Meet Guildford-born UK Open Mic performer erictwalker:

Hi erictwalker, thanks for joining us! Let’s get into it:

Do you play solo only, or also in a group?

Solo

How old are you?

47

Where were you born?

Guildford

Where did you grow up?

Er Guildford

How did that place influence your music? (if at all!)

Hard to say. We’re all influenced by our surroundings. I think my upbringing and relationships influenced my music the most.

Where are you based now, and why?

East Finchley in North London. I moved to London around in the early 00s after completely my Performing Arts degree in Winchester and since have lived in several boroughs. I’ve live in East Finchley since 2009.

What got you into making music in the first place?

Both my parents enjoyed music and singing their favourite songs around the house so this definitely had an impact. My first attempts at making music came about whilst collaborating with a life-long friend. We wrote adventure stories together and gradually progressed from adding new lyrics to hymns to writing and recording on badly played instruments. It was when I bought a Tascam 414 MKII Portastudio on HP in my late teens that I started to really understand composition and record my own songs and instrumentals.

What instrument/s do you play?

Singing
Guitar
Guitar
Percussion
Bass

Who would be in your top 10 musical influences, and why?

I could try to be cool and list loads of iconic bands but really it was the likes of Barbara Streisand, film soundtracks and little known French chanteurs that were my first introduction to melody and pitch. I think I always had an innate appreciation of songs and can still recall the words and melodies to various children’s TV programmes. I enjoyed Queen as my dad was a fan and must’ve heard their Innuendo album 1000 times. The title track is still one of my favourites. The rest of the album is patchy. I developed my own tastes in my mid to late teens, listening to various “Grunge” bands, Britpop (Blur & Pulp rather than Oasis) and Radiohead. These days I have very diverse tastes.

Do you write your own songs?

Yes

How many years have you been writing songs for?

30

What process, or processes, do you often find yourself using when you write songs?

I suspect I’m neurodivergent (waiting on an ADHD assessment), whilst this makes me very creative and full of ideas, actually finishing songs I find very difficult. However, I would say the best advice I ever read in terms of coming up with interesting, original ideas is to avoid writing exclusively on your instrument as you tend to fall into habitual patterns. I often record melodies and words on my phone as they pop into my head and work out later what chords fit behind them. This probably works for me as my music theory knowledge is minimal and I mostly go on feel: patterns, textures, emotion and so on.

How long have you been playing open mic nights?

20

Why did you get into playing them in the first place?

To overcome my fears of performing and for practice. I did my first one in a decade just recently and it was really nerve-wracking. I went on first and the room was loud with chatter (Friday night in a pub so to be expected) but this was actually really useful because it helped me feel less worried about making mistakes. Now I’ve yanked off that particular plaster, I feel ready to try again.

What advice would you give new performers who are just starting out playing their first open mics?

Everything is scary the first time and that’s normal. Bravery isn’t about being unafraid, it’s about plucking up the courage to do something despite being afraid and feeling vulnerable. Get that first one under your belt and try not to beat yourself up if it goes less well than you had hoped. You’re not being paid to perform and the audience isn’t paying to see you so don’t really owe them anything. Try not to over stretch too much and play what you love. In my experience, people respond to passion and feeling far more than technical prowess. If you can do both that’s great, but being authentic is far more appealing to audiences. There are plenty of successful artists who aren’t wizards on their instruments but people love them for how their music and personalities make them feel. Oh, and try to avoid attacking your guitar. Restraint invariably sounds better. Even the heaviest musicians let their amps and effects do most of the heavy lifting. Less is usually more.

What’s the hardest thing, for you, about playing open mics?

Easy. Talking to people. I’m a natural introvert and enjoy time alone the most, reading, listening and reflecting. That said, I do try to make the effort because I like meeting other people, especially musicians. If you find talking to others difficult like me, the advantage of open mics is you all have something in common and therefore an easy opening topic!

What’s the most bizarre, or fun, open mic, or gig, you’ve ever played, and why?

Too many to mention, they’ve all been unique. The musician The Kosmic Troubadour is a lot of fun – he brings percussion for the audience to play along with. Look him up.

If it’s not already, are you hoping to make music your full-time career?

No

What’s the one truth about you that people often find surprising?

I couldn’t tell you really, that’s for them to decide. I’ve been vegan for 30 years. It used to be surprising to some people but we’re ten a penny now.

What’s the most exciting project you’re working on at the moment?

Writing and recording a serialised children’s adventure series radio play type thing which I’ve been working on with the same life-long friend mentioned earlier. I have an interest in many creative forms and I’ve had a blast writing and recording silly parody songs for this project.

Where is the main place should people go to find out more about you?

https://www.facebook.com/erictwalkersinger

What other sites/profiles should people go to to find out more about you?

www.erictwalker.bandcamp.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.erictwalker.bandcamp.com

We’re done! Anything else you want to share before we go?

No thanks!