Eric Bachmann | |
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![]() Bachmann in 2012 | |
Background information | |
Also known as | Barry Black |
Born | Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S. | April 28, 1970
Occupation(s) | Musician/producer |
Labels | Merge Records |
Eric Emil Bachmann [1] is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer. He rose to prominence as the frontman of Archers of Loaf and Crooked Fingers. Originally a saxophone major at Appalachian State University, [2] Bachmann's music is distinctive for its creative and innovative arrangements. In addition to the guitar, he plays the piano and banjo regularly on tour. He was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, and grew up throughout the Southern United States. He currently lives in Athens, Georgia.
In 1991, Bachmann joined forces with guitarist Eric Johnson, bassist Matt Gentling, and drummer Mark Price to form Archers of Loaf. All originally from Asheville, North Carolina, the band is associated with the influential 1990s Chapel Hill independent rock scene alongside Superchunk and Polvo. [3]
The band signed with Alias Records and released their debut full-length album, Icky Mettle (1993), the EP Vs the Greatest of All Time (1994), and the full-length Vee Vee (1995). Their third studio album, All the Nations Airports (1996), distributed by a major label, Elektra Records, was viewed as more accessible than their previous releases. Their final LP before the reunion, White Trash Heroes (1998), brought an intentionally different sound than the first three records to mixed reception. [4] The years of extensive touring had taken their toll on the band, though, and in late 1998, the Archers disbanded.
Following the breakup of Archers of Loaf, Bachmann formed Crooked Fingers. Taking the name from his grandfather's CB radio handle, [5] the band's sound varied between records as he further pushed his musical exploration. The lineup frequently rotated, with Bachmann the only consistent.
Crooked Fingers’ self-titled release, also referred to as the “swan record” based on the cover art, was released by WARM Records in 2000. A second album on WARM, Bring on the Snakes , came out in 2001. Crooked Fingers signed to Merge Records and released an EP of covers, Reservoir Songs (2002), and the full-length albums Red Devil Dawn (2003) and Dignity and Shame (2005). Forfeit/Fortune (2008) was self-released. Breaks in the Armor (2011) returned the band to Merge. [6]
Merge re-released the first two Crooked Fingers records in January 2016, including numerous demos alongside the albums. This re-release, however, coincided with Bachmann's retiring of the moniker and was marked by two shows in NYC and Durham, NC, where he played the two albums in their entirety with string musicians. [7]
In January 2011, Archers of Loaf reunited for an unannounced set at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina, opening for local act the Love Language. [8] They played numerous shows throughout the rest of 2011 and 2012, coinciding with Merge's rerelease of their back catalog. The band toured again in 2015. In February 2020, the band digitally released "Raleigh Days," their first new music since 1998. A 2020 tour was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. [9]
The band's first full record in nearly 25 years, Reason in Decline, was released in October 2022. East Coast tour dates in support of the new record are scheduled for November and December 2022, with Midwest and West Coast tours happening in 2023. [10]
In between Archers records, Bachmann pursued expansive instrumental experiments that defied the indie rock genre. He made two albums under the moniker Barry Black, 1995's self-titled and 1997's Tragic Animal Stories. Featuring collaborators such as Caleb Southern and Ben Folds, the Barry Black releases challenged any notion of pigeonholing him as solely a rock musician. [11]
His first solo effort under his own name, the instrumental and atmospheric Short Careers, was recorded as a score for the film Ball of Wax and released in 2002. [12]
Saddle Creek Records released his second, To the Races (2006). Self-recorded over five days while at the Outer Banks, the record is primarily Bachmann completely solo but features contributions from Miranda Brown (backing vocals) and DeVotchKa's Tom Hagerman (violin). [13]
On March 25, 2016, shortly after retiring the band Crooked Fingers, Bachmann released his third solo album, the eponymous Eric Bachmann. [14] On September 7, 2018, he released No Recover [15] and embarked on a tour of both clubs and full-band living room shows produced by Undertow Music. Merge continues to be the musical home for Bachmann's work.
Bachmann produced several Azure Ray records—their eponymous debut (WARM, 2001), Burn and Shiver (Saddle Creek, 2002), and Drawing Down the Moon (Saddle Creek, 2010). He also produced Liz Durrett's Beyond Our Gates (WARM, 2008).
From 2013 to 2016, he was a member of Neko Case's touring band, playing guitar and piano. [16] Case featured the Crooked Fingers song "Sleep All Summer" on the album Hell-On (ANTI-, 2018) as a duet with Bachmann. [17] He also collaborated with fellow Case bandmate, pedal steel virtuoso Jon Rauhouse, to create the instrumental record Eric Bachmann and Jon Rauhouse (Telephant, 2016).
Bachmann is married to retired musician Liz Durrett, who is the niece of singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt.
