Eric Morrison has been playing music for a decade. But in the span of the year that his new band Eric Morrison and the Mysteries has been together, he’s gotten an overwhelming response unlike any previous group he’s played in. Already the band’s performed somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-40 shows. The offers came in quick, and he’s been happy to take them. This week, he’ll even have a full-length album for sale at shows.
Part of the group’s success is that everyone is enthusiastic—they started working on the album a week after their first show. To make this record, the members have been in the studio four times, with Morrison going in alone on several more occasions. When everyone wasn’t busy playing shows or slaving away in the studio, they also rehearsed three times a week. This kind of rigorous routine is new for Morrison, but his drummer told him it was the only way to do it.
“He kind of laid it out like martial arts—if you do something once a week, you’re not going to get any better. The more you do it, the more you’ll improve,” Morrison says.
The studio work helped the group work out its sound, which Morrison calls “Americana soul”—a fitting description, as it blends together elements of Americana and soul. One area they tinkered with was whether to be an acoustic or an electric band; they ultimately settled on electric, because it gave them a better range.
“I think it’s the dynamics, the energy, just being able to control the volume. It gets away from that folky sound,” Morrison says. “We could easily be a folk band with these songs, too, if we kept it mellow. I don’t want that at all, because I’m a real dynamic singer. It’s nice to move up above and beyond the acoustic guitar range.”
INFO: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 11. Don Quixote’s, 6275 Hwy. 9, Felton. $10. 335-2800.
