Ivan Galvan
Pomona
HOW IT BEGAN
I was a young boy hanging out with my dad headed to a record shop in East LA. Browsing through the rows of records and with my dad’s help, I found the first single that I would ever own; Rockit. A few weeks earlier, I had seen a TV performance of Herbie Hancock’s Rockit that left an impression on me. My dad was amazed that I already had such a bold taste in music. He curiously (and judging so) asked, “You like this stuff?” and I proudly nodded my head yes. That day my dad bought the song that would form the foundation of my music career.
THE CAT LADY LOVED DRUMS
By the time I was 11 years old, I began putting together and composing original melodies. I remember creating and humming out my first melody, which I still remember to this day.
Then at the age of 14, I enrolled in band class and started learning about drumming. During this time, I learned to read music and served as percussionist in the high school band.
On my 15th birthday, I had saved enough money to make the first biggest purchase of my life. (I had spent years saving up my allowance, every birthday dime, and holiday dollar I had received.) I was now the proud owner of a brand new Kima drum set that I spent hours on end practicing. This is the moment I stop and thank my neighbors for being so patient, especially the cat lady who enjoyed my playing and said it did not make her feel alone.
At 15, I also began playing my dad’s guitar. Though I don’t consider myself a guitarist, it is what I use to compose most of my music before EDM.
Between 15 to about 22, I was the drummer for Metal, Ska, Reggae and Classic Rock bands, where I performed throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
PLAYING HUGE SHOWS
In my early twenties, I co-founded a Spanish Rock band called Frequency. As the band gained attention for its original tracks, we were handpicked to tour with Jaguares as their opening act. We played sold out shows before thousands of people at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco, the Fox Theatre in San Jose, and other large venues. The L.A. Times and other media outlets took notice of us with rave reviews.
After years in the Spanish Rock music scene, Sony Records hired me to assemble a backing band for notable artists in the Latin market, including Carlos Rivera, Kalimba, Yuridia and the iconic Christian Castro. This led me to doing national performances and several T.V. appearances.
PRODUCING ALBUMS
I have always been on the hunt for creative projects. That is when I decided to develop my skills for record producing. From 2010 to 2013, I dedicated myself to recording and producing records for Hip Hop, Metal and Spanish Rock Bands.
By 2013, I was ready to form another band. This time, I started a Pop-Rock band called Billy the Kid and the Lucky Poets. Soon after I became part of the Recording Academy as a voting member. We submitted our album, Teleport Machine, for GRAMMY consideration to the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards.
Looking back on that moment, it was an amazing experience to see our names on the ballot alongside AC/DC, Bon Jovi, and other notable artists.
DANCE TO LISIEUX
In 2016 my passion for EDM still remained strong. Now was the time to hone in on what moves me most.
In the spring of 2017, I started writing for what is now my debut EDM album: Lisieux. I worked on material for Lisieux for the last year and finished the album in July 2018. Now, I'm gearing up to submit for GRAMMY consideration in the 61st annual GRAMMY Awards, and excited about future collaborations.
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