What's Up! Magazine

Though the band is called Ivan & Aloshya, there is no Ivan, and there is no Aloshya.

Rather, they get the name from Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, a fiery, philosophical novel that enters into debates of God, free will, and morality. Ivan and Alyosha are the protagonists in Dostoyevsky’s novel, as two men that have their own struggles in deciding their personal beliefs.

“Relationships, family, friendships, belief, disbelief, humanity, the overall human condition – these are a lot of things that are being articulated in The Brothers Karamozov, and similarly, are the things that we write about in our songs,” said band member Tim Wilson.

This four-man band, like Dostoyevsky’s Ivan and Alyosha, travel into many of these issues throughout their music. Their songs follow stories of love, fatherhood, and the human experience. They are a band that is easy to relate to, and so is their music.

Like so many young men, Wilson recalls his first memories that began his love affair with music.

“Going to Godfather’s Pizza on a Saturday night as a fourth or fifth grader putting quarter after quarter in the jukebox listening to bands like Metallica, Nirvana, [and] Soundgarden,” he said.

Though 90’s grunge-rock may have triggered the musician in Wilson, he says the band is continually inspired by the older classics.

“We are into a lot of old 60s and 70s music. It always goes back to The Beatles, Elvis, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams, Sinatra, Johnny Cash, [and] Michael Jackson. All of these are bands that we’re still listening to,” said Wilson.

Melodic and reflective, their album Fathers Be Kind sounds as if Ivan & Alyosha have been playing for decades, like their muses. Their debut album sets the stage for chilling out and drinking coffee at a local bustling coffee shop, or perhaps a long, meditative drive. It’s the kind of music you can sit forever and think to.

Born in Seattle, Ivan & Alyosha have been tearing up the scene and growing steadily ever since. Originally started by Tim Wilson and Ryan Carbury, in Seattle in 2007, they were later joined by Tim’s brother Pete Wilson, and Tim Kim. Their breed of folk-pop is truly something you shouldn’t miss out on.

“Getting to play music all the time is very rewarding. And getting to do that with some of your best friends. There’s a lot of peace of mind that comes from knowing that you do something that you love and getting to do it full-time and put all of your energy into it,” said Wilson.

That love of the craft and the friendship with each other reflects in their performances.

“We try to have as much fun on stage as possible. I think if we’re having fun, other people will be having fun and they respond to that. If we’re just standing there playing our songs, acting cool nobody is going to care. At the end of the day it’s a conversation between the audience,” said Wilson.

And like Dostoyevsky, their music entertains conversations that are both deep and fulfilling.

Listening to their songs, entangled in multiple meanings and philosophical wonderings, is like discovering someone’s notebook full of poetry: each song is personal, meaningful, and evocative. The song “Living for Someone” boasts lines like, “Ain’t it funny how nothing really ever changes?” While “Everything is Burning” states, “Don’t know what’s fake or what is real/I guess I am learning.” Fathers Be Kind is in itself a personal journey.

And Wilson agrees.

“The song writing process for me is very internal for a long period of time before I actually write a song down,” he said.

But the journey does not end there. The band is currently touring the country with the likes of Aimee Man, Brandi Carlisle, and John Vanderslice.

What should you know before seeing Ivan & Alyosha? “We are going to rock out. So you better come to rock because we like to get loud and we like to get sweaty and we like to get down to business. And come with $10 to buy our new record!” said Wilson

Ivan & Alyosha will be performing at The Shakedown, April 19th, at 8:00 PM. The cover is $12.