ION INDIE MAGAZINE October 2015, Volume 17 | Page 12

Dagda: You just returned from a tour with STRAIGHT LINE STITCH, Phase 2
TRANSCENDENCE USA TOUR. After touring internationally and going on
multiple U.S. tours, how did you think this one was going to go? Before you set foot
on the tour van, what were your thoughts right as you were getting on to it?
Eric: I was hoping it would be good. I knew it would be groundbreaking in some way.
Meaning that in order to be in the right place in the right time, you cannot be standing
still. If you go, and you go all over the USA--you are bound to meet people and you are
bound to let others see your craft.
Dagda: Craft?
Eric: It’s like any other craft--ironworker, artist, photographer, etc. Ours is music. Like
a cook, every ingredient in your craft matters. Every note that’s played and sung. I told
Eve, every word has a note. There is a note for everything. In order to be in perfect key,
you have to know that there is a note to everything. (Eric starts humming a few notes).
Dagda: How did you get the opportunity to share the stage with STRAIGHT
LINE STITCH?
Eric: The tour was offered to us from one of our friends in the business. This business
has become a business of likes and plays--Likes on Facebook and Plays on You Tube. It
has come down to, if your band can be the best at marketing. The reason I think it is so
ridiculous, is that some of the best musicians in the world are not marketing gurus, they
are great musicians. It’s all fake; it’s all a façade. They spend all day on their computer
getting “likes” and it’s ridiculous. You are wasting your life in a virtual world. We use
social media as tool to let people know where we are playing and to let others know that
we are endorsing a product that we believe is cool. Unless you are rich and you can hire
a publicity company, most bands will be seen spending quite a bit of their time doing
this. The music industry should not be based on that. It should not be based on how
many likes you get. If you are trying to sell records, that decision should not be based on
how many likes or plays you have online. Any band can look great with enough money
and publicity. It should come down to the talent. I spend my time on tour watching and
listening to every band. I am always looking for a cool band that I can get behind. I
enjoy helping other bands navigate this industry. I have been fortunate enough to do
what I have done, and I want to help pass down that knowledge.