[citation needed] Growing up in Houston, Texas, Ivey was in numerous punk and hardcore bands including the Charlie Brown Experience and Cactus Flower Daydream.
In Houston, Ivey co-founded the dark wave gloom punk band Premonition, which was signed to Siren Records.
The music can be described as cinematic experimental electro-punk utilizing guitars, analog keyboards, found metal objects, contact mics, vintage and new effects.
Ivey has a recording project called "The Dirty Sun" which can be described as dark wave, industrial, glitch, no wave, electro-punk, lo-fi shoe gaze, which relies heavier on guitars and vintage synthesizers with cold beats all recorded in his own "Dirty Moon Studios" in South Park, San Diego, CA.
[citation needed] James Ivey has been featured in many galleries in San Diego, Los Angeles, and New York.