California-born, New Orleans-schooled singer/songwriter/ vocalist Eric Lindell
is a roots rocker with dozens of original songs that combine soul-shaking
rhythm & blues, reggae grooves, swamp pop and blues. Lindell is a fan
favorite in his northern California turf and his adopted home of New Orleans
(where he was featured on the cover of OffBeat magazine and performed on
the main stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival). He is accomplished
on guitar, harmonica, keyboards and bass, and has performed with some of
the Crescent City’s top musicians as well as some of the jam band community’s
biggest names (including members of Galactic). The winner of the 1999 John
Lennon Songwriting Competition for his song Kelly Ann, Lindell is now ready
to bring his rough-hewn voice and memorable original songs to the rest of
the music-loving world with the release of his Alligator Records debut,
CHANGE IN THE WEATHER.
CHANGE IN THE WEATHER will delight and surprise music fans hungry for
an extraordinary, original artist who is just getting ready to explode.
Lindell’s songs are cliche-free, completely original and yet have
an instant familiarity to them. The laid-back grooves and hook-laden melodies
hint of 1970s-era Van Morrison and Bruce Springsteen, but are not throwbacks
as much as they are powerful, rootsy, thought-provoking and danceable
contemporary songs. Traces of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Ray Charles
and Sly And The Family Stone can be found in Eric’s originals, with
foot-stomping grooves coming around every corner and horns punching in
all the right places. Guests on the CD include War drummer Harold Brown,
Ivan Neville and Galactic’s Stanton Moore.
Born in San Mateo, California, in 1969, the former “skate-punk”
spent countless hours in San Francisco, soaking up the musical sounds
of the city, eventually leading him to pick up the bass and then the guitar.
Lindell listened to the music of Donny Hathaway and The Impressions as
well as Buddy Guy. He discovered blues greats Junior Wells, Jimmy Reed
and Albert King on his own before drifting toward the R&B sounds of
Stevie Wonder, soaking up the soul and learning how to craft a song. After
performing at bars on the West Coast with a few short-lived bands, Eric
formed his own group in 1993 and quickly gained a loyal California audience
thanks to countless performances and many late-night jam sessions. Established
stars like Charlie Musselwhite and Tom Waits attended his gigs, as did
overflow crowds of music fans.
Lindell left for New York in 1998, gigging there regularly before heading
down to New Orleans in 1999, where he quickly discovered the roots music
scene. He gravitated toward the West Bank dive bars of Gretna and Algiers,
Louisiana, where he befriended many older swamp pop musicians, who helped
him get more regular gigs. Before long he met up with Galactic’s
Stanton Moore, and the two began playing together. Some of New Orleans’
finest players, including Harold Brown and drummer Johnny Vidacovich,
often joined him on stage. Galactic bassist Rob Mercurio began sitting
in as well, and word of Lindell’s immense talents began spreading
around the city. Some of the city’s biggest stars began showing up
at his gigs, embracing this fresh California kid’s funky music. Some
of his famous friends and admirers include Branford Marsalis, The Neville
Brothers, John Scofield, Chris Chew (North Mississippi Allstars), Vince
Welnick (Grateful Dead) and Wally Ingram (David Lindley, Stockholm Syndrome).
According to Lindell, “The fact that these amazing people are so
complimentary to me and my music means the world to me.”
Lindell’s live shows draw as much attention as his material. His
unstoppable grooves, rocking, deeply rooted, original songs and excellent
musicianship always fill the dance floor. With the release of CHANGE IN
THE WEATHER, Lindell and his band will tour heavily, giving the rest of
the country the chance to discover for themselves what a growing number
of people already know: Eric Lindell is a musician bursting at the seams
with talent, with enough original songs and inventive grooves to carry
him as far as he chooses to go.
“Stellar, sublime blue-eyed soul and romping New Orleans R&B,
played at the same intersection of soul, blues and roots rock as Van Morrison.”
—New Orleans Times Picayune
“Eric Lindell is a natural. With impressive guitar chops, a worn,
smoldering voice and a rocking rhythmic sensibility, his jam-friendly
style converts blues purists and dyed in the wool R&B fans as well
as the tattooed and pierced crowd. His voice recalls Stax and Motown-era
soul, with a laid back, hipster charisma. Eric Lindell is poised for a
breakout. He has turned heads everywhere he’s gone, almost instantly
becoming the talk of the town wherever his musical journey has taken him.”
—An Honest Tune
“Born in 1969, Lindell is an 'old soul' from California reinventing
New Orleans R&B. He has a cool, genuine old school aura that is both
natural and refreshing. Eric does his own thing in his own way and at
his own pace. His melodic sensibility and fresh approach are most impressive”.
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