Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Ian Nelson

Actor-producer Ian Nelson is writing a new chapter in his already impressive career. Best known for the dynamic characters that he’s brought to life on screen in projects like Teen Wolf, The Deleted, There’s…Johnny!, and The Hunger Games, Ian is showing a new side to his artistry as a singer-songwriter.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Ian to chat about his career, his love for music, and the inspiration behind his debut single, “21st Century Love”.

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts?
Ian: My mom and my dad. For one of their first dates, my dad drove into New York City and took my mom to a Broadway show. That was one of their first dates. I grew up in a family where my parents had a philosophy that they wanted me to be around the arts when I was a little kid. Even if I fell asleep during an opera, ballet, or a musical, they were okay with that because I was there. I thought that was a really healthy perspective and it’s almost like they were planting a seed when I was younger.

As I got older, I gravitated to the arts. I was in school plays and stuff. Then, it’s sort of a cliché story, but you hear it often: I had a major crush on this girl in the grade above me and the only way I was ever going to hang out with her is if I did the school play because she was a huge theater nerd. That’s how I got really hooked on acting, and that was musical theater. I must have been ten or eleven then.

PC: When you look at your career, who or what has had the biggest influence on you, either personally or professionally?
Ian: I’ve had different people show up for me at different points. My first great mentor was a guy named Burgess Jenkins who lives in North Carolina. He’s had a wonderful acting career, and he was my acting coach. He’s been a wonderful mentor in my life.

Vincent D’Onofrio, who I worked with on a film called The Judge (the Robert Downey Jr. film), taught me so much about being a professional and how to be the best actor that I could be. That guy is a remarkable, remarkable, remarkable actor.

In terms of recently in my life, it’s been a photographer who’s based in LA. He’s known as a photographer, but he’s really more of a creative consultant and producer. His name is Collin Stark, and he’s had a major influence on viewing my career in a more holistic and entrepreneurial way. He’s been a big inspiration and guiding light throughout my whole expression through music. So, I’d say those three people.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out to you?
Ian: Particular moment? Nah, man. It’s just the will to keep going. That’s all it is. It’s just that consistency over time. It’s not as glamorous as one moment that changed my whole career. I was born into a really good family, which I’m grateful for. I’ve had constant encouragement, and it’s always been about the consistency of loving what I do that’s kept me moving forward. Acting and music aren’t the most ideal professions to go into in terms of ease. [laughs] No one can ever accuse me of taking the easy route in life.

Since I was a little kid, I just did my thing. There’s no moment that stands out, really. It’s been the consistency and the commitment to keep going even when no one really cared. When other people had assumed that I wasn’t doing anything, I was working my ass off even harder than I was when I was successful—that’s what stands out for me. It’s the persistence and commitment to my craft and the belief in myself.

All this music stuff is me. It’s an accumulation of all my production experience as an actor for the past eleven to twelve years. I’ve been consistently writing since I was sixteen or seventeen, whether it’s poetry or screenplays or stories, and so songwriting is a natural extension of that. That’s what I’m proud of when I look back at my career.

PC: Speaking of music, you just released your debut single. Tell us about “21st Century Love” and the inspiration behind the song.
Ian: “21st Century Love” is a pop/rock song. If you dig Shawn Mendes, Maroon 5, or John Mayer, you’re probably going to dig the song. It was produced with a really cool young producer in Los Angeles named Jacob McCaslin.

Essentially, I was on a dating app, it was late at night. I matched with this girl who was this gorgeous, gorgeous redhead. The feeling that I had when we were interacting was one that I think we’ve all projected onto people before, whether you’re sitting in a movie theater being like, “Wow. Jennifer Lawrence is gorgeous.” What’s is that Ryan Gosling “Hey Girl” meme? Do you know which one I’m talking about?

PC: I actually don’t.

Ian: You have to check it out after this. There’s a meme with Ryan Gosling and it’s “Hey Girl” and then really woke sh-t after that like, “Hey girl, so you know, I’m on your side against the patriarchy.” Stuff like that.

But that’s an example of projecting—it was different than that. It wasn’t that I was projecting all these feelings onto her. It was more like this moment was wrought with such profound feelings that I just started writing. One of the first things that came to me was this line: “I fell in love with you on a screen.”

The original song was very much just a verse, verse, verse structure; I didn’t know really know how to write a pop song when I started. I’d only written probably two or three before this, to be honest.

I ended up meeting with Jacob through my voice teacher. I played him a few lines of the song, and he was like, “Yes! This is the one.” He jumped out of his chair, ran over to the piano, and he grabbed his guitar. He was simultaneously playing the piano and strumming. Before I knew it, we had a song—it was crazy. It was really quick.

PC: Like you were saying earlier, you’ve been writing original material for the past few years. How did you decide on this being your debut single?
Ian: It wasn’t really a huge conversation to be honest. Everything you do has to feel authentic. Everything you do has to mean something to you. It was a good song, and I feel like my job as an artist—whether I’m acting, singing, producing, or directing—is to put the piece of art first. If there’s a really good piece of art in front of me, if there’s a great opportunity to say something at a high level, I’m not going to get in the way of that.

