Featured Artist of  July 8, 2024
With the EP: Algoma Street


Artist's Biography

A new EP with a coincidental name from Eric & The Soo
I guess if this was an interview, maybe somewhere along the way I would be asked "why Algoma Street? What is the meaning behind the title of this EP?". Well, I'm glad you asked! It is inspired by a happy coincidence that we stumbled upon back in 2017. Some of you may already be aware that I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie (aka 'The Soo') which is where the band name comes from. Sault Ste. Marie happens to located within the District of Algoma (for my American friends, 'district' is akin to 'county'). Back in 2017, I traveled home to Sault Ste. Marie to perform my first ever hometown gig at LopLops on Queen Street East. There was a short write-up in the paper, and the event was published in the "Algoma Entertainment Listings" section of the newspaper, which I photographed and posted on social media. Upon seeing this our lead guitarist, Ken Yoshioka, commented "hey! I live on Algoma Street in Toronto!" ... what a beautiful coincidence! What are the chances? I knew right then, that I would one day release a record under the moniker "Algoma Street". And here we are, 7 years later: Algoma Street is indeed named after the beautiful northern region of Ontario that I grew up in and treasure so dearly. Algoma Street is also a nod to our beloved guitarist, Ken Yoshioka, who is a founding member and a very important component of the Eric & The Soo 'sound'. And it's especially fitting this time around, as this EP includes "Today's News (Nothing to Worry About)" which is the first ever Ken Yoshioka composition to appear on an Eric & The Soo record. It's a beautiful song, and we are so proud to present it as part of this record.

Everyone involved in this project contributed so beautifully and in each in their own unique way. I worked very closely with our drummer Dino Naccarato to develop the appropriate groove and feel of the songs, and Dino also contributed to the development of the arrangements. Ken Yoshioka provided his usual imaginative magic on electric guitar and harmonica. Ken also helped in the development and structure of the vocal harmonies. We employed a trio of brilliant bass players with the aim of giving each song the special groove element that was needed. Christopher Kettlewell plays on the opening track "Time Won't Let Me", giving it a subtle jazz-pop element to complement the relatively simple roots-rock foundation of the song. The next four songs are more in the rock arena, with Sault Ste. Marie based bassist, Jon Ferguson, providing an assertive rock n' roll sensibility to songs that range from moody to psychedelic. And finally, long time Eric & The Soo bassist, Tim Bradford provides the perfect, understated, country-folk groove to "I Am The Universe" which is probably one of the most meaningful songs I've ever written. Adding another element of beauty to the sound is Juno Award winning blues pianist and organist, Julian Fauth who seamlessly provides tasteful groove and melody elements throughout. As is always my aim, I truly feel we have created something that is greater than the sum of the parts.

I also want to highlight the incredible work of the behind the scenes production team. A huge slice of the credit goes to mixing engineer John Dinsmore. We've been working with John since 2019, and his contributions are nothing short of magical. You can hear it on this record especially, as it is an eclectic mix of richly textured songs. As someone who has heard what the raw inputs sounded like, in contrast to the polished final product, I can tell you that the function of mixing really becomes an artform in John's hands. You can especially hear this on the song "Easy Misery", which is a masterclass in mixing and engineering, and I'm so proud of the final result. Credit is also due to mastering engineer Jeff "Fedge" Elliot. Mastering is a bit of a dark art, and much like quantum physics it is not truly understood by anyone, not even the experts. Jeff however comes very close in understanding, as can be heard on this album: the songs sound rich, smooth, creamy, and vibrant, with all of the elements popping, when and where they should. I'm so grateful to be able to work with such talented professionals.

Last but not least, I want to acknowledge the beautiful cover art provided by Montreal based artist, John Naccarato (Dino's big brother). Upon John's request, I provided John with early mixes of the songs for inspiration (along with photos provided by Ken Yoshioka), and he internalized and synthesized these elements to provide the fantastic artwork shown here.

Featured Artist of  Eric & The Soo
with the song:  It's OK To Be Beautiful


Artist's Biography

Introducing Eric & The Soo's most experimental work to date, blending elements of jazz, prog-rock, psychedelia, blues, and folk. Showcasing the depth of talent within the band, "It's OK To Be Beautiful" is a genre-bending work that encourages you, the listener, to be proud of who you are, because who you are is beautiful. Speaking of beauty, this song contains beautiful performances from Ken Yoshioka on guitar, slide guitar, and harmonica, while Dino Naccarato impresses with a rock-solid drum performance showcasing a wide range of styles.
Dino also takes his first turn on Marimba and Xylophone for this recording
introducing a whole new dimension of sound to the Eric & The Soo canon. Tim Bradford underpins these performances with a driving bass line, while Eric Brombacher floats his acoustic guitar over top and lends his voice to the vocal section.

As Eric relates, "The core concept for the song came to me after an evening of listening to jazz stylings of Wes Montgomery. I started to hear a guitar melody in my head, which I immediately sang into my phone. The following evening, Dino and I got to work on building the song, and it grew from there. Though I question its commercial viability, it's a song I'm immensely proud of, specifically as it serves as a great showcase for the talents of my bandmates."
So come join us on this experimental, musical ride. Maybe it will inspire you to open your mind to something new. It's OK to try new things, it's OK to open your mind, it's OK to be beautiful.

Full Album show of October 11, 2019
Album: Modern Dystopia

4While Eric & The Soo's debut album "Small Town Dreamer" saw Toronto-based songwriter Eric Brombacher looking inwards and backwards to his past and his childhood in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, his follow-up sees him looking more outwards and forwards, at society as a whole and at our future on this beautiful planet we call Earth. "Modern Dystopia" is a concept album that explores the current social climate and the challenges we face as humankind. The songs touch on themes both personal and societal including isolation, depression, homelessness, conformity and social obedience while still offering some hope for change, as it explores an imagined pre-apocalyptic future. Are we really free? Or are we just slaves to the machine? Is it too late, or is there still hope for our beautiful world? Released November 20th, 2018: Modern Dystopia by Eric & The Soo Produced by Jerry Leger Engineered and Mixed By Tim Bovaconti Mastered by Jeff "Fedge" Elliott All Songs by Eric Brombacher *Except "Time Travelers" by Eric Brombacher & Jerry Leger.