# Lately (EP)

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This article is about the EP by Ivy. For the EP by Celeste, see [Celeste§Extended plays](/source/Celeste_(singer)#Extended_plays).

***Lately*** is the first [extended play](/source/Extended_play) recorded by American band [Ivy](/source/Ivy_(band)), released in May 1994 by [Seed Records](/source/Seed_Records). Developed in the same year as the formation of the group, *Lately* is a [French pop](/source/French_pop_music) album with [acoustic](/source/Acoustic_music) and [general pop](/source/Pop_music) influences. Originally conceived by members Dominique Durand and [Andy Chase](/source/Andy_Chase), the pair recruited [Adam Schlesinger](/source/Adam_Schlesinger) for additional production and lyrics. Sessions took place in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) and [Paris](/source/Paris), where they recorded four original tracks and a cover of [Orange Juice](/source/Orange_Juice_(band))'s 1984 song "[I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive](/source/The_Orange_Juice)".

"[I Hate December](/source/I_Hate_December)" was released as the EP's only single on January 12, 1996, preceded by a music video that was filmed earlier in 1995. *Lately* was praised for its non-formulaic production and original material. Ivy was also outed for being unlike other New York City bands. The EP was reissued on August 26, 2003, after Ivy transferred their entire music catalog to Unfiltered Records, a record label founded by Chase during work for his side project [Brookville](/source/Brookville_(band)).

## Development and legacy

In early 1994, musicians [Andy Chase](/source/Andy_Chase) and Dominique Durand met up to record music together, which would form the basis for Ivy. After enjoying several of the finished products, the pair formed the group and invited [Adam Schlesinger](/source/Adam_Schlesinger) to join them. Together they wrote and produced "[Get Enough](/source/Get_Enough_(Ivy_song))" which was well received by the public.[1] According to writer [Steven Blush](/source/Steven_Blush) in his book *New York Rock*, after *Melody Maker* named the track "Single of the Week", work on *Lately* was initiated.[2] For the project, Ivy recorded four original compositions in addition to a cover of [Orange Juice](/source/Orange_Juice_(band))'s 1984 single "[I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive](/source/The_Orange_Juice)". The version of the cover that appears on *Lately* is slightly different compared to the one featured on Ivy's fourth studio album, *[Guestroom](/source/Guestroom_(Ivy_album))* (2002); it was also the band's first cover of a song released.[3] Coincidentally, Ivy toured with [Edwyn Collins](/source/Edwyn_Collins), the writer of the song, shortly after the EP was released.[4]

Recording sessions for *Lately* took place throughout early 1994 at The Place in [New York City](/source/New_York_City) and Studio I'Hôpital Éphémère in [Paris](/source/Paris). During the meetings, the band members worked with several musicians for the track, including Evan Richey, who handled the [cello](/source/Cello) arrangements for "Can't Even Fake It"; [Ted Jensen](/source/Ted_Jensen), who mastered the recordings at [Sterling Sound Studios](/source/Sterling_Sound_Studios) in New York City; and Jean-Pierre Sluys, who served as an assistant [mixer](/source/Audio_mixing_(recorded_music)) to both Chase and Schlesinger.[5][6] In 2003, Ivy shifted their entire catalog to Chase's newly founded record label Unfiltered Records. Following the release of Chase's side project *Wonderfully Nothing* (2003) with his band [Brookville](/source/Brookville_(band)), *Lately* (along with *[Realistic](/source/Realistic_(album))* (1995) and *[Apartment Life](/source/Apartment_Life)* (1997)) was reissued on August 26, 2003.[7][8]

## Composition and promotion

According to the members of Ivy, the release displayed Durand's "heavily accented" vocals and Chase and Schlesinger's "pop melodies and jangly guitars".[4] As described by Ira A. Robbins, editor of *The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock*, Ivy was attempting to bring [French pop music](/source/French_pop_music) back into the American music industry.[9] The lyrics were summarized as "lifting, wispy, and shimmering" by Jay Stowe, a columnist for *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))*.[10] Chase and Schlesinger solely produced the EP, while the two plus Durand handled the lyrics.[11]

The record's only single, "I Hate December", was released on January 12, 1996, as a remix on a [CD single](/source/CD_single). However, the release was issued by [Scratchie Records](/source/Scratchie_Records) instead of Seed, as the band had departed from the latter label after completing *Realistic*.[12] A music video for it was produced by Doug Werby and released sometime in 1995.[13] Schlesinger described the inspiration behind the track as being an "anti-Christian single" and called the remixed version "groovy".[14]

"I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive" was covered in an [acoustic](/source/Acoustic_music) style. Robbins and Vickie Gibbons of *[Trouser Press](/source/Trouser_Press)* noted that Durand's pronunciation of "little" in the track sounded more like "*lee*-dull".[11]

