Artist description Today,he stands as an individual, a highly original musician and mentor to many aspiring songwriters and bassists all over the globe. Modesty prevails on his worldwide credits in the music industry and he now spends the waking hours writing and recording songs for Constant In Opal for placement in the worldwide market.

Music Style Pop Music

Musical Influences Everything good and worthwhile

Similar Artists Robbie Williams, Sting

Artist History Hailing from the sinister world of professional session bass playing and demonstrating equipment Ian Collins started writing songs as a break from endless hours of bass scales and arpeggios!

Group Members Ian Collins

Instruments Vocals, Guitar, Loops and Samples

Albums Ian Collins

Press Reviews Sugar Bulletts (USA) Shooting the breeze with songwriter Ian Collins is Mike lanson. The new single mystery girl is fantastic, it has been played to death here in the office, where did you get the idea? Mystery Girl is a karmic song, a healing song, based on a dream I had. It has cleared the decks on many levels personally and I have finally put a few ghosts to rest now it has been written. Many writers go back to the same source for their song ideas and perhaps I have finally found the words to sum up a situation that happened in my life. It is the first single that has crossed the barrier of being very commercial and yet still maintaining part of my identity as the writer. Do you mainly write from personal experiences? Basically yes. On the more commercial songs for publishing there is a much more tongue in cheek approach, you are appealing to a mass market that listen to music on all different levels. I don’t wander around the countryside naked with a rose between my teeth spouting love sonnets but you have to kind of become a full on emotional person to liberate yourself when writing a pop love song. I am a deep thinker, I know the songs I prefer to write because they are more me and my inner thoughts but I don’t think it would be daytime radio listening if you know what I mean. Even the top bands, although they have all the artistic freedom in the world, still write dumb pop songs at times. It is liberating to step out of yourself every so often and view life from a different perspective. Writing pop songs for commercial release is a business; don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. It is calculated and ruthlessly marketed and done for profit in mind and no other reason than that. When your songs are recorded do they sound as you imagined them to do so when they are finished? No, never! Mystery Girl is all I hoped for and more and it is one I would actually go and buy myself if it was by another act. It all came together so easily when I think about it, no problems at all in the recording process but we did have more time to finish this one than the last 2 singles. The backing vocals were the key, once we had that sorted out , doing the strings and keyboard arranging was not a great problem. We had a few downloading problems but that was not anything to do with the recording process, but it did turn the air blue if I recall. I think the guitars were done in one take at the end of a recording session. I initially wanted electric guitars on the track but I think we have done the right thing by going acoustic. The production and mastering is great and I am also very pleased with the single cover and promotion behind the single. The song is very me and in turn seems very natural. I sang it once and we did the usual double tracking to fatten it up and apart from one dialect problem, which was fixed by sampling, we had it nailed. I made the bass up as I went along and the middle string section was also played in one take. As usual most time seems to be spent editing the Elephant Mans breathing, laughing and guitar lead crackles out of the track. We record on mini disc machines and the syncing sometime plays up a bit but at least we no longer erase part of the previous song when editing ! It has always bugged me why songs never turn out as you hear them in you head but then again why should they, that’s the beauty of the creative process. The next year looks very busy for you… It does look a bit frightening at the moment but if all goes to plan, it has more possibilities than I had ever dreamt of. I have great, motivated people around me, a working practice that gets the job done and if people start returning calls when they say they will, the world is my oyster. We have a CIO 2002 singles EP out in February and this will have totally new and remixed versions of Wake Up and Under Blue Skies on it. It is a USA only release and distribution is in place to tap into all the major state markets. It will be a fantastic radio sampler and we have high hopes. For May, there will be a brand new single featuring some of my personal favourites, songs from all different times in my career as a songwriter. The drum tracks have already been started and we hope to work at a leisurely pace to ensure we get the performances and recordings to the highest standard possible. Touring in the USA looks like a must but I will pick and choose the dates very carefully. We have to use these opportunities with one eye on the future and what the overall big picture is. Working to a plan and keeping to it seems to be the best way forward rather than making it up as we go along which has been the order of the day in the past. