Artist Spotlight with Eric Selby

Audiences are almost always drawn to music that sounds familiar but still manages to surprise you.

That's the kind of sound that Eric Selby has been cultivating for years. Somewhere between Americana, psychedelic folk and roots storytelling. It's not easy to pin down but it's certainly music to get lost in.

His new record, Five. is like a snapshot of who he is right now. It's honest, grounded and reflective with water showing up as a theme again and again.

In this Artist Spotlight, we talked with Eric about what has changed for him in this “season” of his life, how water became such a big part of the record and what it was like recording at The Facility Nashville with a team of incredible musicians.

We also dug into his journey as a musician and what’s next now that he’s performing with the Eric Selby Band.

You’ve talked about Five. as a reflection of who you are “in this season.” What has shifted for you, personally or musically, that has made this record feel different from the ones that came before it?

I think there has been a shift both personally as well as musically over the last couple of years. I guess the growth could be described in both simply as maturity. This maturity has delivered me to my current "season."

On a personal level, my four daughters are grown and making their way in their own lives now and that opens up the opportunity to shift the focus more within, without, of course, being self centered. When you have provided "supervision" for others for a couple of decades and then, all of the sudden, you find that the effort of that supervision on others is no longer required, you get the chance to think about: "What is best for me?," " What do I do with this extra time?," "Who am I?" It's almost like shifting a bit of your nurturing and empathy to one's self. Did somebody say, "self care?" This opportunity provides for inward reflection and, in turn, creative growth.

Musically, I feel like I am really starting to come into my own as a singer/songwriter and a musician. Although I have always been a songwriter for as long as I can remember, percussion and the drums have historically been my main instrument. As a drummer, I have been a member of the band and/or a journeyman for many years. I then released my first record of original music in 2020 with me playing both guitar and drums. It's been a six year evolution along with 5 records now under my belt. I have learned so much in terms of being a songwriter, being a musician and proper production, just to name a few. This evolution has gifted me with a maturity in growth and I do not take that for granted. I use the term, "in this season," because although I still have a long way to go, I am proud of the growth I have made organically and it has just fueled me for more growth.

Water shows up repeatedly across the album, both literally and metaphorically. Was that something you became aware of while writing, or did it reveal itself only after the songs started to take shape?

I think a little of both. Humans have evolved literally from the water. We were first very small organisms in the water that evolved into walking on land to wherever we are now. I think because of this, we are all drawn to the water in some innate way...like it's home.

Whether it's the beach, a lake, a river, a stream, it's so calming and so powerful all at the same time. Without water, we would not survive. It feeds our minds, our bodies and our souls. My favorite people love the water like I do and some of my favorite times have been around the water. That's why it's so fitting for this record to open with the song, "The Water."

I was born, raised and have always lived in an area called Delmarva. Delmarva is in the eastern U.S. that includes Delaware, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and a small strip of Virginia; it separates Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. That's a whole lot of water! As I sing in the song "The Chesapeake" from the new record, "Delmarva is my home."

The album was recorded at The Facility Nashville. Can you tell us more about the recording process, and how did the environment shape the feel of this record?

The team that helped to make "Five." a reality was just incredible to work with throughout the creative process. First, I had the pleasure of working with producer David Taylor at The Facility Nashville. Working with David was very natural and comfortable. He welcomed constant input and made me feel like we were in this together and really allowed me the opportunity to co-produce with him. In addition to co-producing and making me laugh a lot, David also played keys and provided backing vocals as well.

Along with David, the "dream team" included: Seth Rausch: drums/percussion (Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Sheryl Crow, Don Felder), Luis Espaillat: bass (Lee Ann Womack, The Guess Who, Trace Adkins, Jim Messina), John Thomasson: bass (Little Big Town, Juliana Hatfield), Justin Ostrander: guitar (Luke Bryan, Josh Groban, Kenny Chesney, Steven Tyler) and E.J. Taylor: backing vocals.

Mastering for “Five." was completed at Abbey Road in London, England by the renowned Andy Walter. In addition to mastering "Five.," Andy has also worked on projects for some of the biggest names in the pop and rock world including numerous projects for David Bowie, Jimmy Page, Coldplay, Kylie Minogue, U2, The Cure, Robbie Williams, Radiohead, Roger Waters, The Bee Gees, The Who, Simple Minds and The Beatles. Andy transferred the first (and thought ‘lost’) studio demo acetate recording of The Beatles’ Love Me Do, which was owned by Sir George Martin and was restored and released for the first time ever on The Beatles Anthology box set.

Working with folks like that, it absolutely forces you to bring your "A Game" and push the boundaries of what can be accomplished creatively to best present my songs. I am proud of this team and proud that I've had the opportunity to work with these artists for the last couple of releases.

Your bio reads like a long and very interesting journey, with decades of collaboration across folk, rock and Americana, as well as deep roots scenes. What parts of your story do you think shaped you the most as an artist, and how do those invisible experiences find their way into your songs?

Every chapter of my story has shaped me as an artist. I think we are all the sum of our parts. I am certainly no different. Musically, I have had the amazing good fortune to collaborate with some amazing artists that have opened worlds to me in fusion jazz, psychedelic rock, blues, Americana, country, the British invasion...you name it! I truly believe that, musically, I am a calico cat of genres and styles. Although there is a common thread to the sound of my music, I think each song comes from a different angle. On "Five." you will hear the influence on different songs of 70s-style rock n' roll, country, psychedelic and there is always a Beatles undertone because that band has just shaped my approach to music in so many ways.

At this point in your career, how do you decide when a song is finished and ready to be shared?

Truth is, I don't think they are ever finished as songs evolve even after you've recorded them just by performing them live week after week. I've heard songs that I have recorded from a decade or more ago where, when I listen, I think I could have approached it differently this way or that way. Someone once told me that when tracking in the studio, the song that is being recorded is not necessarily supposed to be the penultimate version of that particular song. It is merely a snapshot in time of that song being recorded at that particular moment. That has helped relax the pressure in tracking in the studio as well as understanding that music is a living, breathing thing that can evolve, expand and change.

There is a point with a song that you composed that you say, "OK, I think what needs to be said has been said," and that's when you start to present it in live performance or the studio...but it still evolves.

Looking ahead, can you tell us about any upcoming projects, performances or songs that fans can look forward to?

I am really psyched about the recent premiere of Eric Selby Band. In the past, I had assembled amazing musicians in the studio setting to record my songs and then pretty much performed my songs solo acoustically (which I still do), but over the last couple of years, I have been working with some incredibly talented musicians to bring my originals to life in the live setting. Eric Selby Band includes: Cletus Kennelly (acoustic guitars/bgv), Pat Drews (bass/bgv), Chris Thompson (lead/pedal steel/electric sitar), Brian Simms (keys), Rich Nagel (percussion/drums/bgv) and I'm on drums, percussion, guitar and vocals.

We performed live for the first time just a few weeks ago for the record release show for the new record, "Five," and it was amazing!

I am really looking forward to continuing to work with these top-shelf musicians to perform my original music to as many audiences as we are able to perform in the coming year.

Connect with Eric Selby on his Website

Listen to "Five". here: