Eric Erdman is an artist I’ve mentioned in passing a few times on this blog, but it’s well past time for him to get his due on here. I met Eric I guess around 2013 when I was hanging out with Markus Fox. Did I mention Eric is Markus Cousin? I’ll give you a little background on the man. He used to play in a band called “The Ugli Stick” of which many of my friends were followers, but never really hit my radar. It wasn’t until I started hanging out with Markus that I learned about Eric. Sitting at the table with Markus’ mom and their grandmother it was clear she was insanely proud of the musical talents that “her boys” possessed.
Eric is a true singer/songwriter out there
hustling to get his music and voice out there but he’s quite ok with local
success that allows him to pay his bills, travel the world playing his guitar
and just enjoying life. However he’s too good for just our local shelves. While
it’s selfish on our part for him to remain a local artist every time I listen to
the radio I think Eric does this so much better and deserves way more of the
spotlight. What better time to do that than when he’s dropping a new album,
“It’s Not Like You Don’t Know Me” so forgive me for a moment while I fan girl
on a dude who gives fantastic hugs and play a guitar even better.
I have 4 of Eric’s albums :
·
It’s Not Like You Don’t Know Me – Released in Jan. 2018 which is the
main focus of this post see review below …
·
Not Slowing Down – Released in 2015 (via a Kickstarter
fund raising effort for which I happily put my money where my mouth was)
o
This
album excited me cause it wasn’t anything like the last two albums (below) but
it had an Eric feel to it. You heard the lyrics and knew that the amazing brain
housed in the head of Eric Erdman created each and every track. Each song tells
a story and as he’s telling it you are seeing it in your head and as you know dear
reader I love it when tracks do this.
§ Tracks you should listen to right now “Aint
Ben Right” “Garden or Gun” “Mistake of a
Woman” and “Objects in the Mirror” – get those tracks and you’ll come back for
the rest of album.
·
Color the Silence – Released in 2013 (which introduced
me to the Hussy Hicks from Australia (but more on them in another post)
o
I
love everything about this album. It’s my go to album when I’m stressed at work
and need to calm down but stay productive. This album from track one to track
10 is filled with songs easy on the ear but that also play tricks on the head
and when you get the little nods in each song they make you smile.
§ Funny story. . . Eric is a pretty family friendly guy.
Not many NC-17 stickers covering his album covers. At the record release party
for this album he sang a song that had a few “bad words” in it. Now throughout the
night as he sang he’d have people get out on the dance floor often couples
sometimes singles but when he started singing a “safe version” of “Lucky (el
Paso) in which he modified the lyrics to not offend anyone the dance floor
filled with a TON OF KIDS all dancing their hearts out which made me laugh. As
he finished singing he also commented on how that was his favorite part of the
night.
§ Tracks you should listen to right now “Last
Night’s Wine” “Burn the Bridges” “Color the Silence” and “Some People” -- then come back for the rest of the album.
·
My Brother’s Keeper – Released in 2012 (Which I bought at
the record release party for Color the Silence)
o
This
album is filled with classic Eric tracks, if you go to a show you are going to hear
at least two of these if not more. It’s a fantastic album, and the word play throughout
is candy for my brain as well as my ears.
§ Funny story . . . . I had my younger nephew in the car
with me I guess he was around 8 or 9 and we were listening to the album as I
drove him from point A to B. well I was listening he was playing a game on my
phone not really paying attention to anything. Well there’s a song on this
album called “Amy it Aint” which is a song about a young lady who didn’t
understand that a relationship had ended. Towards the end of the song out of no
where Andrew said “Geeze Amy just doesn’t get it!” I busted out laughing and
when we reached our destination I tweeted Eric to tell him that story and he wrote
back … “no she did not! Tell him he’s not wrong” – or something to that effect.
It was a cute moment that reminded me they are ALWAYS PAYING ATTENTION.
§ Tracks you should listen to right now “If
Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right” “Too Close
to Heaven” “Saltwater” and “Peanut
Butter and Jealousy” – then come back for the rest of the album it’s fantastic.
His new album, It’s Not Like You Don’t Know Me,
has 11 tracks on it, 3 of which are remakes from a previous album but they are
such great songs I’m not even annoyed by that.
Let’s go track by track … cause you know me
that’s how I do. As previously stated these are the thoughts that run through my head as I listen to each track. Enjoy.
The Pond – The imagery in this song grabbed me
early before I even listened to the song. I also love that I can hear Eric’s fingers
as they hit the strings, I love that in a song. I’m in love with the words in
this song. Every time I listen to it I get a new gem for my ears to drive into.
