Ian Sweet is the musical project of American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jilian Medford. Born in Los Angeles, California, she developed an interest in pop music at age 13 after listening to Avril Lavigne. She later moved to Boston, where she studied composition at Berklee College of Music.
It was in Boston that Medford created Ian Sweet, incorporating “Ian”—a nickname she’d received from her skateboarding friends—into the project’s name.
With elements of dream pop and noise pop, the project’s music moves between accessible melodies, noisy guitars, and an experimental approach. Over the years, Medford has cited artists such as Bjork , PJ Harvey , Brian Eno, Coldplay, and Broken Social Scene among her influences.
Initially conceived as a band, Ian Sweet released its debut album, Shapeshifter, in 2016, showcasing a raw and experimental sound. Internal conflicts, however, led Medford to disband that lineup and definitively establish Ian Sweet as her solo project. This shift resulted in a more introspective work, Crush Crusher, released in 2018. Like Shapeshifter, Crush Crusher was released on the Hardly Art label.
In 2021, now on Polyvinyl, Medford released Show Me How You Disappear, an album with a more expansive production, in which she broadened the project’s sound with new textures and electronic elements. This was followed by SUCKER (2023) and Shiverstruck (2026), solidifying the artist’s evolution toward an increasingly elaborate blend of indie rock, dream pop, and experimental pop.
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