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The "Uniqueness" of Being Eric
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." -Henry David Thoreau
Although it was not written about him, the above quote can serve as an accurate description of independent recording artist Eric Gwin. Having been referred to over the past few years by many as a "progressive multi-vocalist" and "The Voice of A Cappella Modern Rock", Eric has built a reputation on the basis of being unique, even within a genre of music that is considered "out of the ordinary" in and of itself.
A solo artist is not something that is very common within the world of a cappella music, yet Eric manages to make it work somehow. Perhaps it is because being an a cappella solo artist is just another step in a long history of "uniqueness" for him. If you look at his 20-year career in a cappella music, you see that he's always been different.
In 1989, a cappella groups were the proverbial "dime-a-dozen". It seemed like every week there would be a new group forming, trying their best to get up in front of an audience to prove themselves. While most of these groups spent their time covering hits from the 50s and 60s or the latest music by Acappella, Glad, or Take 6, Eric was busy writing original songs and performing them with his first group, Ariel. At the time, the idea of a new a cappella group doing entire concerts of their own music was unheard of, but it worked.
In the mid-1990s, when other a cappella groups were changing their formats and "going instrumental", Eric and his second group, Q continued to carve new ground within the genre of a cappella music, despite criticism and pressure from other artists to do an instrumental album of their own. Some people thought they were crazy for not compromising their all-vocal sound, but once again, it worked.
When Q broke up in 2000, Eric embarked on yet another oddity: becoming a solo artist. But with a wife and new baby at home, he knew that touring was out of the question. Being someone who is not prone to giving up, Eric instead embraced the Internet as his main outlet for promoting his music. Through that outlet, he managed to build a large following of listeners from all over the world, reaching more people with his music than ever before.
In 2001, he released his first solo CD, a 6-track EP entitled "Refuge". Apart from his daughter's "in-utero" heartbeat on the last track, every voice and sound on the CD was performed by Eric, and all the sounds were vocally or anatomically produced. In late 2005, Eric released his first full-length solo album, "The Calling", which took his a cappella musical approach to new heights, venturing into the world of modern rock, R&B, and even hip-hop. Through the relationship that he had already built with his online listeners, along with an appearance on the nationally syndicated "Rick and Bubba" radio show, Eric's online store sold out of "The Calling" within its first week of release!
In 2007, Eric stepped back into the studio and spent 8 weeks writing and recording yet another unique project: an album of original Christmas music, entitled "Fresh Hope". This project was a musical departure for Eric, moving away from the percussion and effects-driven sound of his first two projects and opting for a more "stripped-down" sound... just Eric and a microphone. By listening to any of his solo releases, one can tell that Eric is completely within his element musically: a sound that is uniquely his own.
Eric is a firm believer in the idea that we're all here for a purpose. He believes that his purpose is to use music to bring people together, all the while pushing the "sonic envelope" as far as he can by creating music that is truly original, innovative, and unlike any you've ever heard.
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