Ottaway: Discipline, tenderness, adaptability, loyalty, bravery, tenacity, dark humor, virtue, aim, humbleness, patience, mystery and Spite.
RockOverdose:If you look back, what will you say to a younger Ian….
iAN Ottaway: Seriously, Keep the Faith, Blue
RockOverdose: Thank you!
iAN Ottaway:Thank You my friend and Be Well!
Interview: Chris Tsantalis
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