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Hello Eric and welcome to Melodic.net. How are you? I am doing very well, how are things over at Melodic.net? Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself? I grew up in the town of Reading, Pennsylvania where I began to play guitar when I was young. Many years of learning, practicing and writing ensued until 2009 when I released my first album, 12 (South), and moved to Philadelphia to get involved with the local music scene. I stayed there for a number of years before recording this new album, Sinister Love, and moving down to Charlottesville, Virginia. Outside of music I am a big fan of western movies, cooking shows, and most things burrito related. How would you describe your own music? I would like to call it Singer/Songwriter Soul Rock…that could be a good description. What can you tell us about your latest EP, Sinister Love? Sinister Love is an album I recorded outside of Charlottesville, Virginia at White Star Sound with producer Stewart Myers. I set out to create an album that touches on all the musical styles that have influenced me, while still maintaining a level of cohesiveness. And so the final product explores a few genres and moods while anchored in singer/songwriter soul fashion. To me, you sound like a mix of James Morrison and Paolo Nutini. But who would you say have influenced your music career the most? I picked up the guitar in part because of The Dave Matthews Band. Although they were at the initial stages of my pursuits, I would say artists like Van Morrison, Ryan Adams, Ray Lamontagne and Brandi Carlile have influenced me a great deal in recent years. How do you write songs, what does the process look like? There is no single method. My writing sessions tend to be fairly structured. I will start out with a melody or a chorus line (I usually write the music first) and then build my lyrics around a theme I wish to convey. When I write I sit down and focus on writing, I try to make sure I dedicate myself and give the writing session some organization. Do you have any "ultimate goals" set with your career? I honestly just want to keep writing and playing music for people. That's what I truly enjoy doing and as long as I can keep riding that train I will be a happy man. Is there a particular song out there that you wish you had written? Many…one that I have been introduced to recently is by Gregory Alan Isakov. It's called "That Moon Song" and it does something different to me each time I hear it. Please give it a listen. In fact, most of Isakov's work is beautiful and worth taking the time to discover. Who is your dream artist/band to share a stage with? Brandi Carlile. I adore her and would love to share the stage with her. If you get a chance to see her live, please do because she has a voice like an angel and is an amazing performer…It takes Ms. Carlile one chorus to make you fall in love with her. What is the biggest challenge, in your opinion that you have to face as a musician today? I think this has been a challenge for musicians for a long time, but there is so much going on out there, and trying to cut through everything to find the best path is fairly tricky. I am always working to find new and effective ways to promote my music and my name. Searching for the best way through is what often causes headaches and "regroup" sessions. What is the best and worst thing with being an artist today? The best thing is the amount of tools available to help artists spread their music. There is such a wealth of resources independent artists can use to connect with fans, distribute their music, and grow their career…it's pretty amazing. The worst…still trying to figure it out. Name one album that everyone should own. Sinister Love…is that too forward? So, what does the nearest future hold for you? I will continue to travel and play as many shows as I can. We are going to work on shooting another music video for one of the new songs and hopefully we can get this new album out and about on some radio stations…always working on that. Thanks for answering the questions, any final words for our readers? Thanks for having me…this was cool | 
