About Eric

Eric began writing in the mid-90's, with songs inspired by (and blatant ripoffs of) Counting Crows, Melissa Etheridge, and Bruce Springsteen. It was Springsteen's folk-effort The Ghost of Tom Joad that was an eye-opener to a songwriting style that focused on the character and their plight, and letting the emotions follow. Stark and vibrant imagery became a centerpiece of his songs, with city streets, fire escapes, and trains taking the forefront. In 1999, he recorded a four-song sampler, but very few copies were ever shared.

In 2001, he took six songs to a New York City studio and walked out with These Streets - with guitar, vocals and harmonica, its most memorable tracks were "December", which Eric introduces as a "love song for New York City, not just the girl I wrote it for", and "The Last Day", which would become a staple song for several years. This song was the first song written by Eric in the style of Americana music, which he had been exposed to a year earlier by Austin singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves.

In 2002, Eric moved to Arizona, for a change of pace from the city lifestyle, and to cultivate his new sound. The year was marked by the composition of the bleak folk ballad "The View From 14th Street", an eyewitness account of September 11 in New York City. With that, and a handful of live recordings, Eric began to compile CD's for anyone who would ask. The 2002-2004 CD's were 6-10 songs of whatever sounded good that week, but usually including the popular "Reunion", and the crowd-pleasing "Teach Me To Sing Like You", Eric's sarcastic take on the music business.

In 2005, Eric is continuing to develop his writing and playing style, and is ready to look forward to his first "official" CD, tentatively titled Building & Wrecking, and hopes to make it available in late 2005.

"Eric is a songwriter who writes with his whole self. He has an amazing ability to make the simplest lyrics about his personal experiences make you think about bigger universal questions of life and love."

 

For more info on Eric, visit his website at:

http://www.ericdouglasmusic.com