After several other band breakups, I figured why not use my name (w/ the added band name as needed). If I quit on myself, I have bigger issues than my band name.

Yes, all the time. I love playing live; it is the ultimate for me. Philly, NYC, and Pittsburgh have all been especially good to me. I believe performance is still the "real" way to make it as a band. If anything, live performance is the one area that will always belong to the artist and gives artists "leverage" outside of record companies, the internet, etc.

It gives us (the small independent) a chance. Of course, it is a hundred times harder to rise above the din of some many bands vying for attention. But it is an invaluable tool for the hard working artist; not an end-all by any means, but a valuable aide.

If my manager told me to (blind trust, isn't it great?). No seriously, I think artist and record company relationships can be mutually very beneficial. Put bluntly, labels are the entities that often times give artists the expertise, manpower, and financial backing to rise above the pack of hopefuls. While the Internet gives every artist a voice, that adds up to a lot of voices. So there is still room and need for strategic relationships b/w artists and companies. Though the landscape is changing dramatically in this business, and will continue to do so, I believe there will always be room for "labels" (whatever form they may take) and artists to work together successfully.

Drawing comparisons to a breadth of influences, including Bruce Springsteen, Pete Yorn, David Gray, The Replacements, and even Coldplay, Eric James provides a refreshing blend of musical integrity and pop enjoyability. Much like a Springsteen or Coldplay, Eric’s music delivers genuine creativity without obscuring its mass appeal. Comfortably melding music and muse, Eric’s songs cut to the point in an honest, head-on way, identifying with audiences through the personal experiences and relationships that make us all human.

As the founding member and writer for regional pop-rock sensation The Cool Grand (TCG), Eric James is no stranger to regional buzz. Pittsburgh’s female-fronted TCG garnered significant critical and fan support in 2002 and early 2003, selling 5,000+ CDs and earning substantial airplay. Following TCG’s disbandment in June 2003, Eric gave his full attention to the solo project he’d flirted with for over a year.

September 2003 saw Eric enter the familiar confines of Saturation Acres to explore a demo of new material with Bret Alexander and Paul Smith (The Badlees, Breaking Benjamin, and TCG’s “The Answer”). In the studio, Eric’s penchant for straightforward hooks and a general aversion to “the solo” served well in crafting tracks not only unique as a group, but also surprisingly distinct from one another. The resulting self-titled EP bowed in late October 2003. Hailed by Pittsburgh Pulp as “poetically moving and candid”, the EP sold out its initial pressing in less than a month.

Eric’s vibrant stage presence, both solo and with his band, led to a welcome regional return in late 2003 and spring 2004. Pittsburgh’s WYEP included Eric’s single “It’s Ok” as part of its weekday Local News music feature, and highlighted Eric as part of its multiple Year-In-Review programs. In February Eric was invited to record a version of The Velvet Underground’s “I Found A Reason” as part of the MTV Lit Riffs Soundtrack. A collection of short stories inspired by the lyrics to some of the most prominent songs in music history, MTV Books released the book and accompanying soundtrack in June 2004.

On the strength of these successes, Eric began to enjoy mounting attention from several A&R departments in early 2004, with both major and independent record companies expressing interest. In addition to showcases in NYC, Eric was invited to perform for hit-maker Pete Ganbarg as part of Ganbarg’s national search for an artist to spearhead his newly formed label, Pure Tone Music. An A&R veteran whose artists have sold tens of millions of albums, Ganbarg is most famous for his work with Run-DMC, Santana, and several notable Clive Davis productions. Finding a great addition to the team in Pete, Eric signed as the flagship artist for the new Pure Tone label in September 2004.

In the mean time, the long awaited follow-up to Eric’s 2003 self-titled EP was released on November 16, 2004. Bearing the appropriate title “The C-Sides”, the EP is made up of a number of entirely self-produced demos from Eric’s home studio. With the pressure of a record deal removed, the new project takes a more exploratory attitude than previous recordings. Frequently relying on piano as much as guitar, Eric shows a noticeably matured presence in both compositional craft and introspective lyrics. A number of shows and appearances are in the works in 2005, which will land among numerous recording sessions for Eric’s national debut with Pure Tone Music.

Paul Westerberg, Travis, Wilco, Coldplay, Ryan Adams, Interpol, Sting, Robbie Williams

NYC

www.ericjames.com