ivan salenko

Born into a family where both parents were proud continuations of their familial professions, it was automatically assumed to Ivan that he would follow along on the paths provided to him: athletics or theatre. His father, Symon, a professional boxer with a modest record who retired several years prior to the arrival of his first son, never saw him as a fledgling boxer despite how closely they resembled one another. There were always small missteps and failed benchmarks as a toddler, with one worrying moment of when he often refused to walk around on his own two feet well past the 'normal' rate of kids his age in favour of travelling around on all fours. Clumsy. Lethargic. In constant search of an easy way, even if it meant reaching out towards his parents with both arms, displaying the most pitiful look he could manage at the age of two. The disbelief of any potential at an early age often stemmed from fear rather than malice as Symon was against the idea of his son becoming a boxer, a feeling that was once shared with him by his own father prior to starting his amateur career.

But there was potential elsewhere. His mother, Ellen, an actress whose on-stage performances seemed more subdued and contained in comparison to the everyday theatrics she'd attempt in the Salenko household, recognised that he was meant to travel along a completely different path. She would find him engaging with the family's upright piano, pressing down on the pedals and lightly tapping at the keys as to not make a sound for fear of being caught and scolded. Whenever she'd play some of the sheet music the family owned, he would watch her feet carefully and attempt to press down the pedals for her with imperfect timing. She would eagerly go off course with him, improvising along with his change of pace and invent new songs with him. To her, he was meant to be a professional pianist. The idea seemed so much more romantic and fulfilling than the idea of her son becoming bogged down with the potential limited success in the two avenues he was focused on.

It would be an ideal life for both parents if Ivan listened to their encouragement related to music and didn't have the stubbornness of a bull. He was proud of his Catholic Ukrainian heritage, even though he lacked the visual knowledge of his family's roots in the city of Odessa, which meant that there were only two options: athletics or theatre. To him, it was important to never lose his family's identity as part of the second generation in England, despite how anglicised his maternal's family had become when they emigrated. There was never the possibility during his youth that he could stray and form a new path for the Salenko name. And when his parents adopted his younger sister at the age of three when he was seven years old, he resisted further.

However, resistance is futile in the Salenko household. His parents still enrolled him in the Chetham's School of Music due to his talent with the piano and even though he didn't mind the schooling or the extra focus on the instrument, he always found time for his other pleasures. There were weekly rounds of play fighting with his father and supporting roles in plays at his church, which were frequently directed by his maternal grandfather. The lazy behaviour as a toddler had all been wiped away once he realised that his desires wouldn't come as easy as he hoped, it would require what appeared to be an endless amount of effort to convince everyone else that they were wrong.

As he grew older, the collection of instruments grew: drums, guitar, bass, and the very brief presence of a trumpet - which was taken away when he started to use it early in the morning as a wake-up call for the entire household. The time spent on acting and boxing greatly diminished with each arrival of a new instrument. When it came to time for university, he took a gap year to pursue what he coveted the most: a career in acting, with the potential for amateur boxing on the side. However, his plans quickly dissolved in front of him and his flirtation with acting became brief when he realised how much better the competition was at auditions. An interview with a drama school left him so paralysed in fear that he was a no-show and was forced to dodge calls for several days when they tried to figure out what had happened. He shelved the plans for an acting career, leaving it to sit quietly in the back of his mind as he focused on Plan B: boxing.

If only. Boxing didn't pan out for him, either. During his fourth amateur fight, he fractured his left cheek bone as a result of a dirty blow to his eye, causing an immediate forfeit/loss and the end to his brief career with a 2-2 record. After failing to build any foundation during his gap year with his original pursuits, he followed the advice of his sister (too stubborn to admit that his parents were right all along) and enrolled at the Royal Nothern College of Music, where he completed his degree and met his future bandmates of Odessa Quartet. From 2004 to early 2011, he was with the band as one of its founders, enduring long hours busking along the South Bank until they were able to record a self-titled LP demo to hand out to labels in its infancy to touring so extensively in his final year with the band, that they managed to accumulate close to 150 shows at a height of popularity.

The signs of a restless mind began to show towards the end of 2010, Ivan began to feel as though they accomplished 'enough' as a band with him in it. A Mercury Prize shortlist in 2008 for their debut validated them as musicians, which is the sort of acclaim he needed and fed off of as a man with a fairly large chip on his shoulder, but it wasn't enough to stop him from feeling like he hit a brick wall creatively once the mileage added up over the duration of six years. The hang had no emotional attachment for him, it was an instrument that piqued his curiosity during the early years of his enrollment at the Royal Northern College of Music and he stuck with it since it gave a distinct sound to the band. When it came time to start the discussion of a new album, he revealed his intentions of leaving the band to pursue a solo career.

In 2014, his solo debut First Mind was released and met with an acclaim he hadn't expected for himself, ending up shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. With the band, he knew he was with a group of creative minds where creativity seemed never ending until he felt stifled creatively on a personal level. They continued on without him with the same level of quality, which didn't surprise him. He was uncertain about his future for three years and was met with a validation he hadn't expected, but despite all his short-term happiness, the dream of an actor he tucked away for several years nags at him to the point of irrational bitterness and resentment for success. At the age of thirty four, it turns into the ultimate decision for Ivan: is the second stage of his musical career enough to surpass the desire of being an actor?