Toward the conclusion of my bucket-list interview with Ivy’s Andy Chase and Dominique Durand this past fall in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of their second studio album Apartment Life (1997), the husband-wife duo unexpectedly turned the tables on me. After sharing their five favorite albums of all time, as is standard protocol for all Albumism interviews, they unexpectedly flipped the same question back my way, quid pro quo style.
After rattling off my first four selections, I paused and said, “you both will think I’m crazy, but number five is Apartment Life.” To which the ever-modest Durand erupted in laughter, remarking, “wow, you’re just saying that because we’re here right now.” “No, not at all, it’s the truth,” I tried to convince her.
Indeed, Apartment Life holds an eternally special place in my record collection and my heart (as I explored in depth here), so it was the most welcome of news when the pair teased the forthcoming vinyl reissue during our discussion. A quarter-century on from its arrival back in October 1997, the album remains a shining testament to the creative connection cultivated by Chase, Durand and their kindred musical spirit, the late Adam Schlesinger. “Apartment Life is probably the most important record Ivy ever made,” Chase confides in an official statement.
Due in stores March 3rd, the vinyl reissue represents the first time that listeners will have the opportunity to experience Apartment Life on wax, with a special white vinyl version available courtesy of Bar/None Records and limited edition blue vinyl available via Newbury Comics. Additionally, the group has unveiled the previously unreleased song “Sleeping Late,” one of two rarities that will be available across digital platforms, along with the soon-to-be-released “Sweet Mary.”
“Despite being quite ambitious and driven, Dominique, Adam and I were not early risers, at all,” Chase admits in recalling the genesis of “Sleeping Late.” “Although ‘Sleeping Late’ started as a joke between us, underneath its cutesy, ironic exterior lives a more serious quintessential urban tale about being stuck at home and not wanting to leave. Dominique always loved the Velvet Underground song ‘After Hours,’ loved the way Mo Tucker sang it, and tried to embody Mo’s innocent naivety and spirit in her vocal performance. We kept it simple and dry, inspired by early Beatles productions. We didn’t put it on the Apartment Life album since it was meant to be silly and sort of tongue and cheek, but we ultimately used it as a bonus track for the Japanese release, figuring over there most people wouldn’t understand the lyrics and never know what lazy idiots we were.”
Listen to “Sleeping Late” below and be sure to mark your calendars for the March 3rd vinyl release of Apartment Life, an inspired album that warrants discovery by a whole new generation of listeners.
BUY Apartment Life via Bar/None Records here
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