When asked about his musical style and unique take on fashion, Ian says “People tend to have all kinds of labels for me but I’m just me. I’m a mutt, I’m all mixed up!” Erix sang those very words in “So Scene, So See Through”, an anthematic number off his 2010 EP that became a cult hit and spurred the creation of the Mutt Army Soldiers, a sizeable group of dedicated fans who identify with Ian and support him around the world via numerous global street teams. Now, in 2012, Ian will release his eagerly awaited new album, titled “What Is Normal?”, a record chocked full of infectious melodies and hooks featuring compelling, thought provoking and often quirky lyrics. The new material proves Erix is a formidable songwriter in his own right and marks a significant growth for him as an artist. He pays homage to his pop/punk roots on his most recent musical effort but this time around he marries his signature guitar driven balls-out score with solid amounts of modern dance beats and synth elements to create a fantastically catchy electro rock hybrid that is sure to resonate loudly with his current fans and open up the floodgates to a legion of new recruits who will surely join his army.

Getting his professional start in New York as a DJ/MC at the extraordinarily young age of 9, Erix is a consummate performer, with a precocious DIY attitude that has served him well throughout a wild journey that has taken him from his humble home in America to nearly every corner of the globe. While Erix describes his ride thus far as an awesome adventure, the truth is he has paid more than his fair share of dues since his foray into music. His story reads like the script of a movie. A young talent with stars in his eyes gets knocked around by resentful family members and peers who are threatened by his individuality and persona. They continually tell him he will never amount to anything and sabotage his early successes at every turn. Despite the hardships and naysayers, he continues to work full time as a DJ, lauded as one of the world’s youngest, and builds a grassroots reputation. He starts writing his own songs and takes on the monumental task of making inroads in the music industry from the ground up. By age 15 he snags his first management deal which is followed up by his first record deal at age 16. Despite fulfilling his dream of signing these contracts, Erix is met with a series of ambivalent time wasters and dishonest executives who either take him for a ride or ultimately just don’t do much to help him launch the career he wants. In time, a similar tale plays out for Erix, over and over again, for one reason or another. He is faced with 2 record label bankruptcies, the shocking drug related death of his personal manager and money laundering schemes involving his former representatives. Erix endures these tribulations plus numerous others too lengthy to list here but every time the rug is pulled out from underneath him, he adamantly refuses to give up and continues to pursue his passion.

“If you get knocked down, do it again and again and again” Ian poignantly sings in “Tomahawk”, a sure fire smash single that will be released off his upcoming album in the summer of 2012. “Uh-Oh, the status quo can’t take all of this drama…Am I not the kind of talk you bring home to your mama?” Ian quirps in this hook laden anthem for freethinking and independence. “Blow it up like a Tomahawk”, he continues in the infectious chorus, “Do what you want, say what you want and be who you want to be”, he howls with a tangible emotion. Songs of empowerment are a popular theme for Erix but he is perfectly at home regardless of whether he is displaying a social conscience in songs like “What Is Normal?”, another gripping anthematic track that questions current societal norms, or if he is revealing a more satirical side in tunes such as “Squeaky Clean”, in which he declares “Purity rings are marketing gold” and continues to deliver the riotous hook “Disney stars are squeaky clean, shower with one and you will see!!!” In “Souvenirs”, Erix takes on the subject of divorce from a childs point of view and sarcasticlaly sings “To have and to hold, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, till something’s out of order, I now pronounce you….DONE!!!”. Ian has no problem tackling provocative issues like religion, sex and equality but he also loves to have fun and can certainly live it up with with the best of ‘em as evident in songs like “Raise Some Hell”, which is sure to be a huge crowdpleaser at radio and on the live circuit this year. In songs like “Grow Down”, his ode to never growing up, Ian’s playful personality shines through as he chants “I don’t need to grow up. You should grow down”! In “Sex Dance and Rock and Roll” we see another side of him altogether when he sings about, well, what else? Sex, dance and rock & roll!!! Having written and recorded an impressive catalog of songs, Erix is currently working with mulit-platinum producers in the US and Euorope to put the final touches on his new record. The latest material maintains a youthful edge and is distinctly recognizable as his own. Whether he is performing songs ripe with teen angst, songs that make you think or songs that make you jump up and dance, Erix is clearly a versatile and intriguing artist with an interesting perspective and a whole lot to say.

2012 will see the relase of Ian’s long awaited new album in a joint venture with Nordican Music Group, I.D. Records and Sony Music. In addition to the release of his new record, the year should also see the relaunch of “Journey Of A Rock Star”, an interactive televsion series starring Ian Erix, based on his travels around the world. The show was previously produced in cooperation with MySpace and folllowed Ian across 6 continents on an exciting globetrotting mission where he surprised fans in their hometowns and they partook in various escapades together. The series got off to a phenonmenal start online before production was shut down due to a legal dispute involving the executive producer but since the legalities have now been resolved, the series will be revamped and will start up production again in the fall, this time utilizing Facebook as a partner platform. Additionally, Ian is also portraying an animated character in a new video game created by some of the same developers involved in the famed Guitar Hero franchise. The music based game will feature two new musical tracks from Erix and the game is expected be released cross-paltfrom for Wii, Xbox and PlayStation gaming systems.

Having just returned from a promo tour of South America, where he appeared in front of 2.5 million people in Rio De Janeiro on New Year’s Eve, Ian is amping up for a full fledge global tour. “I am just itching to get this album on the road” Erix told MTV Brazil in January “I cant freaken wait” he exclaimed! MTV in several markets has already showcased some of Ian’s upcoming material and early support has also been coming in from some powerful tastemaking DJ’s at radio around the world. Ian’s new music video for “Sex, Dance and Rock & Roll” is currently set for a spring debut, to be followed by the release of an official first single not too long thereafter. “What Is Normal” is loaded with inspirational, poignant and feel-good tunes that a lot of kids will relate to and Ian says the songs are all great fun to play live. Armed with a fantastic touring band, Erix himself a dynamic and enthralling peformer, he is sure to win over another legion of admirers when he embarks on tour this summer. Now, the stage is set and Ian Erix and his army of mutts are about to storm the gates!!!