Who's Eric Distad?

I'm sooo very excited to present to you an interview with Eric Distad. I want to tell you about how amazing his songs are and how great he is as an artist and talented mufti-instrumentalist musician. But I'll let him talk instead : )

Eric Distad - Part 1.

1. Instruments you play and when you started playing

I started singing in church as soon as I could stand. I still sing in an a capella family trio with my mom and brother, when we can manage it. I started piano lessons when I was 12, taught myself guitar when I was 15 and bass when I was 16. My senior year in high school, I decided I wanted to go into music composition as a major, so I set out to learn every instrument I could. I worked my way through the entire high school band, leaning enough to play scales on every instrument.

I love learning new instruments. Currently, I regularly play, guitar, bass, drums/percussion, mandolin, bouzouki, uke, tin whistle, concertina, but I'll play anything else i can get my hands on.

2. When you started writing songs - approximately how many you've written --and how many of those are "good songs" for public performances in your opinion.

I started writing music my senior year of high school, but didn't really start writing songs until college. I wrote 6 songs between 1993 and 2004. I've since written 270 more since 2004, thanks to FAWM [February Album Writing Month] (www.FAWM.org). Of those, maybe 30 to 40 percent are good enough for public performance, and only 20 percent are regularly in the ever changing rotation.

3. Your favorite Song you've written (or top 5) and a little bit about it and why.

My favorite song changes from day to day... it's like asking which kid do you love the most. However, I'm very proud of Thousand Little Lies - it captures something. I has a strong melodic line and lyrical rhythm, great musical feel - the recording came out as something special. Landslide, Flavor of the Week, The Easter Bunny Vault, and It Is What It Is are also songs I'm proud of.

4. Your largest Audience and your average audience

My largest audience over the years has been a few hundred. My average is about 10 to 15... or less.

5. Your greatest frustration in being a songwriter and/or performing musician See #4. :) Actually the greatest frustration is finding the right audience, an audience that is receptive and that "gets" it. I'll take a small audience of attentive listeners over a huge audience of people ignoring me any day. A song is a statement and a feeling - it is communication. If it's not performed or heard, it's a dead letter.

Thanks, Eric!!!

Don't let his letters stay dead! Check out some of his music at https://ericdistad.bandcamp.com/