Having gained invaluable experience as a touring/studio musician, Eric’s first performance as a solo singer-songwriter was opening for Kristen Hirsh of The Throwing Muses. Since then, he has performed with such notables as Ben Folds, Howie Day, Anna Nalick, Tanya Donelly, They Might Be Giants, Erin McKeown, Jason Mraz, Josh Ritter, Melissa Ferrick, John Wesley Harding and Soul Coughing lead singer Doughty.
Nominated for Best Male Vocal category in the 2001, 2005 and 2006 Providence Phoenix Music Poll, Eric has also performed on the Local Stage at the Newport Folk Festival and the Northampton Music Festival, in addition to live radio broadcasts on WHJY, WBRU, WRIU, WXIN (R.I.), WICN (Worcester, Ma.), WSMU (Dartmouth, Ma.), WERS (Boston, Ma.) and radioboston.com.
Eric’s third and latest CD, “Saving Secret Grace”, was recorded
In 2005 at Dream Edit Studio in Newport , R.I, and features
Mike Levesque (David Bowie, Letters to Cleo, Reeves Gabriel, Jen Trynin, Juliana Hatfield) and Bob Giusti (Frank Black) on drums , with Steve Mackey (Deana Carter, Wynonna Judd, Lee Roy Parnell,
Steve Wariner, Tricia Yearwood) adding bass tracks in Nashville, Tenn.
Mastered at Headpop Digital , in Chandler, AZ. by sound engineer Scott Seymann (Motown, MCA and Sony Records, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Fox Animation Films for the motion pictures
“Anastasia” and “Titan A.E.”), “SAVING SECRET GRACE” is an energetic but thoughtful 10 song pop-rock recording , familiar and classic in its guitar/bass/drums/keys arrangements, yet fresh and modern sounding in its clean , subtle production. Released in August 2006, “SAVING SECRET GRACE” is Eric’s follow up to “HATS AND SHOES” (2003), and “SOUND STATION SEVEN” (2001).
Showing wide influences such as Paul Westerburg/The Replacements, Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Finn, Aimee Mann, Badly Drawn Boy, Jon Brion, Lucinda Williams, Tom Petty, Jeff Buckley, Cheap Trick, John Fogerty/Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Waits, The Beatles, Billy Joel, U2, and Elvis Costello, Eric wrote, sang and co-produced all ten tracks, as well as playing all guitar and keyboard parts.
Nashville’s Catamount Records has included “Don’t,” from his previous CD “HATS AND SHOES”, on their HUAC2 (Hot Unsigned Artists of Americana Compilation 2) cd, featured at both the 2003 SXSW and Folk Alliance conferences in Austin, TX, as well as the previously unreleased “Hill of Fire” on their HUAC3 cd, featured at the 2004 Americana Music Association conference in Nashville, TN.
Eric’s music combines the elements of rock, r + b/soul, country/americana and Brit-pop to explore the subjects of personal and emotional politics of human life. Equally important is his hope of connecting to as many people as possible from the stance of a post -modern pop mutt, unique but accessable; lyrically and musically trying to link everyday chaos with everyday calm.
XXX -p.s.- just nominated in the 2007 Providence Phoenix Best Music Poll for
Best Male Vocal AND Album of the Year ("saving secret grace")-both local
go to www.bestmusicpoll.com , as well as
the 2007 R.I. Motif Best Music Poll for
Alt-Rock Band of the Year AND Album of the Year ("saving secret grace")
go to www.motifmagazine.net
Remember to pass it along to all your homies and e-groups/addy lists -
www.bestmusicpoll.com
www.motifmagazine.net
Eric Fontana | Saving Secret Grace | Self-released -now ONSALE at cdbaby.com/ericfontana3
"Eric Fontana’s latest album at last has the spit and polish his material deserves and the extra push (or perhaps $$) really pays off. Fontana’s versatility and melodicism, both of which should translate into commercial viability, gives him an edge over many artists with likeminded aspirations"
-Bob Gulla , The Providence Phoenix
12/2006 |
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