The sweetest of news! We are so happy to welcome IAN SWEET – the musical project of Jilian Medford – to the Polyvinyl family!! 

IAN SWEET has been the source of and solution to many of Medford’s deepest anxieties. Her signature frenetic rock has been warped, manipulated and choreographed over time, allowing her to lean into the unconventional desires and practices that drive her ambitious spirit. 

Today we get new single, "Dumb Driver" and an official teaser for its forthcoming video. Medford’s voice has an urgent sincerity over building, melancholy-tinged guitar. She chants "I want to stop, I want to," a mantra for attempting to make a change for the better of oneself. "'Dumb Driver' is an examination and grieving of, both during and after, a broken relationship," says Medford. "It describes the toxic cycle of being so overtaken by your love for someone that you put yourself in harm's way for it - like a car crash you can't look away from. On 'Dumb Driver' I am pleading with myself to stop the car, pull over, and get out of the situation before the damage is irreversible." 

Watch below and head to the Polyvinyl store to nab the IAN SWEET merch you've been waiting for –

Medford formed IAN SWEET in 2014 while studying composition at Berklee College of Music. She attributes the inception to Boston’s sprawling and gritty DIY scene, which opened her eyes to the frenzied highs of live music. Since her 2016 debut, Shapeshifter, Medford has found herself entangled in the curiosities of pop music, freeing herself from the boundaries of genre. 

In 2018 Medford released her sophomore LP, Crush Crusher, a deeply reflective record with heartbreak that speaks to trauma and an abusive relationship she was still in while writing and recording. It was through the creation of the record that Medford was able to commit herself to healing. Gearing up to release her 3rd LP, Medford says she simply feels alive. "After pulling myself from some massive wreckage, I want to throw a party and sing about it."