Irv Lyons Jr., as a rule, is a rule breaker, at least when it comes to his music. A genre-defying singer-songwriter, guitarist and composer, Lyons’ music is fitted with an eclectic range of influences harkening legends such as Steely Dan, Sting and Santana.
His newest album Euphonious, released on November 5th, 2024, has since been nominated for this year’s Native American Music Awards. Two songs, “Burning Love” are up for Best Blues Recording, and “New Love Song” are in the running for Best R&B Recording.
The 12-track album seamlessly blends elements of Lyon’s Native American heritage with contemporary pop sensibilities and a sophisticated mix of Latin, jazz, soul and blues.
“I can’t be put in a box,” Lyons said. “I do it my way and I don’t like rules or regulations.”
Lyons’ decades of guitar playing experience shines through with melodic and soulful solos reminiscent of 6-string virtuosos like Santana and Stevie Ray Vaughn. He first picked up the guitar at 5 years old, teaching himself how to play a right handed guitar upside down, a la Jimi Hendrix.
Irv Lyons, Jr.’s vocals recall an older era, at times smooth and sultry, at others, weathered and wounded. He cites his fiancé as his biggest muse for the project.
“She gave me enough courage and confidence in myself to push myself to do this,” he said. “My journey through love has been great and I try to reflect that in my songs. This album is about love every way around, up and down and every facet you could imagine.”
The album also features two reimagined covers of the popular tunes “Sara Smile” by Hall and Oates and “Smells like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana. The latter song undergoes an almost unrecognizable transformation, steeped deeply in the world of jazz, featuring soft piano, swinging drums and soothing vocal harmonies.
“Years ago, I said I would like to cover that and completely change it around,” Lyons said. “There’s no way you could cover it like Kurt Cobain.”
Regarding the album as a whole, Lyons proudly says it is head and shoulders above his previous projects.
“This is my best work to date, it puts the other albums to shame, to me,” he said. “I took my time. I wanted everything to be perfect.”
The record itself was recorded at Subcat Studios in Syracuse, New York. Lyon himself grew up nearby on the Onondaga Nation as an Oneida Nation Member of the Wolf Clan. His upbringings greatly shaped his musical influences.
“When I was a kid we were poor and you’d have to get creative,” he said. “My mom would say go outside and play with the sticks, that started my creativity right there.”
It was at the young age of 5 that Irv Lyons, Jr. taught himself guitar. His interest was sparked from his uncle, a musician from Panama who would host weekly jams at the house.
“Every weekend he’d have people over and they played these Latin grooves and I said ‘damn I like that,’” Lyons said.
Another influence for Lyons was the household AM radio that provided a steady stream of songs across a wide range of genres.
“All those radio stations played everything, so I got to hear all the music,” he said. “I listened to R&B, I listened to pop, rock and country … it was an amalgam of all this different music.”
While Lyon’s loved music greatly he didn’t begin pursuing it seriously until 2013. Previously he served in U.S. Army for over 20 years. When he finished his duty, his cousin asked him to join his band, The Ripcords, which is now a popular local staple in the Syracuse region. The band has a new record on the way as well.
Over the years Lyons and his bands have shared the stage with an extraordinary roster of artists, including Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Samantha Fish, Buddy Guy, Snarky Puppy and more.
One other notable collaboration manifests itself on the final eponymous track of Euphonious, featuring vocals from the late and great Grammy-winning Native American singer Joanne Shenandoah, who unfortunately passed away in 2021.
The track samples her vocals from an unreleased song of hers called “Save the Planet.” Lyons hoped to bring the same themes of world peace into his own song.
“I usually don’t get political but because she sang this, I wanted to write this in honor of her philosophy.” Lyons said. “This song is about peace and understanding and harmony. She was all about peace, unity and oneness … so I felt this was a good tribute to her. She was a friend and she would have loved this song.”
As mentioned, Lyons has been nominated for the annual Native American Music Awards (NAMA), an international music competition with thousands of submissions. Previously Lyons has won awards with his other bands and has been nominated for his own solo works.
“I’ll tell you just to be nominated is great, I’m amazed,” he said.
While he waits for the final results, Lyons stays busy. He is already working on his next record. Lyons will also be performing at the Lost Horizon in Syracuse on Feb 7th alongside two other bands, Secret Society and Simplelife.
Euphonious by Irv Lyons Jr. is available wherever you stream music.
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