## Critical reception

[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)'s Nitsuh Abebe was generally positive towards *Lately*, claiming that "its five songs let their dreamier elements come straight from the [...] songwriting" and that it is an example of "sophisticated pop that Ivy created".[15] Stowe from *Spin* wrote that Ivy was unlike other New York City bands in the way that they catered to "unabashed pop melodies", and later joked that the "concept [is] so far out it's in"; Stowe also described their version of "I Guess I'm Just a Little Too Sensitive" as a "charming" and "special treat".[10]

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of *Lately*.[5]

- [Andy Chase](/source/Andy_Chase) – [engineering](/source/Audio_engineer), [executive producer](/source/Executive_producer#Music), mixing
- Dominique Durand – lead and background vocals
- Ned Farr – photography
- [Ted Jensen](/source/Ted_Jensen) – mastering
- Peter Nashel – producer
- Evan Richey – [cello](/source/Cello)
- [Adam Schlesinger](/source/Adam_Schlesinger) – engineering, executive producer, mixing
- Jean-Pierre Sluys – assistant mixing

## Release history

Region Date Format Label United States[5][8] May 1994 10-inch LP Seed August 26, 2003 10-inch LP, CD Unfiltered

## References

1. Bogdanov, Woodstra & Erlewine 2002, p. 566

1. Blush 2016, p. 368

1. ["Is There an Over Arching Mood or Sound?"](https://books.google.com/books?id=5gk5AQAAIAAJ). *[Rocker Girl](/source/University_of_California)*. **55-57**: 28. 2005. Retrieved December 17, 2016.

1. ["Ivy: Bio"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160510034403/http://www.thebandivy.com/bio/). The Band Ivy. Archived from [the original](http://thebandivy.com/bio/) on May 10, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.

1. *Lately* (liner notes). [Seed](/source/Seed_Records). 1994. 0 7567-95913-2 6.

1. *Lately* (liner notes). Unfiltered. 2003. 8 29917 40032 7.

1. ["Brookville: Wonderfully Nothing"](https://books.google.com/books?id=6OEc81fEaBwC). *[CMJ New Music Monthly](/source/CMJ#CMJ_New_Music_Monthly)*. **77** (829): 4. CMJ Network, Inc. September 1, 2003. [ISSN 0890-0795](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0890-0795). Retrieved December 17, 2016.

1. ["Lately EP, Original recording reissued"](https://www.amazon.com/Lately-IVY/dp/B0000AZKOM). *Amazon*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20151222163053/http://www.amazon.com/Lately-IVY/dp/B0000AZKOM) December 22, 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 11, 2015.

1. Robbins & Sprague 1997, p. 367

1. Stowe, Jay (September 1994). ["Staff Selections: Heavy Rotation"](https://books.google.com/books?id=8X17JjiXfYYC). *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))*. **10** (6): 32. SPIN Media LLC. [ISSN 0886-3032](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0886-3032). Retrieved December 17, 2016.

1. Gilmer, Vickie & Robbins, Ira. ["Ivy / Brookville"](http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=ivy). *[Trouser Press](/source/Trouser_Press)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160317011631/http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=ivy) March 17, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 17, 2016.

1. '**"I Hate December"'** (Liner notes/ CD booklet). [Scratchie](/source/Scratchie_Records). 1996. 601658-7007-26.

1. ["Ivy, Ivy, Ivy – I Hate December"](https://web.archive.org/web/20161220141706/http://www.cmt.com/videos/ivy/306685/i-hate-december.jhtml). [CMT](/source/CMT_(Canadian_TV_channel)). October 31, 2008. Archived from [the original](http://www.cmt.com/videos/ivy/306685/i-hate-december.jhtml) on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.

1. Host: [Matt Pinfield](/source/Matt_Pinfield) (November 17, 1996). "[James Iha](/source/James_Iha), [D'arcy](/source/D'arcy_Wretzky), [Adam Schlesinger](/source/Adam_Schlesinger), & [Chris Collingwood](/source/Chris_Collingwood)". [120 Minutes](/source/120_Minutes). [MTV](/source/MTV)

1. Abebe, Nitsuh. ["Ivy – *Lately*"](http://www.allmusic.com/album/lately-mw0000114109). [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161221035152/http://www.allmusic.com/album/lately-mw0000114109) December 21, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 17, 2016.

**Works cited**

- Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002). *All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul*. illustrated ed. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306533.
- Blush, Steven (2016). *New York Rock: From the Rise of The Velvet Underground to the Fall of CBGB*. [Macmillan](/source/Macmillan_Publishers). ISBN 978-1250083623.
- Robbins, Ira A. & Sprague, David (1997). [*The Trouser Press Guide to '90s Rock: The All-new Fifth Edition of The Trouser Press Record Guide*](https://archive.org/details/trouserpressguid00robb_1). 5 ed. [Simon & Schuster](/source/Simon_%26_Schuster). ISBN 0684814374.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lately (EP)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lately_(EP)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lately_(EP)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.