Catch up with indie folk artist, Eric Taylor Escudero and look for his new album, We Were Young and It Was Morning, out now.
What got you interested in music and songwriting?
Eric Taylor Escudero: Well, I've always listened to music and my father was a huge Beatles fan so there was always music in my house when I was a kid. As a teenager, I decided I wanted to be a musician so I started writing songs as a joke at first at school and everything, but then it got serious and I've always wanted to write my own music; I never liked to play other people's music, it just never seemed really interesting to me.
Which musicians have you been influenced by?
Speaking about American acts, Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst is a huge influence to me and I really like Ryan Adams and Death Cab For Cutie, as well. I like some British acts like Idlewild and I've always listened to a lot of Oasis so I'm still a big fan.
Who's in your playlist now?
Lately, a lot of Idlewild. I've just rediscovered Basement and some Brazilian music, from the '50s and '60s mostly. The ones I mentioned as well, but Noel Gallagher's new album is pretty good and some Ólafur Arnalds, the icelandic composer.
How would you describe your own sound?
I think it's pretty honest music. I try to sound unique, but not unique in a way that's simply on purpose or unique only to be interesting for other people, I try to express myself, because I believe that if you can express yourself well, then it always sounds unique because people are different and their experiences are different because the way we live our life's is always different. So, I think it's honest, easy folk music with a lot of character - I hope [laughs].
How does your new album compare to your previous releases and could you tell us more about We Were Young And It Was Morning?
Yes, the previous EPs were recorded either in a small studio here in Brazil or in my own house and they feature some old songs with different arrangements and some of them, like "Black River" and "The Uncountable Colours Of The Sky", had been released on the EPs and the arrangements have changed a little bit - or a lot in some cases. I think We Were Young And It Was Morning had a bigger investment in time and also in money, but I had a band with me for We Were Young And It Was Morning and they were really focused and they really knew the songs and they wanted to record the album, so I think it has a different feeling. It sounds more like one piece; although there are some songs that were written many years ago, it sounds like it's always played by the same band, because we were.
Could you sum up We Were Young And It Was Morning in one sentence?
It would be, for me, a portrait of a time in my life; it really is about the years that I've lived before, that's why the name We Were Young And It Was Morning really expresses the years I've had.
Now that the album is out, is there a song that stands out to you, one you'd call your favorite?
Yes, I really like "Fountains of Blood", the third song. I've always liked it, but I think, on the album, we managed to get a nicer arrangement. I've always liked the lyrics but I was not very much satisfied with the arrangement and on the album we have some nice vocals and the drums are pretty nice as well. That one's my favorite at the moment.
What do you want your listeners to be able to take away from your music?
I always think about that. I remember, when I was a teenager and I started listening to music and I really felt that, sometimes, when I listened to some songs, they were really meaningful and it was just like the most beautiful, most important think in life for me. I really want people to have that feeling in a way. I think if people who care about music can connect to me and can feel that it's meaningful to them, then I will be happy.
Is there anything you'd like to add?
I really hope that people can listen to my music and I hope they can find it online and that they can really get something good out of it for themselves because I believe when you listen to a song, you have a different experience than I, because we have different experiences, and I hope people like it and they tell their friends [laughs].