Saddle Creek Records is an American record label based in Omaha, Nebraska. Started as a college class project on entrepreneurship, the label was founded by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst in 1993. Mogis soon turned over his role in the company to Robb Nansel. The label is named after Saddle Creek Road, a major street that cuts through Midtown Omaha, and the beginnings of a scene whose members included Justin's brother Conor Oberst, Tim Kasher, and others. Collectively, they were known unofficially as the "Creekers". Saddle Creek first appeared in print on a show flyer, offering to "Spend an evening with Saddle Creek" Saddle Creek became an incorporated entity as a result of a class project on entrepreneurship. Distribution is handled by Redeye Distribution.
Archers of Loaf is an American indie rock band originally formed in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in 1991. The group toured extensively and released four studio albums, one compilation, numerous singles and EPs, and a live album which was released after the band broke up in 1998. In 2011 the band began a reunion tour that coincided with the reissue of four of its albums by Merge Records. In July 2022, the band announced the release of their first album in nearly 25 years, Reason in Decline, released also via Merge Records in October of the same year.
Icky Mettle is the first studio album recorded by the indie rock band Archers of Loaf. It was produced and engineered by Caleb Southern at Kraptone Studios in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and released by Alias Records on September 7, 1993. A deluxe reissue of the album was released by Merge Records in 2011.
Azure Ray is an American dream pop duo, consisting of musicians Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor. Formed in Athens, Georgia, in 2001, they later moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and became part of the Saddle Creek Records music scene, which also included Bright Eyes, The Faint, and Cursive. Azure Ray's music has often been featured in film and television, including Six Feet Under, Grey's Anatomy, and The Devil Wears Prada.
Crooked Fingers is the first studio album by the indie rock band Crooked Fingers. It was released on January 18, 2000, via WARM Records. It was recorded by Eric Bachmann in Seattle, WA, at Ft. Lawton and Denise Maupin's.
Dignity and Shame is the fourth album recorded by the indie rock band Crooked Fingers. This album was chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005. It has been billed as a concept album based on the lives of bullfighter Manolete and Spanish actress Lupe Sino. Lara Meyerratken is featured on lead vocals on four songs.
White Trash Heroes is the fourth studio album from the indie rock band Archers of Loaf, released in 1998 by Alias Records. In 2012 the album was reissued by Merge Records on two CDs with new, re-imagined art by Casey Burns.
Crooked Fingers was an American indie rock band, led by the former Archers of Loaf frontman Eric Bachmann. A vehicle for Bachmann's songwriting, the band's lineup changed between each record. Crooked Fingers released albums on WARM Records and Merge Records, and also independently. Bachmann retired the name Crooked Fingers in January 2016 with a pair of shows in New York City and Durham, NC, playing the first two records in their entirety with a string ensemble and has since been releasing albums under his name.
Maria Diane Taylor is an American singer-songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama. She is also a member of the duo Azure Ray with Orenda Fink. Taylor plays several instruments, including the guitar, drums, and piano and has collaborated or performed with such artists as Bright Eyes, Phoebe Bridgers, Moby, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Joshua Radin, and more.
Orenda Fink is an American singer, musician, and writer. Perhaps best known as half of the duo Azure Ray, Fink is also a member of Art in Manila, O+S, Closeness, and High Up, and has played with or appeared as a guest on records by Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst, Moby, The Faint, Pete Yorn, and others. She is married to Todd Fink of The Faint.
Hold On Love is an album released by the band Azure Ray. It was released October 7, 2003, on Saddle Creek Records.
Azure Ray is the debut and eponymous studio album by American duo Azure Ray, consisting of Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink. It was originally released on January 16, 2001 by Warm Electronic Recordings.
Warm Electronic Recordings is an independent record label based in Athens, Georgia run by Brian Causey. Azure Ray, Japancakes, and Crooked Fingers are some of the artists on their roster.
Alias Records is a small American indie-rock record label based in Lexington, Kentucky.
To the Races is an album by Eric Bachmann, of the bands Crooked Fingers and Archers of Loaf. It was released on August 22, 2006.
Liz Durrett is an American singer-songwriter born in Rome, Georgia and now based in Athens, Georgia.
Vee Vee is the second studio album by the American indie rock band Archers of Loaf, released in March 1995 by Alias Records. The album received very positive reviews from critics.
Archers of Loaf vs. The Greatest of All Time is the first EP by North Carolina indie rock band Archers of Loaf. The EP was recorded shortly after their first album Icky Mettle, and the styles are very similar.
Breaks in the Armor is an album by the American alternative rock band Crooked Fingers, released in 2011. It was released the same year as the reunion of Archers of Loaf, Eric Bachmann's previous band.
Reason in Decline is an album by the American band Archers of Loaf, released in 2022. It was their first album in 24 years. The band supported the album with a North American tour. The first single was "In the Surface Noise".