JULY 30, 2025 INTERVIEWS
Eric Bachmann: Can't be Faked (Bonus)
Eric Bachmann started recording in the late '80s and early '90s with the indie heroes, Archers of Loaf. The group had a unique sound that is still heavily cited today. However it was far from a clean or heavily "produced" feel, which is why listening to his latest LP, Eric Bachmann, on Merge Records might shock fans of his early material. A lush, intimate record (and on many critic's Top Ten lists by year's end) that was written on piano, Bachmann delivered nine songs that are undoubtedly at the top of his craft, echoing influences like Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan, as well as utilizing female backing vocals that recall a vintage R&B vibe. I chatted with Eric while he was in Athens, Georgia, working on a self-produced follow-up album. For those of us who have been lifelong fans throughout his various projects (Archers of Loaf, Barry Black, Crooked Fingers, and solo), Eric remains an anchor. Despite going through the wringer of the music industry, he remains unjaded and is a constant fan of music. As The National's Matt Berninger put it, in his wonderful liner notes for Merge's LP release of Crooked Fingers' Bring on the Snakes, Eric "understands how seriously people take rock music."
