IYV

IYV is an Italian alternative rock band founded by songwriter Matt G.

Since its inception, the project has explored identity, dependency, memory and transformation through raw guitars, symbolic lyrics and uncompromising songwriting. Rather than following trends, IYV has always approached music as an artistic necessity: something to be experienced before being consumed.

Every record represents a chapter of the same journey, where personal experiences become symbols rather than autobiographical statements.

Origins

IYV was formed in Treviso, Italy, in 2001 by Matt G. alongside Matteo Medea, Tony Denaro and Andrea Rottin.

The band's name originally evolved from "IV", inspired by the word EVE. It later became "IYV", where each letter represents a symbolic movement: the individual ("I"), the opening towards the outside world ("Y"), and the expansion of awareness ("V").

The visual identity follows the same philosophy. Designed by Matt G., the logo depicts a flower emerging from mirrored IYV letters, symbolizing growth, rebirth and the coexistence of light and darkness.

Early Years

In 2002, IYV independently released Waiting for My Muse called Love, recorded at Lesder Studio with Tommaso Mantelli.

Built around acoustic ballads, distorted guitars and influences ranging from Nirvana, Soundgarden and Tool to Jeff Buckley, the album quickly established the band's identity within the local alternative scene.

The following years saw numerous live performances, three appearances at Emergenza Festival—reaching the finals each time—and a television performance on Red Ronnie's I Miti della Musica.

A second record, Indaco | Yellow | Violet, remained unreleased after the band's first breakup.

Silence

While IYV disappeared from the stage, the writing never stopped.

More than sixty demos eventually became I Killed Someone (2016), initially conceived as a solo album. Its deliberately corrupted lo-fi production reflected thirteen years of personal collapse, isolation and addiction.

Rather than marking an end, the record became the beginning of something larger.

BLACKTAR

What started as the name of a new band eventually became the title of IYV's most ambitious work.

Released in 2025, BLACKTAR is an eleven-chapter concept album exploring dependency—not only as substance abuse, but as every form of psychological attachment capable of shaping identity.

The story follows a man attempting to rebuild himself after years of addiction. It does not celebrate destruction nor offer redemption. Instead, it observes the fragile process of understanding oneself, accepting failure and searching for another beginning.

The artwork mirrors this journey: a pencil writing eleven chapters inside a crystal, suspended by puppet strings—a visual metaphor for memory, fragility and invisible control.

Sound

Although deeply rooted in '90s alternative rock and grunge, IYV's sound combines analog recording techniques with digital experimentation.

Drop D tunings, lo-fi textures, valve amplifiers, bit-crushed guitars and dynamic arrangements coexist naturally, creating a balance between aggression and introspection.

The band's writing avoids straightforward narratives. Songs are built through fragments, recurring symbols and emotional states, allowing listeners to find their own meaning rather than receiving predetermined answers.

For IYV, music is not designed to become a product.

It exists because it has to.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Waiting for My Muse called Love (2002)

• I Killed Someone (2016)

• BLACKTAR (2025)

Other Releases

• Indaco | Yellow | Violet (unreleased)

• "Anything You Are" — 2K5 Everytime Grey (Emergenza Italia, 2005)