June 18th, 2026Ivan’s time to Shine
Ivan Carter grew up in “the foggy forested hills of Drummond”, where his parents built a mudbrick house in the 1970s. The area, which was a lovely place to begin life and explore the landscape, recently gave him the inspiration to produce his first album, Shine. He chatted with Donna Kelly.
Donna: How did you get into the music scene?
Ivan: I have never studied music formally, but I think my parents always had music playing in the car and at home, so it kind of just grew on me.
Once I left Daylesford, and started university, I found guitars and musicians everywhere, so I just started playing guitars and listening to indie music with friends from all over the world.
My first band, Blue Revery, was a bunch of Daylesford Secondary College students, and a few university mates. We were terrible, and pulled out of the only gig we were offered, but we were having fun. I then moved to Melbourne and discovered an amazing music scene and some very creative souls.
This is when I discovered electronic music, and the Melbourne shuffle dance scene. I had found home. A decade later, I moved back to Daylesford, and purchased some gear to make my own electronic music, as a father and parent, it made sense to be able to play solo.
I then met Fiona Porter, when we started a local band called Square Wave Bounce. Fiona provided the missing piece in my music, creative and heartfelt vocals.
I am still in Square Wave Bounce with Fiona, and Tom McGowan (on bass), and have recently started producing my solo music under Ivy C, as a side project. It has been two years, but I have finally completed Shine, in my spare time.
Donna: What is your style?
Ivan: I’d describe it as ambient melodic electronic music. It is hardware based, so I record directly from Roland keyboards and drum machines and samples. This album has some live recordings of local birds, landscapes and weather events, to give it a more personal feel.
Donna: Shine is your first album – how are you feeling about it?
Ivan: It is a big moment, to release the creation from many long nights and lonely days. It took two years to produce the 13 tracks, but it was very, very part time, in between my work, family and life!
Donna: What has the reaction been from friends and fans?
Ivan: It has been overwhelming, the support and the love. Each song is about a different person in my life, who has been there, in my community when I needed them.
It was going to be called People That Shine, but I decided to shorten that. I will be adding some vocals to a few of the tracks, and releasing them as singles, featuring some local Daylesford vocalists.
Donna: Where can people hear your music? Are you playing live?
Ivan: It is available on all streaming platforms, under Ivy C – Shine. I will play some tracks live in the coming year, once I get the vocalists rehearsed and ready to shine.
Donna: What does music mean to you?
Ivan: As mentioned above, each track is a dedication to a different person in my life, who has pulled me through the harder times when I needed it. It means a lot, especially the Parents track, dedicated to my mum and dad.
Donna: Do you have another album in you?
Ivan: Definitely! In a few years. I am re-focusing on my band for a while now, Square Wave Bounce, and getting some more recordings done, and gigs.
Donna: What is the live music scene like in the Central Highlands?
Ivan: It is pretty amazing. We keep talking about putting on a mini live electronic music festival, as there are so many artists hiding in these hills. So much talent and many producers who I look up to. There aren’t many venues though, unless you go to Castlemaine, which is thriving.
Donna: Are you not already a soccer star – how do you find the time for all of this – you are putting us all to shame…
Ivan: I don’t do a great job at managing all of that. I do my best!
Donna: Anything else you would like to add?
Ivan: It has been amazing having The Local provide music writeups, gigs and ramblings about music, over the years. It is really important we don’t let our local music scene collapse.
We can’t let live music die, nor can we let AI take over the music industry and feed everyone garbage. It is heartening to see The Palais open again, we played a great gig there a few years ago, a night of local electronic musicians, so that is hopeful. Radius Gallery in Hepburn is also a beacon of hope for local music and arts.
Donna: Thank you – and a shout out to Darren Lowe, our music writer. Finally, any more to your early Central Highlands story?
Ivan: My parents moved here from Brunswick in the 1970s, but some days I feel more like I was born in these misty hills, or taken here by a UFO. UFOs are real – get real ready – a famous Daylesford graffiti piece.
