Biography
British vocalist and guitarist Ian Ball serves as one of three singer-songwriters within Gomez, the five-piece pop/rock outfit known for its blues-inflected style. After entering the group in 1996 alongside Ben Ottewell, Tom Gray, Paul Blackburn, and Olly Peacock, the ensemble achieved early visibility through its opening full-length, Bring It On. Additional recordings appeared in subsequent years, prompting Ball to move to Los Angeles following the 2002 release In Our Gun. Gomez maintained an active schedule of performances and studio work, delivering Split the Difference in May 2004, Out West in June 2005, How We Operate in May 2006, and the 2004 compilation Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004. Amid the collective’s consistent output, Ball carved out opportunities for independent projects in his new base of L.A., frequently appearing at the Hotel Café. He further explored electronica through Lionel 6, an experimental three-piece featuring participants from Australia’s Gelbison, the act whose initial pair of albums, 1704 and See the World, Ball himself produced. During Gomez’s 2007 travels through the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, Ball devoted off-stage hours to laptop editing of material that began as an unplanned Los Angeles jam and reached completion at the local da Schtud studio. Once back home with the finalized recordings, he issued his debut solo album, Who Goes There, on his own Dispensary Records imprint.
Albums
