Over the past year, songs from Macek’s prior album, Colors May Change, have received a tremendous amount of music placement. CBS used his work in the series Life Unexpected, Melrose Place and 90210. The feature film The Opposite Sex, which stars Mena Suvari and Geoff Stults, used Long, Long, Time for the closing credits.
Recently, Erick has been co-writing with artists like James Ragan and Robbie Boyd.
Erick's latest self-titled EP was fully crowd-sourced and is filled with guest appearances. Mikal Blue, who holds a Grammy
for his work with Jason Mraz, produced, mixed and engineered the project.
My sound is a culmination of pop, blues and soul with original, heartfelt lyrics. My songs are a timeline of personal material that relates to everyday trials of life. A few people often compare me to Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, James Taylor, and Paul Simon.
What inspires you to make music?
Life. Through personal growth and self-exploration, I find common ground with others in creating music. There is a genuine notion to relate to others through personal experience. I'm constantly inspired by other people's stories, my experiences and by life in general.
What aspect of making music excites you the most right now?
Growing up. I've experienced change in myself, and with that my writing has changed. I have gotten back to enjoying the process of making music, instead of looking all around trying to mimic others. I feel as though your true sound comes from the failure of trying to be like those who have influenced you.
What are the biggest challenges you face as a musician?
The financial burden and ever-changing music industry. I think with today's technology there are more ways of creating and getting the music out there but, with technology, it also makes it a lot harder to be relative. There is a constant pressure to release something new, like singles for examples, as opposed to full length albums. Plus, the ever-changing dilemma of how people listen to music is just another example. CD's are becoming obsolete so knowing your fan base, and knowing what works, becomes very important in your career.
What's one of your all-time favorite recordings?
I have always been a sucker for "Three More Days" by Ray LaMontagne. It's a simple song but the production is something that makes me smile to this day. The percussion keeps it grooving, the instrumentation was chosen extremely well, which blends well, and it brings the song together as a whole.
Name three people who have influenced your music, and tell us why-Living or dead.
Dave Matthews is someone who has influenced my musical career the most. I've always been intrigued by his sound as many found it hard to specifically put him in a genre. He created his own path in the industry and his fan base is loyal to this day. A "tightened jam band" if you would, was something that inspired me, as there is a sense of freedom to his music. You can see his show and the same song will be performed differently each time.
Citizen Cope is a more recent influence again mainly because of his unique sound and overall vibe. Even though his music is not mainstream, his lyrical placement and groove is unique. He is someone who has influenced my musical career.
There are an endless amount of influences that range from blues/jazz artists, to even polka music, but another legend that comes to mind is Paul Simon. He has not only stayed relevant throughout his career, he has pushed the envelope of what a true "singer-songwriter" is. Plus, I am influenced by his constant development of production, sounds in song, and arrangements. He is someone who truly "creates" music.
Do you have any recent or upcoming projects you'd like to share with us? Tell us about it.
We are very proud of our recent self-titled release, Erick Macek EP which is a five-song collection of my most recent work. It's a mix of honesty, vulnerability and positivity. Take a listen, or purchase at www.erickmacek.com.
What is your ideal or target audience?
Preferably humans, haha. My audience is primarily late 20s/early 30s, but one of the greatest compliments as an artist is when you hear stories, or people come up to you and thank you, because a song I created helped them in a dire moment in their life, or they used my song for their first dance at a wedding. All these are moments that I cherish. Moving forward in my career I would ideally like to target a younger audience, ages 18-25. I know that this is a pivotal time for young adults filled with peer pressure, decisions, self-identity and love. Music has always been a universal language and a way to communicate without actually being there. I would like to speak to, and relate to, the future of our world.
Do you write/compose your own songs? Briefly describe your songwriting process.
I am an original artist. I create music that starts on a blank piece of paper and develops from there. I've written songs in a wide variety of ways, but one typical way I write songs is by simply creating and developing a melody or groove, often scatting over top in a freestyle manner. My scat eventually develops and turns into words, and I'll continuously write and rewrite the parts until I feel it has come to completion.
What do you like the most about Radio Airplay?
I like platforms that give the user the ability to meet, talk to and reach a new fan base.
I'll Be Fine (Official Music Video)
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