Ian North
Ian North is one of music’s unheralded innovators. Continually ahead of the curve, his first band, Milk n’ Cookies, fused glam, glitter, garage, British Invasion, and bubblegum in the early/mid-’70s, predating both punk and power pop. At the dawn of the ‘80s, North bought a drum machine, a cheap synth, and set up a bedroom studio to record the cult classic My Girlfriend’s Dead album, preceding the emergence of electropop stars like Depeche Mode. By 1983, he was pioneering electronica. In between Ian North founded (post-)punk band NEO, releasing an album under that name in 1979.
Did you know?
- Members of Sonic Youth, Blondie and the Ramones all cite Ian North as an influence
- His band Milk n' Cookies was part of the early CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City scene
- NEO's album was recorded at Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan's studio and featured future Gillan band members John McCoy and Steve Byrd