Favorite from this song…
The
pond before the pebble's cast
Doves
before they scatter
The
smooth sheet of perfect glass before it felt the shatter
The
marble before sculptor
The
page before the pen
Or
what I would ask you now if I could go back and ask you then
That’s What Love
Does – When you get past
the music and listen to the words, which is helped by a semi-acoustic version
of this song on the album it hits all your feels at once. You can feel the love
in this song from a woman who gave everything she had for her family. Even at the
end. I can see her laying in the bed likely making sure everyone else was comfortable
despite her own discomfort from her cancer fight. He could have been talking
about any southern grandma and that’s what makes it special. To take something,
a moment that’s so personal to him and make it universal is a gift. I’m not
gonna lie this one … it made me cry.
It’s Not Like You
Don’t Know Me – I
think every artist wants to sing this song, that is if they lay it all on the
line the way Eric and really great musicians do. Sadly, most don’t have the guts.
I like this one I’d love to know who he’s singing to here is it the fans, is it
a family member, is it himself. I almost see it as a wrestle match with himself
in that he can talk to people through a song but it’s harder for him in person.
Not sure why I’ve gone there with it but that’s what I think of when I listen
to it. Every.single.time.
The Well –I’m going to have to spend more time
with this one before I wrap my brain around it. I kept thinking of a coworker
going through some things non-work related and would love for her to hear this
song but not sure how she’d react to it. I think she’s at a crossroad where she’s
likely asking herself these questions or at least feeling what this song
outlines. It’s dangerous sometimes in our own heads.
You’re Still
Dangerous –I
need more time with this one too…right now all I think about when I listen to
it is Bonnie and Clyde and wonder if this is how their conversations went as they
were speeding around in their car away from the heist.
What Karma
Wouldn’t Do –
The ultimate revenge song I hope he felt it and that it hurt very much, good
for her, good for him and GREAT for Eric for being able to put this story
together and this video in my brain. Karma she’s a witch and sometimes … she
needs help.
The Leader of the
Exodus – I LOVE
everything about this song and all artist, new and old should be forced to
listen to it every morning when they step out of their beds. Eric has before
talked in songs about the mediocrity of music lately and especially the Country
side of the table which has recently been filled with more bro country than I’d
like to hear. My favorite line …. “In this town where the best thing you can be
is overplayed” cause that’s what it is all about isn’t it? Stations play what
other stations play, over and over again no matter if it has substance or
worth. That’s why artist like Eric are important. The guys who spend their
weekend going from gig to gig cause they love to play, love to feel the
instrument in their hands and love what they can do with that instrument when
left to their own devices to just … play and create.
What’s Left of
What Used To Be –
A remake of a classic Eric song. I could
listen to this song every day all day long and never get tired of it. I love
the idea of a bulletproof younger person who realizes that’s not the case.
Reflection is the theme of this song, and in this remake of this song he’s
slowed it down and made it a little more mournful and allows the audience to
really focus on the words. I love that. Well done Eric.
The Drought Is
Over – a true love song
that starts with a drought and I love the journey it took to get there. If it’s
the summer I think he’s talking about I remember it well. At the beginning of
the song you get this sense of relief about everyone standing on their porch
thinking finally then it flips everything and turns into a love song and it’s
fantastic.
Favorite from this song…
May
1st , rain is falling
It’s
coming down
No
doubt this gully washer’s
Drenchin’
the ground
Those
Sweet honeysuckles
Yellow
and pink
Open,
to the sky
To
get a drink
I mean the visual that pops into one’s head is
just …. Lovely.
I Get Carried
Away – Another remake
of a classic Eric song. The first time I heard this I remember thinking I want to
go give him a hug. I love the flow of this track and I love how it all comes full
circle by the end of it.
Bird On A
Powerline –
Another remake of a classic Eric song. I love this song, love everything about
it. The video that it makes play in my head, the playfulness in Eric’s voice as
he sings it and just the overall vision that it took to create this song about
this young man (stalker) watching his lady love going about her day only to
know that she will never ever notice him but he’s watching every step she
takes. It often makes me wonder how many people you may see throughout your day
that you don’t even notice but that notice you.
You can get any
of these albums mentioned at Eric’s website below, and you really should get
them ASAP:
Website: https://www.ericerdmanmusic.com/home
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericerdmanmusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericerdmanmusic/
Enjoy an artist who has given me years of joy
and whom I hope will give my ears many many more songs to digest and play with
as I listen for all the cleaver nods that he builds into his music. I told him
once that I wanted to walk around in his brain for like an hour and just marvel
at it’s awesomeness. He warned me that it was a wild place ….. I still want to
do it tho cause wild as it may be … it’s still a pretty awesome brain to come
up with the lyrics he does.
Check out Eric and your ear holes will thank
me !
Once again Eric … to be the pen to your paper
must be quite an honor for the ink. Thank you for sharing your talents, time, and voice with us.
Marcy (@beaslma)
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