Eric + Erica, from Oakland, Calif., perform at The LAB on Dec. 18

Press release

We are Eric + Erica, a band from Oakland, CA currently on a nationwide record release tour. We’re playing on 12/18/2013 at the Lexington Ave Brewery in Asheville, NC. Show starts at 9pm, and door is $5. We will be joined by Aunt Sis and The Sweets.

eric + erica is a duo from Oakland, California making music with two voices, an autoharp, a keyboard, and a sampler. Their songs are pop music at their core, dressed up with the unusual shimmer of autoharp; soulful, reverb-drenched electric piano; and beats that are as strong and simple as they are surprising. Erica’s naturally sweet and soaring vocals lead the way, floating dreamily above the music and delivering lyrics that are part tender confession and part bold abstraction, while eric’s low, ragged voice provides a complementary undertone. They write soft dance music, haunting lullabies, and surreal love songs; songs for friends, for each other, for children, and things that elude even them.

Their first full length album, This Is Where, comes out 11/12/103, just a mere 8 months after their debut EP was released. They thrive on constant creation, and the 11 songs that make up the record emerged and evolved quickly. The album was recorded with young veteran Adam Myatt (James & Evander, B. Hamilton, Man/Miracle) at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, in the stolen hours between other bands’ sessions, and in the band’s basement. While keeping true to the minimalism of the band’s live sound, the record also provided an opportunity for erica to densely layer her voice to create moments of lilting chorus, and for other odds and ends—out of tune player pianos, synthesizers—to add density and dynamics. Beginning with a strong, clear vision of the world they wanted the record to create, the process moved quickly, and just a few months later the final record was in their hands, complete with artwork they hand painted themselves and the last minute addition of a song self-recorded by erica while lying sideways on the floor.

Immediately upon the record’s release, eric + erica will embark on a full US tour. Self-booked through a combination of tremendous diligence and the benefits of a supportive musical community (both members play with other groups, including Sean Hayes, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, Silian Rail and Ash Reiter) the tour will find them playing everywhere from traditional venues to living rooms to ice cream shops to old theaters, with plenty of dive bars and cafes in between. Previously they have toured California and the Midwest, and they plan to spend the better part of the next 6 months on the road. While on the road they will continue to write new songs and explore the many other media the band delight in using—short, surreal videos; hand painted fliers; self-produced full length music videos; vine videos of their rehearsals; and bold fashion choices. They will also eat lots of ice cream, drink lots of coffee, sleep in their car, and visit their Aunts.