Eric Bolander: Can't Get There From Here
Photo by Kayvilla Blevins
Soul-driven and home-crafted with master precision, Eric Bolander is quickly becoming a glowing jar of foothill muse. With his latest collection, Can’t Get There From Here, Bolander offers an alluring peek into his beautiful spellbook, behind a 12-track collection of gritty bliss.
“The Wind was an album that, for the first time, I felt it sounded like me and what I wanted a complete album to be,” stated Bolander, referencing his 2019 release. “The new album is about taking chances and pushing boundaries from within myself. I wanted these songs to move the listener through a journey that they, themselves, find on their own; I’m just the tour guide leading them through this space that is inside my mind.”
It’s the smooth, warm blade engrained in Bolander’s voice, along with the expert instrumentation from the band – elements that are paramount throughout each piece – that serve as hardened-proof that Bolander is continuing to grow his sound and prowess at a magical rate.
With the track “Cold Men,” a haunting and moving look into the coal life and all that it entails; all whom the dark hills impact – including the companies puppeteering the strings with rich hands.
“Take all your wishes / Your thoughts and your prayers / Lay ‘em all on the whispers / Of the cold men, who just don’t care.”
“I write melody first, almost always,” says Bolander in his creative process. “I've never been one of those writers who build the story via lyrics first then put those words to song. I admire those folks a lot and sometimes try to write that way as an exercise but rarely does it produce anything of quality for myself.”
“Wade Out Alone,” the eleventh title on the album, truly captures the sound, heart and embodiment of just how impressive Bolander can reach, taking note of those who have to chisel their own paths within life’s days of successes and sorrow – those without the silver spoon tucked in their cheeks.
“Money talks while the homeless walk / The waves have crashed like the mason’s back / There any scraps at all? / Cheaters win but at what cost? / Fat men line their designer homes with skin they’ve never lost / Hell they’ve never lost.”
Fueled and fired-up with the fresh work and a hunger for live venues – regardless of setting – Bolander is primed to mesmerize the masses in the upcoming months.
“Performing live is my favorite part of being a musician, hands down,” Bolander says. “Even on the worst night, being on a stage, bar floor, parking lot, someone's living room, or driveway will always make me smile. I just hope I can continue to grow this thing and play to more and more folks who wanna hear what I have to say.”
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