Ian McFarland is a songwriter from Portsmouth, NH who has lived in Brooklyn, Boston, Los Angeles, and Valencia (Spain). He has been releasing music in a number of projects since he was 13 years old and is currently based in Brooklyn, NYC.
Ian learned about music from an uncle who was roommates with Bob Dylan and gave Mama Cass her first job at a coffee shop. This was nourished by parents who drove him around the coast listening to a variety of music from pop punk like Green Day and Fall Out Boy to classics like the Beach Boys and Earth Wind and Fire.
On his new song “Love Lines,” McFarland cranks up the pop punk summer vibes for a story of fling that could have been something more — if only the other party had tried a little harder. McFarland tells us more about what inspires him — from his fans to his surroundings.
Have you ever been given something remarkable by a fan?
I have an acoustic bass now because someone was so inspired by my playing and maybe being a bit down on their motivation to practice so they just gave it to me free of charge. I’ve actually been given a couple guitars as tokens which is a very nice thing to have happen to you. I’ve had some of the best and giving fans! Even if it is a small but growing fanbase, they are all just so incredible and kind. The acoustic bass definitely takes the cake though because it was something I would’ve never gotten for myself, but it comes in so much use when you want to sit around a campfire and really have a fuller sound — so long as there is someone there who can hold it down, ya’know?
Do you try to make the most of being in a city, or do you prefer to just rest up?
It’s pretty easy to make the most of the city and rest at the same time now that I’ve moved back to NYC. I’ve lived in Boston, LA and NYC and I definitely feel most at home in NYC because the pacing of everything around you is so quick I don’t think I’ve written more songs in the last couple of months then here and it might be the move or the lack of things to do but it’s a good place to be to get inspired. I know a lot people feel this way in different spaces. For example, a songwriting hero of mine, Chadwick Stokes of Dispatch, spends most of his time in Middlebury< VT or somewhere like that writing music in a barn. I’m not 100% on that and I know that’s how rumors start, but the point is that some people get inspired by nature and they probably write folk and country music and I live in the concrete jungle and I get inspired to do what I do.
What do you think you could do to make your music or shows more accessible to a more diverse audience?
This is a great question, I just did a performance with some friends of mine and I think I was one of two cis-white dudes at the party and it was honestly refreshing and its inspiring to be around people who have the courage to embrace themselves this way. It was a stoop show at this very cool house in Bedstuy Brooklyn called the Quincy Atom and it was a mix comedy and live music show and the booker Dom falls under the LGBTQ+ tree and is one of the coolest people I’ve met since moving to NYC I think. I’m sure I could be doing more but everyday I do think I’m on the right path to be the best ally I can for my whole life, I’ll never stop learning.
What’s the best way a fan can support you?
They can tell everyone they know about me and my music and ask the friend to do the same if they like the music.
Do you have any songwriting tips you can share?
The songwriting tip I can give is more of a motivational tip which I’d wish I’d taken more seriously before the pandemic which is that you won’t get better at writing songs if you don’t. My journey has been marred by production issues and dry spells of no willingness to put in the effort to write more music but at the end of the day if you can keep the instrument in your hand and just keep playing you’ll get ideas. I’ve definitely had to make sure that I keep my instruments accessible in my home so I’m reminded to pick them up.
Ian McFarland — It’s Not Records, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter