Written by Eddie Jorgensen:
Eric Lindell was a Sonoma County resident long before he moved to the South. Already a household name here and a veritable headliner everywhere he played, it only made sense to venture out of town to see what kind of musical influences he could soak up.
Fans of both blues, Americana, country, and anything in between will enjoy his live show which, at times, far eclipses anything he can do on record. Lindell is also one of the biggest sellers on his previous label, Alligator records. Today, he’s doing things on his own and just recently released a new EP on his Sparco records label.
Your latest release, ‘The Sun And The Sea,’ only has seven songs. Was there a conscious decision to make a shorter record?
Definitely. We recorded a bunch more songs but I wanted to narrow it down to make a more cohesive set. I’m not concerned with releasing a ton of material as I am good material.
What was different about this album than your other releases?
This album was made with live drums that were sampled rather than using a live drummer as I usually do. They are organic drums sound but just pieced together where applicable. When we played this project to my drummer and friend, Will, he thought it sounded amazing. It was recorded by one of my bass players, Sean Carey, and I’m very proud of what we made.
You weren’t always Eric Lindell, the solo artist, correct?
Besides playing in Grand Junction (local funk band) for awhile, I even sang with Accolades (local heavy metal band from the mid-80’s) with my buddy, Tim Solyan (of Victims Family fame). I ran into guys from both bands not long ago and it reminded what a great music scene we had in Sonoma County.
What are some of your favorite places to play?
I get so excited every year when I come to Sonoma County I can’t even explain it. It’s also lots of fun to bring friends who’ve never been here as well since they can’t believe how beautiful the place is. I also love other cities like Baltimore, New York, and San Francisco.
The lead song on the new record is “Going To California.” Sounds like you’re aching to be back.
For sure. However, I come and play here pretty regularly. I moved to New York in 1998 and left to Louisiana just a little bit later. I pretty much come here every Summer with my band and every December with my band Dragonsmoke (with Ivan Neville, Robert Mercurio, and Stanton Moore). I always come back.
Eric Lindell plays on Sunday, June 21, at the Forestville Club, 6250 Front St, Forestville. Oyster Feed starts at 5pm. $20. 707.887.2594. The next night, Monday, June 22, he appears at The Big Easy, 128 American Alley, Petaluma. 6:30pm. $20. 707.776.4631. For more info and tickets, visit www.ericlindell.com.
.Interview with Eric Lindell