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hot Stuff On-line touring/release news from the songwriter Ian Collins taken from the System USA Fanzine, Boston MA, USA. Whats the New Single: Mystery Girl What is it about: Karma and a dream I had about a lost love. How do you rate it: My finest single to date. Release Date: Worldwide release 4th December 2002. The Single Cover Depicts: A woman, so near so far, a journey in life. Are you touring: Acoustic concerts in the USA in Jan and Feb plus radio promos in Europe. A major USA tour has been pencilled in for June but this has yet to be confirmed. Future plans: EP of the CIO 2002 singles to be released in February and a book of poetry to be released next summer. A new single will be out in May 2003. Favourite country to tour: USA Least favourite: Germany. Favourite guitars: Yamaha Acoustics, Tune Basses, Fender Basses. Touring is: Hard work, bad for your health and and good for the ego. It does get harder as you get older but it is still a huge buzz to play my songs in front of a great crowd. Groupies are: Easier to handle two at a time. Do you sign autographs: Certainly, fans make it worthwhile. Had a few crazies now but no one is camping in my garden looking through my bins yet. Merchandise: See www.constant-music.com for full details. It is the best place to keep track on what is going on in the Constant In Opal world and has up to date information on releases. What do you miss while touring: Sausages, curries and cricket. Never whilst on tour: Get your hair cut in a small town, eat alligator, eat chilli 5 days running, ask how far away the next place you are playing is, say you like snow, drink Buckleys cough medicine and run over a skunk. Favourite tour story: The keyboard player, the toothbrushes and the polaroids. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ian Collins, Daydreams and Karma. LA Musical Times JULY 2002 Ian Collins talked about what's what during an expensive phone conversation from the UK. LAM: So what's new? IC: Currently working on the new single "Wake Up" which seems to be taking an age to finish. My producer Paul Kellett still has hair but we have had a few equipment and software problems to deal with. LAM: What's the song like? IC: It is very summery with a country meets the Beatles kinda feel. Writing commercially has broadened my outlook on life really, it has always been an interesting journey for me but writing to order has taken me some time to adapt to. There are bids on all four of the songs on the single but as always you are never 100% sure what you are doing is right for all the parties concerned, it is very frustrating and time consuming. LAM: How did the first single "Wishing My Days Away" do, it was very commercial sounding? IC: It went through the roof which was a big surprise as it really was a suck it and see project. We were lucky that there were a couple of songs that I did for USA college radio on it that people remembered and an old chestnut that old fans liked. Wishing was written on a ranch in Wyoming and as always I seem to come up with the goods when I am away from the UK. It was a good song and opened a lot of doors for me. I cannot say hand on heart that it is a "me" song as I am quite introspective really but it has been interesting hearing peoples reactions. LAM: Tell us about Constant In Opal. IC: The company is named after the song by The Church. Steve Kilbey is in my opinion the best lyricist ever and it was a way of saying thanks to him and the music of the Church that the company was named as it is. If I had not heard this song I don't believe I would have ever tried writing, I would have stayed in the bass session world. The company is alive, well and flourishing. There are a number of interesting projects going on and the website at www.constant-music.com is the place to go if you want to know what's going on. LAM: What's next on the cards? IC: The single is out in the middle of August and then I will be off to the USA to secure a new management deal and look into distribution and sub-publishing. There has been plenty of management deals put under my nose of late but I am being a bit choosey as there is so much riding on this. There will be one more single out in 2002 and then I will assess my options after that. I have a number of touring options also on the table but I will leave that up to the new management to deal with. All in all, my daydreams are coming true. Interview by David Cross. