- • Hello Eric, can you tell us all a little bit about yourself before you became a country musician?
- Sure thing. I’m Eric Lee and I grew up living in South Florida just outside Davie. I live with my wife, cat, and we just got a golden retriever pup named Billy the Kid. Over the years, Before I became a country musician, I mainly worked as a music producer, collaborating with a variety of artists and have made music for TV, Film, and ads. When the pandemic hit in 2020, those types of projects went on hold so I bet on myself and finally laid some of my own songs down. The immediate reception was far greater than anything I could’ve ever imagined.
- • What made you want a career in country music?
- I must’ve been 7/8 years old when my grandmother would play Dolly Parton and The Judds cassette tapes in her car. My grandmothers have always had a profound influence on me, instilling values I hold high to this day. One of the things I love about country music is that it’s a community of core values and southern hospitality and being able to sing about those things. During my time as a producer, I always dreamed of performing live for huge crowds of people. I was able to write for the artists I produced but it took many years searching for my unique voice as a songwriter. But then about 5-6 years ago, these songs just started pouring out of me.
- • How would you describe your music in 3 to 5 words?
- Country RocknRoll with Heart n’ Soul
- • What is the background story behind your new song “Come Break My Heart?”
- I’ve written a few songs for my wife that I’m excited to release in the near future but this one came to me during lockdown. I think a lot of couples were put through “patience building” circumstances at home in the past couple years haha – but me and my wife’s unconditional love for each other pulled us through it all. I don’t think there’s anything more special than standing by the one’s you love no matter what, through the ups and downs. It’s definitely a unique take on a love song but it feels authentic to me and I think a lot of people will relate to it after everything we’ve gone through.
- • Who are some of your musical icons?
- Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakam, Chris Stapleton, and Eagles to name a few. Those are all just phenomenal, iconic story tellers who sing form the heart and each have their own unique personas that have inspired millions all over the globe.
- • What are a few of your favorite venues to play at?
- Well, I haven’t had the opportunity to play many shows just yet since I’m the new guy in town but I’ve played The Troubadour once in Los Angeles with a past band which was a lot of fun. My dream is to play The Ryman, Grand Ole Opry and huge festivals to seas of people all over the world one day soon.
- • What is your recording process like when making and creating new music?
- A lot of my songs have came to me in random moments of life. Just sheer inspiration. Sometimes I’ll finish writing it by myself and sometimes I’ll want to collaborate with others. I always start with an acoustic guitar and the voice memo app on my iPhone. My philosophy is that once the songwriting is bulletproof with just my acoustic guitar, the song will essentially produce itself. Doing it this way gives me the freedom to imagine what the instrumentation will sound like and the ability to try different chord progressions on the fly. After that, it’s essentially paint by numbers while producing the song in Pro Tools at my home studio since most of the arrangement has already been planned in my head for the song. It also allows me to give my full attention each process of a song’s creation separately. First I put on my songwriter hat and then I put on my producer hat. I find it’s a very efficient way to work for me. When I’ve finished both my jobs on each song, I then send the sessions off to Vance Powell to mix. He’s my favorite mixing engineer, a legend, and the nicest and most generous guy (not to mention he’s worked with Chris Stapleton and Jack White and won several CMA and Grammy awards). It’s an honor and a lot of fun getting to work with him.
- • What is one of your favorite quotes?
- “Love thy neighbor as thy self”. I’m not a highly religious man but my grandmother took me to church every Sunday as a young boy and this was the most important value for her that I learn. There have been many experiences and different people I’ve met over the years that have taught me a lot and reaffirmed this ideal. Most recently, I watched the film 42 shortly after Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away. I realized it was the only film of his I haven’t seen yet so my wife and I put it on. The film is incredible and Chadwick gave a powerful performance. But there’s a scene where Harrison Ford, acting as Branch Rickey who managed the 1946 Dodgers, recited this famous bible verse and then proceeded to explain that it can be found in the bible 9 times and is in fact the most mentioned verse above all others… which get’s me thinkin that it’s gotta be the most important value we should all uphold in life.
- • Is there anything else you would like to share?
- Absolutely! Please check out my covers of “Before the Next Teardrop Falls” and “If We Make it Through December” as they are both benefiting great charities and I’m hoping to raise money! You can also hear a traditional country version of my song “Same Dirt Road” exclusively on songsforhope.org which raises money for many important causes.
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