Eric Dodd Interview by Christian Lamitschka for Country Music News International Magazine & Radio Show
Lamitschka:
Music has many new fans throughout Europe who may be hearing about you
for the first time. How would you describe yourself and the music you
play to someone who has never seen or heard you?
Answer: It’s very exciting to see Europeans embrace country
music in such a big way. I like to think my music is universal and
transcends any borders or genre-lines. I have worked hard to make sure
my songs truly reach the listener on an emotional level with a discernable level of positivity to it. I want people to feel good when they listen to my tunes. And that translates to my live shows, which I try to make fun and upbeat. If I had to describe it, our live show has the energy of a Bruce Springsteen concert and the soul and grit of early Van Morrison.
Lamitschka: How was the last year for you? What were your highlights?
Answer: The last year of my life has really been the best yet. On the personal side, I married my best friend Anna – and I am a lucky guy! On the professional side, I signed a publishing, management, and distribution deal with different companies who each support my vision as an artist. I owe a
lot of that to Anna. Her support has given me the confidence to seek
out and work with the best and that commitment shows in everything I do
from songwriting to touring. I guess you could say she
pushed me to be a better version of myself. It’s kind of funny looking
back and seeing how far I’ve come, and knowing my hard work and
persistence is starting to paying off.
Lamitschka: What is your latest CD and how’s it doing?
Answer: On June 8, I released a single called “The Reason“ to all of the popular digital and streaming platforms. It’s really gratifying to see the response from my fans and people who are hearing it for the first time. We did a music video that CMT premiered through their Artist Discovery platform that featured my wife Anna, since she was the inspiration behind the song. She was a reluctant co-star. When I first pitched the idea of her being in the video, she laughed at me, and said, ‘No way, I’m not an actress, I’m an oncology nurse.‘ After taking her on a shopping spree the next day, she came around and changed her mind. She actually did an amazing job in the video and was such a natural. I couldn’t imagine doing that video with anyone else but her.
Lamitschka: Do you write the songs yourself? If not, how do you go about finding the songs for your CD?
Answer:
To date, I haven’t released a song I haven’t been a co-writer on. I
have written over 700 songs in the past five years, and as you can
imagine, some are very personal to me and I love sharing some of my
story with the world. I am very fortunate to be a part of Nashville’s
songwriting community, and I am able to learn from and collaborate with
some of the best writers in Music City. I am always open to outside
songs though. Living in a town like Nashville, I would be crazy not to
be open to having songs pitched to me.
Lamitschka: What kind of songs do you like to record the most?
Answer: I have had a really good time recording and capturing the drive of high–energy tunes, but I am a total softy for a ballad. Two totally different vibes. The EP I plan on releasing later this year is upbeat and should be a fun “driving soundtrack.” I promise to release a few ballads in early 2019, though.
Lamitschka: Do you have any interesting stories about how fans have been affected by your music?
Answer: It’s an amazing feeling knowing fans are relating to my songs. After every show I play, I always hang out at the merchandise booth for a few minutes. This gives me a chance to really say thank you, and it’s awesome to hear firsthand the reaction from the fans and see how they are moved by music and connect to what I am saying. Recently, a fan in Davenport, Iowa shared that he and his wife plan to share their first dance to my new song, “The Reason.” I consider that a great honor to be a part of their celebration of unity.
Lamitschka:
As an artist, you have so many tasks such as recording, touring,
interviews. What do you like best, what’s your favorite activity?
Answer: I truly love it all. Each aspect of the business has its own pros and cons, though. Recording
is so exciting because, eventually, you get to release new material you
have been working on to music lovers. On the other hand, it can be a long process and it’s hard to wait sometimes. It’s totally worth it, though. Touring is where I have the most experience. I like to think I have gotten pretty good at it,
but I’m still learning. I love the real-world experience of opening
for acts and watching what works for them. There is nothing like being
on a stage and sharing your music with people who are totally getting it
and singing those songs back to me. As for interviews, I am getting better at opening up. Until now I let the performance and songs I wrote speak for me, but I really appreciate great journalism and awesome questions. For instance, you‘ve had some “beyond the surface” inquiries, which has been so nice.
Lamitschka: What inspired you to become an artist?
Answer: When I was 11-years-old, my big brother
Bryan let me tag along with him to a Counting Crows concert, and that
was it. I was blown away and totally hooked from the feeling music gave
me. I remember thinking to myself, “I want to be on that stage right
now delivering music to people that love it as much as I do.” I feel
like I was born to write songs, to perform them for good people, and to
leave a positive impression on this earth. No matter how big or small
that may be.
Lamitschka: What inspired you to become a songwriter?
Answer: My parents bought me my first guitar when I was 12. It was an electric guitar with a little, cheap
amp. I learned a few songs by Nirvana and from there, just found myself
writing original lyrics to chords I was coming up with. I guess I was
just inspired by emotions I was feeling and loved being able to spill
those out on a page and to sing what was in my heart. That first song I
wrote wasn’t groundbreaking, but it sure did feel good.
Lamitschka: What can your fans expect to see when they see you in concert?
Answer: They better be ready for a good time! I have one goal in every single show: to help my fans forget their worries for awhile and find an escape through the stories and fun. I aim for my shows to be full of emotion and energy.
Lamitschka:
Many music fans today get their information about artists online. Do
you have your own website and what will fans find there?
Answer: As an independent artist, we are really blessed by the exposure we receive from music fans who are discovering us online. You all can find more info on me at www.ericdoddmusic.com – My instagram, facebook and twitter handle is: ericdoddmusic