Ep 30 | Conversation with Ian Nelson

Raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ian Nelson began his acting career at a young age. He is best known for his screen debut in the blockbuster film THE HUNGER GAMES, his arc on the hit MTV series TEEN WOLF, and his leading turn on Peacock’s THERE’S JOHNNY. Over the last 11 years, he has had the privilege of starring alongside actors like ROBERT DOWNEY JR, JENNIFER LOPEZ, BETTE MIDLER, JAMES MARSDEN, and LAVERNE COX to name a few.

All throughout his life, Nelson has been passionate about music. He always travels with his guitar, and a few years ago while on location, he started writing his own songs. When Nelson returned to Los Angeles, he shared a demo with one of his vocal coaches, DAVE STROUD, and Dave introduced him to up-and-coming music producer JACOB MCCASLIN. Together the two began collaborating on what would become Nelson’s debut single: “21st Century Love.”

Nelson got the idea for the song when he was on a dating app and matched with a beautiful red headed girl, whom he knew nothing about, yet couldn’t get out of his mind. Perplexed by how real his attraction felt, Nelson wanted to write a song that explored the changing landscape of loneliness, intimacy, and the desire for connection in our technology-dependent modern age.

The music video was shot in April of 2020 at the beginning of the Pandemic, as the deserted streets of Los Angeles provided the ideal setting to express the themes of the song. At the crack of dawn, Nelson and Co-Director, LA celebrity photographer, COLLIN STARK, embarked on a socially distanced shoot to capture the one-take video that also features one of Nelson's passions: tap dancing. In addition to his directing and producing, Nelson also served as the video's editor.

We chatted with Nelson about his debut song and video and much more!