Indie 5-0: 5 Q’S WITH Eric Selby
Artist and producer Eric Selby has quickly become one of our favorites and we’re confident you will feel the same. Fresh off the release of his album Do, Baby. we got the chance to catch up with him to learn more about his overall creative process and what else he has in store for his fans!
1. What is the inspiration behind your latest release, and did you draw the piece from a personal place?
My latest release, ‘Do, Baby.’ is absolutely drawn from a personal perspective. Each song is inspired by and tells a chapter of my ongoing story, providing a piece of what I was feeling during a particular moment in time. In these songs, through the lyrics and the musical landscapes, I present my perspective on people I have had relationships with, I am presenting me, I am talking about where I’ve been, I am talking to and about my daughters. It runs the gamut. Even the record’s title, ‘Do, Baby.,’ refers to the nickname my family gave me when I was little. I am the youngest of five sons and while I was still in diapers, when my father would ask any of my older brothers if they want to go somewhere with him, I would always run up to him saying, “I do, I do.” Because I was always willing and wanting to “do” everything, they named me “Doo Baby.” Funny, to this day my older brothers still call me “Do” at times. I added the proper punctuation to make ‘Do, Baby.’ an action statement rather than my title.
2. When creating new songs, how long does it take to accomplish from start to finish?
It’s all over the place, really. Sometimes it pours itself onto the page and I feel like my conscious-self had very little to do with it and then, there are some songs that are downright laborious, but are labors of love in the end. One song on the record, ‘Old Way,’ was written in less than an hour I think and has proven to be a favorite for many people while another, ‘Patiently,’ (which is really just a three-chord ditty turned into an opus) took me over a decade to be able to have it say what I really wanted it to say lyrically and sonically. I really owe a lot to my Co-Producer, Marco Delmar, for being able to communicate what I have been wanting to really articulate in that song for so long. Marco has an innate talent for being able to draw out creativity and emotion from a place that I often don’t go. It’s creative, exciting and liberating. I highly recommend Marco and his studio, Recording Arts, in Arlington, VA.
3. At what age did you realize that music is a career you wanted to pursue; what was your ‘ah-ha’ moment?
It was at a pretty early age. I started playing piano at 7-years-old and then drums at 9-years-old. I was in bands since elementary school. I think when I was about 14-years-old when I had the ‘ah-ha’ and I realized not so much that it was going to be my career, but more so this is what I will be doing from that point forward. I really never stopped playing music or being in some sort of musical project from the very beginning. It was never a conscious decision for a career path as much as it was just who I am.
4. Who are your musical inspirations; what artists inspired you to start your career and find your musical passion?
The Beatles have been my biggest musical inspiration without hesitation. I remember buying my first real record, which was “The Beatles Second Album.” It was so raw and rock n’ roll to me at 9-years-old. They really showed me so much variation and evolution of music and what a song could be. They were my first understanding of rhythm and blues, rock ‘n’ roll, ballads, harmony, psychedelic, distortion in their later years. They were and still are just art. Today, my inspiration comes from so many different platforms. Musically, I really love the music of and draw inspiration from such artists as Dawes, Thelonious Monk, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Glen Phillips, Kate Bush, XTC, Florence + the Machine, Little Feat, Foo Fighters, Howlin’ Wolf, Jason Isbell, Air, The Shins, the list goes on and on.
5. What other treats do you have in store for us this year? Can we expect more songs, an album, videos or live streams?
In our current quarantined environment, the future is really an interesting question, isn’t it? I’m incredibly appreciative of the great reviews and the listener support I’ve received with people downloading and buying the physical CD of my first record, ‘Do, Baby.’ It was released on April 17th, in the midst of a pandemic and is still getting great response, which is amazing (Thank You!).
Because of the great response and excitement over that record, I am currently back in the studio working on some new music for my label, Soul Stew Records. I already have a good amount of songs already written or currently working on. I have talked to a few people about shooting a video and I am definitely doing more livestreams, including one coming up on May 9th with the incredibly talented Don Chapman. I want to continue to create music and am really looking forward to continuing the various projects I am blessed to be associated with, including working with Billy Thompson, Little Bit A Blues, Fractal Cat, Don Chapman, Jay Summerour Band and Deane Kern Trio, to name a few…and, of course, my own ongoing studio projects. In the coming year, I hope that folks listen to and enjoy the music that I create and that it provides inspiration and creative inspiration for them in their own lives.
https://ericselby.com/home
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https://twitter.com/ericselbymusic
https://www.instagram.com/ericselbymusic?igshid=qqvz19vttayh
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjAZdScvvEDUNYDBvgJ_5gQ
