Featured in the Indy Starby David LindquistWith the looks of a runway model and the name of a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Ian Mellencamp may be destined for music stardom.
courtesy: Rocket Tone RecordsMellencamp, who issued debut EP "Visions" on Nov. 5, is a fashion model who's been featured in Calvin Klein, Gap and Ralph Lauren ad campaigns. He's also the nephew of Hoosier rock star John Mellencamp.
Ian grew up in suburban Cincinnati, and he played soccer at IUPUI in 2001 and 2002. During a phone interview, he said he left school in Indianapolis to spend more time on Bluf — his rock band back in Ohio. (Mellencamp finished college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio).
After making his mark as a model, Ian said he's fine with any positive or negative attention that comes with being a new Mellencamp in the music industry. His uncle John, if a refresher course is needed, recorded 1980s hits "Pink Houses," "Jack & Diane" and "Paper in Fire."
Ian said he "never had a plan" to use his last name in the recording studio and onstage.
"I've always wanted to do things on my own and not necessarily rely on that connection or association," he said. "I think it's coincidental that I've chosen to use that name. It's just what I've gone by."
John Mellencamp was saddled with the stage name "Johnny Cougar" early in his career and famously fought for the right to be known by his given name.
While John Mellencamp is synonymous with heartland rock, Ian Mellencamp explores electronic textures on "Visions," a three-song project he recorded on a laptop computer.
"I love technology and electronics, especially when it comes to creativity," Ian said. "I've always dabbled in circuit bending and being hands-on with electronics. I'm interested in what's possible with music these days."
Ian's sound can be heard on the song "Dry Land," and its accompanying video made in Friendship, Ind. (an unincorporated community about 50 miles west of Cincinnati).
"Visions" is the first release for Rocket Tone Records, a label co-owned by Eric Mellencamp (Ian's cousin). Ian said Eric's previous work in promotions for country label Curb Records and John Mellencamp's folk-themed storytelling influence him as much as samplers and synthesizers.
"I don't want to exclude one sound or the other," he said.
To sort out the Mellencamp family tree, Seymour, Ind., native Richard Mellencamp is father to three sons: Joe, John and Ted. Ian is Joe's son, and Eric is Ted's son.
Ian, a left-handed guitarist, is ranked as the world's No. 25 male model at Models.com. He said he views that work as a transition into music.
"I was working full-time for my father's company in Cincinnati (Beacon Electric) for a couple years when I was basically writing songs in my bedroom," he said. "This opportunity to come to New York came up. I jumped on it, and it's proven fruitful and allowed me to really dig in and focus on my music."
Ian said he caught John Mellencamp's performance at this year's edition of Farm Aid in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Referring to John as a musical mentor, Ian said his favorite albums by his uncle include early 1990s releases "Whenever We Wanted" and "Human Wheels."
"It might not have been his most prominent time in music, but I definitely was most aware of what music was happening," he said. "Growing up and watching my uncle perform was great. It was like going to school on how to put a good show together."
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