Ian Ballard

I was born in Canada but have been living in Southern California since 1974. I worked my way through college playing music in, what was then called, honky tonks and worked many years as an engineer in the aerospace industry but stayed active in music through it all. I wrote and sang 2 nationally charted country radio songs back in the early '90's with Red Roses in My Hand and Jukin' in Mississippi with Excursion Music Group. I wrote and released American Rider: A Biker Opera that gained some radio recognition and was sold in biker stores. Since then I've been mainly gigging in LA and the Inland Empire in various groups; The Ian Ballard Trio, Hank's Cadillac, The Swinging Doors, High and Dry, etc, while still writing, recording, and self releasing songs for digital streaming and download. My website is https://iandballard.com

I don't write for a specific genre but people usually lump me into Country. I don't listen to the radio but what I hear on TV and in the grocery store, I rarely like. I like music made by good songwriters like Neil Young, Willie, Merle, John Fogerty, Gordon Lightfoot, Jackson Browne, Michael Nesmith, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Sr, Harlan Howard, Cole Porter, etc. A good song should be able to be played across multiple genres and have a personal feeling that tells a story and evokes an emotion. At a LASS Songwriter's Pitch many years ago, Harriet Shock told me that she liked my song but instead of the lyrics telling how I feel, to show how I feel using pictures. That's the best songwriting advice anyone ever gave me next to write and then rewrite over and over.