Eric McFadden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Eric McFadden | |
|---|---|
 Eric McFadden at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, California 2007
Photo by Chris Lea chris.lea@gmail.com |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eric Byron McFadden |
| Born | December 1, 1968 |
| Origin | San Francisco, California |
| Genre(s) | Alternative |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, Mandolin |
| Associated acts | Eric McFadden Trio IZM Alien Lovestock Eric McFadden Experience Faraway Brothers Sons of Crack Daniels Holy Smokes LIAR Angry Babies |
| Website | http://www.ericmcfadden.com/ |
Eric Byron McFadden (born December 1, 1968 in New York, New York) is an American guitarist, vocalist and songwriter from San Francisco Bay Area, California, at times described as "an authentic old-west troubadour and an absolutely wicked 6-string maestro."
Reviews note McFadden's guitar virtuosity, distinctly melodic songwriting and "rich, deep" vocal tone. His recordings and performances are cross genre and his lyrics are often characteristically dark with an interest in the macabre side of life and love.
He spent his formative years in Albuquerque, NM, receiving lessons from Stanton Hirsch among others. During his mid-teens, he moved to Syracuse, NY where he acquired a considerable amount of knowledge in jazz guitar techniques. McFadden has also spent time in Spain studying flamenco techniques and in interviews has expressed interest in Gypsy music.
He played in a number of influential bands in the Albuquerque area, most notably the Angry Babies, a punk rock/heavy metal three piece band that toured lightly along the west coast and released three albums in limited runs.
After relocating to San Francisco, he gained notoriety as lead singer and guitarist for the band Liar, which originated in 1994 with its original members Eric, Paula O'Rourke (whom he married in 1997), Paulo Baldi, and Marisa Martinez Mead. In 1997 Marisa left and was replaced with Sheila Schat on violin. Liar's debut release Devil Dog Road and follow up album Gone Too Far received much acclaim among both fans and critics. Liar won the SF Weekly Music Award (Wammie) in 1997 and Bam Magazine's California Music Awards in 1998.
Baldi also joined him, alongside Anton Kozikowski on rhythm guitar and vocals, and Charles Gasper on bass in Alien Lovestock self-described as "chili-powered, hard rockin', avant-funk, Latin, surreal-desert groove."
Eric continued working with the members of Liar in other incarnations, such as the Eric McFadden Experience with Baldi on drums, Paula O'Rourke on bass, Sam Bass on cello, Ben Barnes on violin and Eric on guitars and mandolin. Barnes, Bass and Baldi also performed as a trio, Deadweight.
McFadden and O'Rourke divorced in 2001.
Other credits include two years as guitarist and mandolinist for George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. In 2004 he joined Stockholm Syndrome with bassist Dave Schools (Widespread Panic) and drummer Wally Ingram (Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne). More recently, he has reunited with Paula O'Rourke, backing Eric Burdon.
McFadden released Let's Die Forever... Together May 2007 on the French label Bad Reputation.
[edit] References
- Eric McFadden’s Multi-Colored Iconoclastic Gypsy Soul Jimmy Leslie, GuitarPlayer.com, May 2006 Retrieved July 26, 2007
- "INTERVIEW: Funky trio suffers the joy of music," Abel Horwitz, Daily Lobo, Albuquerque, N.M., October 20, 2005
- Eric McFadden Trio Joy of Suffering Dave Pehling, SFWeekly.com, January 18, 2006 July 26, 2007
- Eric McFadden's got an ax to grind. Silke Tudor, SFWeekly.com, August 11, 2004 Retrieved July 26, 2007
