Meet Ethan Ice | Denver musician

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ethan Ice and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ethan, how do you think about risk?
I think every kind of business comes with taking risks, and the music business is no different, if not more so. The world of musicians has always been a competitive one, and it seems that those who have that entrepreneurial hustle and willingness to take chances and jump off that cliff blindfolded seem to “succeed” more than those who don’t.

Personally, I think taking risks has helped me along in my career, although they’re not always apparent at first. Early on, I got some advice to “play with everyone you can” to learn something new and I’ve really tried to take that to heart.

While I largely play music from the rock n roll, New Orleans-y, funk styles of music, in the past I’ve signed on to do electronic projects, join bluegrass/Americana bands, learn the accordion, record with singer songwriters, and even be part of tribute bands such as one that covers strictly Oingo Boingo. A lot of times, learning something new meant starting from scratch, putting in the time to get up to speed, and taking risks when I was so green and unfamiliar with the material.

But all of these experiences have made me a better musician, provided more opportunities, and opened doors both musicially and personally to others in the music scene that I might never have met or known.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently I’m a local Denver musician– I mainly play in a rock band called Ignatius Reilly, and I’m also part of the Eric Martinez Band and play the occassional solo gig. I also play sporadically with soul band Leon & the Revival, a tribute group Reptiles & Samurai, and Rented Tuxedo, a band that plays a lot of old timey music from the ’30s-’50s. And I always play a few annual benefit gigs a year, like the Last Waltz Revisited during Thanksgiving time and Tunes for Barrett, which is coming up in February.

Right now I’m most excited about an album that Ignatius Reilly recently released in October called Superstitions Fade. It was a team effort between my bandmates and our producer Ben Waligoske from Clubhouse Recorders to write and record these songs, and we’re really proud of the results.

As far as getting to this place today, I think for one, I’ve never really stopped playing music with others since I was about 16. With a few exceptions, I’ve almost always been at least one band, if not a few- I’ve always enjoyed it and it was always a big part of my “professional” and social life. Music is one of those things that you’ll never reach an end with- there’s always something you can improve upon or learn- it’s a blessing and a curse, you know? Because of this, constant gigging and recording through good times and bad times– especially with different kinds of musicians, bands, and genres– has honed my chops, taught me new ideas, and also kept me networking along the way.

I can’t say it was easy- the life of an artist involves long hours preparing, dead ends, and frequently a lot of disappointment- but I’ve been fortunate enough to have good bandmates to share the downs with ups along the way, and I’ve had other ways to pay the bills, so I certainly don’t remember it being that hard, rose colored glasses or not.

Maybe the best lesson I learned along the way, one I wished I knew earlier on in my life, is from Colonel Bruce Hampton– “never take yourself seriously, but take what you do seriously.” In other words, check your ego at the door and focus more on your job of serving the song or project and playing music together. Musician communities are often tight-knit and there are a lot of great players out there to choose from, so it’s not just your skills that often get you the gig– people remember your attitude, personality and how you work and play with others when making those decisions.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Denver and the surrounding areas have a lot of great places to drink and see live music as well. Dazzle is a great jazz club, and Herb’s downtown, Lot 46 in Edgewater, and Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom are all fun places to see great music. Rolling Smoke Barbecue in Wheat Ridge and Golden have the best barbecue in Denver and have live music regularly. The Maine Shack is delicious as well, who are moving to a new Denver location here soon. Going up towards the hills, Goosetown Station in Golden and both the Woodcellar and Cactus Jack’s in Evergreen have great food and drinks and are all big supporters of the live music scene.
As far as local music goes, the band Jubilingo, as well as Andrew McConathy and the Drunken Hearts have putting out some great music for years and are often playing around Colorado. Violet Breeze, Damon Wood and Matt Flaherty all play often around town and always seem to be doing something cool. Too many to mention!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Aside from my parents for making me take all those damn piano lessons and my partner Kristin for her unwavering patience and support of me pursuing the music thing, really all the bandmates that I’ve been fortunate enough to play with over the years. Too numerous to name, but many musicians in my past and present groups like the Henry Parsons Project, the Menagerie, Mumbouli, Sneaky Bastards, Ignatius Reilly, the Eric Martinez Band and many others were experienced players that I looked up to, learned a lot from, and helped me become a musician that I’m proud to be today. Local musicians Tori Pater, Adam Stern, and Troy Clayton are a few musicians that really taught me a lot early on, both good stuff and maaaaaybe a few bad habits as well– but it sure was fun!

Website: https://ignatiusreilly.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ignatiusreillyband/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IgnatiusReillyBand/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ignatiusreillyband9977

Other: https://www.instagram.com/ethanicemusic/

Image Credits
Traci Markle
Morgan Elizabeth
Bill McAlaine