The current active rock and radio rock scene might be heavily populated at the moment, but the Cleveland, Ohio based quartet that goes by the name of Concordia, has something to offer quite a few bands don’t. Not only do they have solid rock songs played with top notch ability, they have a vocalist in Eric Emery that has that “voice” that makes them stand out from the crowd! It is easy to appreciate Emery’s strong vocal presence found on the band’s debut album, Clarity of Perception, but it is when you hear him sing the songs in their truest acoustic form that you know the singer has that “special voice.”
Emery, along with his band mates Cory Juba (guitar), Nick Smith (bass) and Kyle Tresch (drums) have worked hard since the album’s release to get out on the road to promote their stellar music offering and to gain the attention of rock fans as well as industry label executives nationwide. Read on as vocalist Eric Emery introduces himself, the band, and why Concordia is worth your effort to check out!
Interview with Eric Emery:
Eric, thank you for checking in with RockRevolt™. It is great to speak with you man!
Thanks so much! It’s a real pleasure to speak with you as well.
You released your debut full-length album last year entitled Clarity of Perception. What stands out with the album is you seem to excel at crafting together a tough as nails, fist-pumping, rock sound with a melodic, and at times almost soft, vocal approach.
A large part of that sound is Sahaj Ticotin (Ra) who produced and co-wrote the record. When it comes to vocals, I always try to be as dynamic as possible. I’ve always been drawn to singers that manage to convey a lot of emotion in their vocals. I’ve also always loved the idea of having soft, melodic vocals over heavy, almost theatrical, music similar to bands like Tool and Evanescence. The juxtaposition of those two very different styles really connects with me in a powerful way.
You have an interesting story on how your connection with Sahaj came to be. Please share that with our readers.
After many years of working as a recording engineer and recording other bands I finally decided to take a stab at recording myself. When I finally got some free time I recorded a few cover songs and put them on YouTube. The first cover I posted was of a Linkin Park song which had over 20,000 views in the first few weeks. Then I decided to post a cover of Ra’s Broken Heart Soul. Surprisingly, Sahaj commented on it and told me to get in touch with him. I messaged him on Facebook and eventually ended up flying to his house to talk about recording a full length album. It was pretty amazing, especially because Sahaj has been my favorite singer since I was 11. I slept on his couch for a month and we co-wrote what eventually became Clarity of Perception.
Cory Juba – Guitar
Nick Smith – Bass
Kyle Tresch – Drums
That is pretty much a testimony to others that you just never know what might happen when you work hard at something you love and put your full effort towards it!
Very true! I had no idea any of this would happen. The band still has a very long way to go, but the ride so far has been amazing.
Dustin Bates (Downplay) and Adrian Ost (Powerman 5000 / Dope) also provided contributions on the album. Talk about that.
At the time we recorded the album, I didn’t even have a band. We had to enlist Adrian as a session drummer and he really delivered. The drums on the album turned out great! Dustin Bates, who is a friend of Sahaj, co-wrote the songs “Surrender” and “Spoon-fed Sheep.” Dustin is a fantastic songwriter and a really great guy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MKkXkzBCpI]
Where does the title Clarity of Perception come from?
Clarity of Perception, to me, is about the exact moment where everything seems to come together and you have a full understanding of the world around you. It’s about achieving enlightenment and a balance within yourself.
Going back to the album’s lead-off track: “Spoon-fed Sheep”, it is a song that really excels in that heavy-edged melodic vibe we talked about earlier. Beyond that, it has a pretty strong message about people who want to point a critical finger at others while they have planks in their own eyes.
You hit the nail on the head! It’s definitely a political song directed at the weak and hypocritical among us—those who blindly follow and are willingly spoon-fed ideas without questioning.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ompPsB3CefY]
Where did you draw your inspiration from for the lyrics found on the album?
Honestly, it was all different. Sahaj and I would sit around and bounce ideas back and forth. Some of the songs came together quickly, others took a while.
Have you encountered feedback from people, applying your music to their own lives in a positive way?
Quite a lot! It’s interesting to hear how people interpret songs so differently and apply it to their own situations. That’s why I’m usually a bit apprehensive to elaborate on the themes and messages of a particular song. I don’t want to ruin it for someone who may have interpreted the message in a different way.
You posted an acoustic version of “Spoon-fed Sheep” along with another of the strong tracks from the album “Ghost of You” which also features Sahaj on guitar on YouTube. What I like about both of these songs is the fact they show off your ability as a vocalist to pull these off as strong in the simplest form possible. There are plenty of celebrity status singers out there that can’t do that!
I agree with you on that. All of my favorite singers are people that can just sing all the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the studio or live. That has always been a point of pride for me. I also put a lot of effort into doing vocal warm-ups and taking care of my voice so I can recreate the album takes on the road.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkMe_W_82_M]
When you first started to sing, who did you look up to as an influence in developing your own style as a rock vocalist?
Sahaj of course. Some of my other all-time favorites are Brandon Boyd, Jared Leto, Maynard, Ian Kenny, Alannis Morissette and a lot of others I can’t think of right now.
You got a taste of tour life this past fall, hitting the road with a personal longtime favorite of mine, 12 Stones, as well as sharing stages with the likes of other killer bands in Taproot and Smile Empty Soul to name a few. Talk about that experience as well as a few of your personal highlights.
That was an amazing time! We got to tour the whole country with bands we have been listening to since we were kids. All of the guys were veterans of the road and really taught us a lot, especially the guys in Taproot and Smile Empty Soul. The coolest thing was sharing a tour bus with 12 Stones; definitely a big up-grade from the van and trailer. I also got to go up on stage quite a few times and sing “Broken” with Paul McCoy. Pretty awesome!
What were the emotions of the bands the first night of the tour when you took the stage for the first time?
I think we were all just a bit nervous. It was the first time they were all seeing us live, so we really wanted to impress them.
Will you be getting back out on the road to further support the album this year?
We have been booking some shows and have a few tentative tours planned, but in the meantime we have been in the studio working on some new material. It’s turning out pretty amazing and I can’t wait to release it! Also, probably an accompanying music video for one of the new tunes as well.
Eric, it has been a pleasure. Where is the best place for fans to pick up your music and get in touch with you?
Thanks! It was great to talk to you Rick. Fans can pick up our music from iTunes or our website www.concordiaband.com . Also, make sure to ‘like’ our facebook.com/concordiarock. Anyone can get in touch with us via Facebook…I check it all the time.
Follow Concordia online on the links above or below:
