Ivan & Alyosha

Ivan & Alyosha, although headquartered in Seattle, produce music with a clear Californian flavor, relying on acoustic setups and vibrant vocal harmonies reminiscent of the sunny, southern parts of the West Coast. The group came together during 2007 after solo songwriter Tim Wilson encountered Ryan Carbary. Drawing their moniker from Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, the pair started collaborating and journeyed to Los Angeles to cut a folk-pop EP under producer Eli Thompson. The Verse, The Chorus appeared at the start of 2009, which helped secure extensive touring and notable attention across the country, highlighted by recognition on NPR’s “All Songs Considered.” Early in 2011 the lineup expanded into a four-piece that included Wilson’s brother Pete Wilson along with Tim Kim; the refreshed ensemble issued the follow-up EP Fathers Be Kind and hit the road once more. Their first full-length effort, All the Times We Had, surfaced on Dualtone Records in the U.S. at the beginning of 2013 and arrived the next year via Decca Records in the U.K. After Cole Mauro joined on drums, the resulting quintet shaped their upbeat, indie pop sophomore album It’s All Just Pretend, issued during spring 2015.