Introducing Eric Harvey

Eric Harvey is an American musician and songwriter. Born and raised in upstate New York he currently lives in Dallas, Texas. Since 2004 he has been a member of the band Spoon, appearing on the albums Gimme Fiction (2005), Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007), and Transference (2010). His work has been featured in numerous publications and radio and television broadcasts, including The New York Times, Saturday Night Live, PBS series Austin City Limits, and BBC Radio 1. He has recorded with noted producers Mike McCarthy, Peter Katis, and Jon Brion, and collaborated with Ray Davies on the title track of his 2011 album See My Friends. In 2012 Harvey released his solo record, Lake Disappointment, featuring members of Spoon, Charlie Sexton, Hank Roberts, Daniel Hart, and Ariel Saldivar, among others.

Drawing from a broad spectrum of influences ranging from pre-war blues to dark 80′s pop, Harvey’s style can be loosely described as folk-inspired, but his vision is neither nostalgic nor pastoral. The sounds on Lake Disappointment fluctuate between organic and synthetic, with acoustic guitars stretching elastically around a wide array of instruments and electronics. The songs flow like chapters of a book, each one giving way to the next. The story is told with unvarnished vocals that meander through layered arrangements, characterized by abstract thoughts, clever alliteration, and rhyme schemes that never feel forced. At times the imagery verges on dystopian, but the overall message is optimistic: the answers you’re looking for become apparent when you let go of your expectations.

“I recorded Lake Disappointment in fits and starts over the course of a year. I’d been working on some solo acoustic songs that I wanted to take in a different direction with the help of other musicians, specifically some old friends from Ithaca, NY who I’d been wanting to work with for a long time. I also did some recording at Jim Eno’s studio in Austin TX with Jim, Josh Zarbo, and Britt Daniel (“She’s a Chameleon” has everyone from Spoon circa 2005 on it.) Another song, “Tried & True”, was written with my girlfriend Ariel Saldivar and recorded with Charlie Sexton. Rather than trying to create an overall sound, I approached the record in terms of people I wanted to work with. Everyone was busy with other projects, so we had to work quickly. Sometimes we only had an afternoon to learn a song and get a take. For me, the record is a document of those unpredictable creative bursts. I produced it, Matthew Saccuccimorano mixed it, and Jeff Lipton mastered it. I hope you enjoy it.”

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