This week DeBraun spends some quality time with singer/guitarist Eric Bolander.
Eric Bolander is native of Lewis County, Kentucky who moved to Lexington in 2000. Traditional Kentucky music was ever present in his youth but Bolander says that music is just one of his many influences.
“Well, my solo work is very Americana, Folk rooted and grew up, a lot of Bluegrass music, a lot of Folk music, of course when I became a teenager in the 90’s I wanted to rock out and be alternative and listen to metal and other stuff, but that’s kind of come full circle again now as an adult and I really strive to kinda show that influence from the roots music, Folk music, eastern Kentucky Appalachia and that kind of thing.”
While he has played in many different bands over the years, his current outfit is a band called Alcatraz Shakedown. He started that band in 2013 with guitarist Stephen Stump. Bolander says the band itself came after he and Stump were inspired to do something different.
“Started writing some stuff together that was more, I don’t wanna say Indie, it’s such a cop out word you know, but very alternative rock and it wasn’t really fitting with what, cause we had been, you know we were tuned down low and so we kinda tuned up, half step down and started toying with those tunings and just playing some different things that was a little more fresh to us, you know, our ears and that kinda built on the early begging of what Alcatraz Shakedown is now, which is more Blues based Rock N Roll with some Alternative influences.”
In a similar fashion, he started writing his solo material the same way. After recording an EP with John Ferguson, Bolander released his first full solo album, Postcards To Myself. The album was recorded at Sneak Attack with Jason Groves. Bolander says the album allows him to explore all sides of his musical self.
“So, I put together some bar/restaurant gigs, played a bunch of covers and played a three or four songs from the EP and then started writing songs that were more structured around the style that I wanted to sound like and what I wanted to represent my solo part and I really enjoy having that, sort of dichotomy between the rock n roll band and being the lead guy there and turning around and having more of a storytelling type of album.”
Eric Bolander performs solo and with Alcatraz Shakedown. Bolander will be performing on February 3rd at Manchester Music Hall and with Alcatraz Shakedown on February 10th at the Burl. More information about Bolander and his projects can be found on facebook and at alcatrazshakedown.com.
