Eric Selby Shines on New "Where You Born At?"
Let's dive in!
Eric Selby, a single father of 4 daughters, is a producer, multi-instrumentalist and an artist. Having initially spent years behind a mixing board and drumkit, Selby decided to make his debut as an artist, releasing his first solo in 2020 and landing a feature story in Modern Drummer. This leap of faith led to his first single (Do, Baby) ranking Top 50 in the “Best of 2020” songs on the National Top Contemporary Folk Album Chart, as well as, being inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. Selby was also a finalist for the WAMMIE Awards in the Best Folk Album, Best Pop Album and Best Rock Album categories, and has been named the Drum Thumper “Jimi” Award winner for Blue411. Gaining recognition and respect across the music community, Selby has recorded and performed with artists such as Mike Finnigan, James East, Lenny Castro, Daryl Johnson, Bill Payne and Warner Williams, to name a few. Eric Selby has also performed at numerous music festivals and venues across the country, to include, the San Diego Blues Festival, the House of Blues in Illinois, the New York State Blues Festival, and NPR’s Mountain Stage in West Virginia.
Eric Selby’s new album, Where You Born At?, delivers nine premium tracks, including his new single, Arise. Selby takes his audience from ‘waiting for time to pass you by’ in his song titled, Arise, and ‘wanting to be near someone for all time’ in his song, The Lean Years; to questioning the faith he put into a person in his track, Orbit. Also noteworthy, the aforementioned tracks showcase Selby’s base instruments: bass, electric guitar, drums, organ and piano. However, there are a few tracks that brilliantly showcase different instruments. Pavlov’s Demons, for example, incorporates the sound of a triangle percussion and maracas, while the track, Arise, showcases the tambourine.
Finding meaning in the lyrics comprising the nine tracks that make up Eric Selby’s debut album is an easy feat. The song, Arise, is intentionally ambiguous, allowing the listener freedom to interpret it in any way they fancy. Selby sings, “Out of touch and out of fear/It’s something I advise/Dark mist is coming near/Arise.” In the song, Orbit, Selby asks himself, “Why did I put my faith in you from here to Timbuctoo?” His reflection of the damage and chaos that orbit an individual is powerful. He, like many of us, wonders what could have been versus what became the outcome. The tracks, More Than I Care To and Pavlov’s Demons, both similarly question one’s whereabouts in an effort to discover where they have been and what they have been through, while each lends a different vibe. For example, More Than I Care To forces us to examine the reality of raw emotion of begrudgingly loving someone, but wishing you did not. He sings, “I think about you often/More than I care to.” While, Pavlov’s Demons take us to a place where we are past the hurt-filled stage and are finally able to move on from a failed relationship, “There’s a thousand stars out tonight/But none of them are you”, “Waves keep crashing/Even though you’re not on shore” and “collateral damage everywhere you go…it’s what you sowed.”
Selby has arrived and he has delivered. The long awaited release of Eric Selby’s first album, Where You Born At?, on June 11th, has gifted listeners a new and unique perspective into this exciting artist’s style as a singer/songwriter. The debut album not only showcases his talent, but takes us on a journey with crafty, relatable music to vibe to. Selby is without a doubt, a new artist who will continue to excite and wow us as his music career evolves.
Follow Eric Selby Here:
https://www.instagram.com/ericselbymusic/?igshid=qqvz19vttayh
https://twitter.com/ericselbymusic
https://www.facebook.com/EricSelbyMusic/
Freelance Writer
Emily Hinde
