Ian Alec Harvey Dench is an English songwriter and musician.
Background
Dench began his music career playing in a punk band called Curse although his father, Harold Dench, taught Ian classical guitar. He formed the Gloucester based band Apple Mosaic who were signed to Virgin Records and released the single "Honey If".
Career
Dench was the guitarist and principal songwriter for EMF, who scored a major international hit reaching number 1 in the United States with "Unbelievable" in 1991. lieutenant was voted one of British Broadcasting Corporation Radio 2"s "Greatest Guitar Riffs". Their debut hit, Unbelievable, was written by Dench although credited as EMF and rocketed to number three in the United Kingdom chart.
Six months later, the song broke in America.
In an interview with Spin in September 1991, Dench commented on the dynamics within the band, stating that: "I"m the Musical Director, but I couldn"t do it without them. They provide so much attitude.
Derry"s the least active in a musical sense, but he"s so involved. I take a tune in and he says turn it up or make it more manic.
They"re simple observations but they"re important because I get a bit wrapped up in the writing."
The band split in 1997 due to musical differences.
After leaving EMF, he found independent success with the band Whistler, signed to Wiiija Records. Whistler released two albums, Whistler and Faith in the Morning. Beyoncé"s 2008 album I Am Sasha Fierce saw a further three Dench and Ghost collaborations: "Disappear", "Avenue Maria", and "Satellites".
He co-wrote "Colours" on the Prodigy"s 2009 album, Invaders Must Die, and "Red" a top 5 hit for Daniel Merriweather in the United Kingdom in May 2009.
"Gypsy", another collaboration with Amanda Ghost, was the third single from the album, She Wolf by Shakira. From March 2009 until November 2010, Dench was Vice President of A&R at Epic Records in New York, where he A&R"d albums by Alice Smith and Augustana and signed the acts Progress in Color and HeyHiHello.
In 2011 he wrote on "Bedroom Hymns" from Florence and the Machine"s Ceremonials album, and her collaboration with ASAP Rocky, "I Come Apart". In 2013 he collaborated on the Sub Focus track "Endorphins" reaching Number 10 in the United Kingdom charts, "The Conversation" by Texas and "Astronaut" and "Run" by Joel Compass.
Membership
In 1989 Dench met the other members of EMF (band) and within a few months of playing together they were signed to a major label.