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Reuters TV UK Interview 2002 Ian Collins talks with John Drummond. Are you on tour soon? Dates are provisionally booked for the USA in Oct and Nov but this will depend on the release of my third single of 2002 which is going to be Mystery Girl. Some concerts in France and Switzerland will be happening to promote "Wake Up" which is out on 14th August. Things are going well for you? Hmm, it's a daily struggle to keep up but I must admit getting "Wake Up" finished has freed a lot of time. Planning has been the key and working with motivated and talented people has made the whole process a lot less painful than previous projects. How do you find the time to write? I write in blocks, I usually have 10 on the go at any one time and am very strict with the quality control. I cannot waste time on half baked ideas etc so this ensures all the time I put in is worthwhile. It is quite clinical but it works for me. Inspiration is the key, I can have a blinding couple of days and then I will have a block, I still haven't worked out why I am like this but I am sure the great writers have had periods of work and then nothing !. I am very fortunate that I have so many quality songs ready to record, it buys me time. Are you interested in the actual business of the music industry? I think you are a fool not to be. Song writing is a business, the rewards can be great, it is a job like any other at the end of the day. What do you think of the charts at the moment? I respect song writing talent but at times I think the quality is pretty grim in the charts. The dance culture has a lot to answer for but I do have a lot of time for Rap but then again, I always prefer the less commercial releases in this field, I like some flesh on the bones. Good luck ! Thanks Bud. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BURNING QUESTIONS On-line interview with the songwriter Ian Collins taken from the Pandango Fanzine, Charleston, SC, USA. On the road I usually forget to bring: Money, phone numbers and postcard addresses. The last fight I got into was over: Cricket batting orders. A celebrity I met and wasen't impressed with: Simon LeBon. A celebrity I met and was impressed with: Janet Jackson Punk means: Growing up, hot summers and the Stranglers. My tombstone will read: I told you I was ill ! I have a fetish for: Beautiful woman, good cigars and malt whiskey. In my pockets you'd find: Holes and reminder pieces of paper. The last film I saw was: The Great Escape….. it was as good as ever. My ideal Sunday afternoon is: Watching naked, cigar smoking woman playing cricket whilst drinking malt whiskey. Least desirable method of death: Burning whilst listening to anything by Queen. If I were a ghost I'd haunt: The Imperial War Museum. I hope I live to see: England win the Ashes. Shoe size: 10 Height: 5ft 11 in stockings. I have no tolerance for: Flies, broad beans, drunks and bad drivers. The last time I mowed the lawn was: At least 10 years ago. Best song I have written: The one earning me the most money. Worst song I have written: "The Girl From Up The Road"….enough said ! God is: Alive and well living in Boston MA. Fav musicians: JJ Burnel, Steve Kilbey. The goals for the next five years are: Green card, money and a full humidor. My vices are: cricket and curries. Fav bands: Church, Stranglers, Matthew Good, Beatles to name a few. Least desired part of the USA: Anywhere in Wyoming. Bootlegs are: Acceptable and interesting. The worst show I have played: Some dreadful throat infected performances in Germany come to mind…dreadful ! Languages spoken: English and a smattering of French. A food I cannot stand: Broad beans, salt pork and tuna melt. Fav album: Revolver by The Beatles. Fav book: The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Fav movies: Gallipoli, Grease, Quadrophenia, to name a few. I am opposed to: Racism, drugs and children's singing. The most expensive purchase: Yet another piece of studio equipment. If I were to get a tattoo it would be of: The Constant In Opal logo. The first sign of getting old is: Hair growing in strange places and moaning about the songs on Top Of The Pops. People don't know I'm good at: Firing peashooters. My mother is: A closet line dancer. My father is: A WW1 expert. The bible is: Something to read when jetlagged. A place I would like to visit: India. Next month I will be: A month older, a month wiser. Hootie and the Blowfish are: Hopefully in a lead box in the Atlantic. The world needs more: Starsky and Hutch re-runs. I am obsessed with: Batting stances, Sherlock Holmes and karma. The greatest misconception people have of you: That I know what I am doing. The last play I saw was: Something fringy in Hollywood….awful ! Elvis is: Not in my record collection. Have you been in a car accident: yes…2 bad ones…thanks Steph and Jim ! Amount of phone calls a day: About 10. In my closet you will find: Skeletons and socks. The new single by Ian Collins is out on the 14th August 2002 on the Constant In Opal label. Gallery | Ian Collins Main

Additional Info President of Constant In Opal Music (UK) - publishing, etc.

Location Gosport, Hampshire - United Kingdom

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