Kevin Abstract

Ian Simpson (born July 16, 1996), better known by his stage name Kevin Abstract, is an American musician currently based out of LA, California. His debut album MTV1987 was released in 2014, and received attention from a number of major music blogs and magazine publications. His sophomore effort American Boyfriend was released in November 2016.

Music career

2009–2013: Career Beginnings

Kevin Abstract began recording music while attending high school in The Woodlands,Texas at the age of 14. In 2009, he self-released his first mixtape, then in 2010, Abstract released his first major project. By 2011, he began to receive some small local buzz and went on to create the now disbanded music collective, AliveSinceForever.^[1]

In September 2013 put out his first self-titled EP. The song "PJs" from the EP had its own video directed by HencockSileshi .^[2] That year, he also released the ASF EP which was the group's first official project together. The song "Ian Mad" off the EP also received its own video that premiered on Noisey and was directed by Clifford & Frank Zed and edited by HencockSileshi.^[3]

These projects were the things to start up Abstracts career, near the end of 2013, he began to focus on writing and recording his debut album MTV1987, which would go on to mark the beginning of the next phase of his career.

2014: MTV1987

At the beginning of 2014, Kevin Abstract began working on his debut album with his in-house record producer, Romil.^[1] On April 1, 2014 he released the record's first single, entitled "Save".^[2] The second single from the album, "Drugs" was released on May 6, 2014,^[3] with the music video following around a month later.^[4] The album was released on July 15, 2014 and was met with positive praise from a number of music blogs, such as Billboard,^[1] Complex,^[5] SPIN^[6] Pigeons & Planes,^[7] and 2DopeBoyz.^[8]

After the release of MTV1987, Abstract began working on the music video for the song "Hell/Heroina". His vision for the video was huge so he put up a Kickstarter page for it and his fans donated over $3,000 for the video to be made.^[9] The crowdfunded project was directed by Tyler Mitchell and finally released on November 4, 2014.^[10] Abstract also did a 24-hour live stream on November 1,^[11] leading up to the video release, where viewers watched both himself and his computer screen as the audience listened to him talk, observed him interact with him on Twitter, and watched movies together.

2015: Death of a Supermodel

On January 15, 2015, Kevin Abstract informed fans via his Twitter page that his sophomore record was to be titled Death of a Supermodel and that it would be released later in the year.^[12] This album was then later discarded, however. Abstract has announced that he is now working on a different album, They Shoot Horses, a part of the Death of a Supermodel trilogy. On June 23, Abstract released a video for "SAVE", directed Ian Gilner, Hencock Sileshi, & Franklin Mendez.^[13] In November, the first single from They Shoot Horses, "Echo" was released, along with a music video directed by Tyler Mitchell.

2016: American Boyfriend

In March 2016, Abstract opened for the band The Neighbourhood in England on a week-long tour in Portsmouth, Birmingham, Manchester, and London. The final show was shown on Periscope and teased his new album They Shoot Horses, due out later in 2016. He also confirmed that his next single would be Empty.

In April, Abstract announced that he would be going on tour again with The Neighbourhood, but this time in the USA, across May and June. Abstract will only be performing songs from his new album.

At the end of June, Kevin announced that he had changed the title of his upcoming album to American Boyfriend and that it would still be coming later in the year.

Abstract is currently managed by long-time manager and business partner, Anish Ochani, as well as 4Strikes, Inc, which is ran by Christian and Kelly Clancy. Anish had brought Abstract to the attention of the couple by having Abstract's lawyer send Christian Clancy ECHO.

All American Boy band: BROCKHAMPTON

Near the end of 2014, "AliveSinceForever" disbanded, due to reemerge as "BROCKHAMPTON", with an altered line-up .^[14][15]

In January 2014, BROCKHAMPTON's debut single "BET I" was released.^[16] The video for the song was released on March 25, 2015 and was directed by fellow BROCKHAMPTON members, HK Covers & Franklin Mendez.^[17]

On June 16, BROCKHAMPTON released their second single "HERO".^[18] At the end of June, it was announced that BROCKHAMPTON had won VFiles Loud, an online talent contest aiming to discover the best up and coming collectives.^[19] BROCKHAMPTON were given the opportunity to premiere a professionally directed music video for their third single on MTV, as well as having it released through the independent recording label Fool's Gold Records. The single, "Dirt", was premiered through Apple's Beats 1 Radio and was released on iTunes a few days after.^[20]

On March 30, BROCKHAMPTON released their first collective mixtape: All-American Trash. On April 22 they also released a documentary showcasing the making of the project.

Personal life & Influences

Ian Simpson was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, but was known to move around frequently during childhood to places such as Atlanta, New York, Florida, San Marcos, and finally Los Angeles, where he currently resides.

His influences include Frank Ocean, Kanye West, Tyler the Creator, Kid Cudi, Shia Labeouf, Paul Thomas Anderson, Kurt Cobain, Justin Timberlake, Childish Gambino, Evan Spiegel, Steve Jobs and Quentin Tarantino^[21][22]

Discography

Studio albums

• MTV1987 (2014)
• American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story (2016)

Collaborations

• Memorial Day (2015, as a part of NOWIFIII)
• All-American Trash (2016, as a part of BROCKHAMPTON)

Music videos

References

External links

• Official website
• Twitter
• Facebook