Jacob was really excited about the track. I didn’t really question it. I was more like, “You dig this?” I looked him in the eye, and I was like, “Let’s have a real conversation. Do you actually like this song?” He was like, “Yeah, I really like this song.” We worked on it and it took two or three months to finish the track due to our schedules. By the end of it, we had something that we were really proud of.

The track itself is so colorful. It’s so lush. It’s so dynamic. It’s creative. It’s not just a typical pop song in that regard. The harmonies are magnificent in the bridge. This is just me talking. It’s not even like I’m thinking about it as my song; I’m just observing the song. He did such a remarkable job with it, and that was the beginning of, hopefully, what will be a very long collaboration between us because I love working with him. We’ve done a few songs since then, and I’m really excited about them.

PC: Speaking of schedules, in addition to music, you’re also an actor-filmmaker. Is it ever a challenge to manage the different facets of your career?
Ian: Definitely. Artistically, it’s the same expression. So as an artist, I’m doing the exact same thing as a musician as I am doing as an actor. I’m taking a piece of material and I’m infusing my own emotion into it to tell the story. It’s essentially the process of singing. When I’m in a recording studio, the only thing that’s on my mind is, “How do I tell the story with my voice?” With acting, it’s, “How do I tell my story with the voice and also my behavior.”

I have to learn how to take the hats on and off. My acting audience has been extremely supportive of my music. People perceive them all as different things even though for you, they feel completely organically connected. That’s been on my mind recently; there hasn’t been some tangible tug.

PC: We’ve talked to a couple of actor-musicians in the past, and they’ve often said that there’s a different level of vulnerability that you need to tap into when you’re releasing your own music. Do you feel similarly?
Ian: Yeah. The music video for “21st Century Love” is a total expression of me. Anyone who knows me will be like, “Oh that’s Ian. He’s wanted to be on Broadway since he was a little kid. He’s a tap dancer. He sings and he acts.” There’s a level of vulnerability, but it’s more a level of empowerment.

Collin Stark, the director, and I set out to make a one-take music video. At the end of the day, we made what we wanted to make. It’s almost like I was able to create exactly what I wanted to see. As an actor, I don’t have that power. Other people write the story and I get to fulfill their vision for the story, which is awesome in itself. They’re completely different, and both are wonderfully fulfilling.

I love this song, but at the same time, it’s all so new for me. It’s all new and I’m just having fun with the experience. I’m getting to express myself as a musician now, which is making me a better actor. I’m learning how to do all sorts of things right now that I’m really excited about.

It’s vulnerable; I want people to like it, but at the same time, I know the song is good. If people don’t like it, that just means it’s not their cup of tea. I wouldn’t put something out into the world that’s not good. That’s where I am with it. That’s not really a worry of mine right now.

PC: You’re planning on dropping a couple more singles and then an EP in 2021. If you had to pick one song of all those songs that best encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
Ian: That song hasn’t come out yet—it’ll be our second song. We just shot the music video for it, and I’m really excited about it. It’s very different than “21st Century Love”. You were talking about vulnerability earlier: when that track was finished, I remember sitting at my desk, and I was like, “What the fu-k. We have to put this song out now.” I was just trying to express what I was trying to get off my chest. At the end, I was like, “Fu-k man. I feel really naked right now.” That’s when you feel vulnerable; it’s when you really give a piece of yourself. You’re opening up the door to your life a bit. That’s vulnerable. “21st Century Love” is more about an experience I had. There are different levels to it all. I love both equally for different reasons.

PC: As you embark on this new chapter in your career, what’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned thus far as a musician?
Ian: There are a couple that come to mind. The one that might be the most applicable to other people is that we live in a culture where we’re taught that we have to feel good to do a good job—that’s not true at all. You can feel totally insecure and uncomfortable and do a great job. It goes back to what I was saying earlier about what I’m most proud of over my career, and it’s the consistency. At times when I was appearing to be very successful, I was feeling insecure and doubtful of things, but I kept going.

That’s what I’ve learned as a musician. When I’m in the recording studio, I don’t know how often I feel good. I’m in there and I’m doing my absolute best while in there, but I’m not getting too excited about anything I do. I’m constantly thinking, “How can I be better? Are we telling the story correctly?” Because, again, put the art first, so it’s got nothing to do with me. That’s why you don’t have to feel good to do it. I feel like that’s probably the best lesson I’ve learned through music.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Ian: I really dig Ariana Grande. That might surprise people I guess, but she’s awesome.

PC: First album you bought?
Ian: Oh, I didn’t buy it, my brother gave it to me—it was American Idiot by Green Day.

PC: First concert you attended?
Ian: I think it was an American Idol tour. I think my mom took me to an American Idol tour in Greensboro, North Carolina when I was a kid. It was with Fantasia Barrino, and it was awesome.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Ian: Ooh, an album that changed my life? It’s not necessarily an album. It’s more individual songs, but if we’re talking about albums, it’s probably Rockin’ the Suburbs by Ben Folds because Ben grew up in my hometown. It’s pretty much all I listened to when I was a little kid. He tells such beautiful stories in a really accessible way, and the melodies are absolutely magnificent. He’s a classical pianist in an alternative pop expression.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Ian: Well, I’ve never toured before, but if I’m traveling on location or something, it’s typically my guitar.

To keep up with Ian, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up or stream “21st Century Love” today.

Photo Credit: Collin Stark