Ivory Daze, a shoegaze trio from Lincoln, Nebraska, just released a new EP, "Chlorine." Their sound is 1990s alternative guitar music—heavy, but not metal.
Guitar player and singer Isahen Harms took a moment to answer some questions.
Rebel Noise: Will these songs be on a full-length album?
Isahen Harms: No, these songs have always been meant for their own EP. We tried to make something cohesive even if it's coming in the form of a five-song EP.
Rebel Noise: The band promo material says, "With Chlorine, the band pushes further into the tension between chaos and melody, drawing from the best of 80s and 90s guitar music while carving out their own modern path." Why do you think you are drawn to music from the 90s? Why are the 90s influencing you now?
Isahen: There were just a lot of really good records put out in the 90s. Being a three-piece guitar, bass, drum, and vocal band, it's kinda hard not to take influence from that era of music. We still listen to and take influence from every era of music, though. Currently our guitar player is listening to Sade, our bass player is listening to Shallowater, and our drummer is listening to John Prine. We are kinda all over the place.
Rebel Noise: You sound a little like the band Hum. Are you familiar with that band? If so, what do you like about them?
Isahen: Yeah, we all like Hum. “You’d Prefer an Astronaught” is a great record. Lots of cool chords on that album.
Rebel Noise: What influences do you have from the 1980s? What elements specifically?
Isahen: We all like Duran Duran, Hall and Oates, Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, The Smiths, etc. There was just a lot of good pop music being put out back then, and we take a lot of influence from pop music.
Rebel Noise: What is something you are afraid to say to someone you love?
Isahen: I slept with an ex's dad once. That was a rough conversation.
The new EP, "Chlorine," opens with “IV League,” a song that showcases the band’s strength—its rhythm section. A strong back beat pumps momentum. The vocal walks clean and pushes at the chorus.
In “Waco” I most clearly hear the 90s influences, like The Smashing Pumpkins and Hum, in two major ways. First, the chord changes and rhythms. The song sounds a little like “Cherub Rock” right there in the open. Second, the band sounds big—big drums, velvety bass, fuzz guitars on overdrive and crunch, all in a full mix. Heavy melody.
The main things about The Smashing Pumpkins were the superb rhythm section, big guitar, and Corgan’s voice. Ivory Daze have a good rhythm section, biggish guitar, but the voice is more anonymous. The best vocal on this EP comes on the single, “Corset.” The little Oohs and Yous make for a catchy vocal. It works.
"Chlorine" was released October 17, 2025.