Out now! Eric’s new Valentine’s Day EP GOOD GIRLS NEVER WALTZ WITH ME!
AN INTERVIEW WITH ERIC ALEXANDRAKIS ON HIS NEW RELEASE GOOD GIRLS NEVER WALTZ WITH ME
By Harrison fiat
What was the inspiration for "Good Girls Never Waltz With Me" the song, and the album itself?
I love old Europe, and how over the decades/eons, some buildings and neighborhoods stay completely the same. The track itself was inspired by my first trip to Salzburg, Austria about 20 years ago. It felt like a very romantic place, and having seen The Sound of Music a million times, it also felt like walking into that film. I pictured a young couple running up and down the rolling hills being mischievous, and so I made up a story. I was just there again a few months ago, and the promo photo [for this release] of me walking away from the camera was taken on the exact spot where the "Do Re Mi" scene from The Sound of Music was shot.
But why such a sad title?
I like underdogs, but I was also probably going through something at the time and projected that into a more positive scenario. The last chord is the wake up call. Sometimes you get an idea about someone or something, and create a story around it that is imaginary, as it's more fun to make stuff up than it is to be open. I also like "seasonal" releases as it allows for a different kind of expanded creative freedom. There are way too many songs about the perfect this, or that, or that person hurt me, blah blah blah.
And the album?
My whole approach to my own music is pretty consistent. I like titles to sound like film titles, I like melodic hooks, interesting moods via production, and I like fun music. Although I can be eclectic, there is always a familiar thread running through everything. My friends always say, "Sounds like Eric!"
Tell me something about each one of the other tracks:
"The Landing of Figaro": An exaggeration of that feeling of completeness, once the flight attendant welcomes you to your destination.
"Good Girls Never Waltz With Me": It's about innocence. I recorded the vocal and main guitar live in one take, and fully intended on replaying/resinging, but got lazy, and built the rest on top. Recorded on a 16-track recorder.
"Dreamgirls From Hell": An alternate instrumental version of the original track "Dreamgirls", found on my Grammy® Nominated album I.V. Catatonia, and recorded on a 4-track cassette recorder.
"Liesl's Waltz": About curious naivety. I recorded the background noise on my phone while walking through the streets of Salzburg.
"Hunting Punk Venus": An alternate Punk version from the original track "Hunting Venus", found on my Grammy® Nominated album I.V. Catatonia, and recorded on a 16-track recorder.
"I Love Me, Myself & I": Egomaniacs often assume that their words have more meaning than those around them.
"Disco Fembot Valentine": A fembot reciting Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 in an attempt to woo someone in a disco.
"Good Boy Sometimes Sings My Songs": My 3 year old singing the title track.
You have been on an almost prolific overdrive over the last year and a half with what, 12 releases? What's happened?
Something like that. I'm so backlogged with albums I've made, I feel the need to just keep pushing out as much as possible, so that I can start fresh. Problem is I've already written and mostly recorded the next 5, and every day I have new ideas. It can be frustrating as hell. Being a responsible father, and having production responsibilities tends to limit time.
It's sounds like a journey with no layovers.
That's exactly what it feels like. The journey as a creative person on overdrive never ends, because there is always something new to experience. When you think you've done it all, you've missed the point.
Is it that you're searching for something through your journey?
Oh I'm always looking for answers, whether creative, metaphysical, physical, and so on. Finding that perfect chord progression, closing that particular chapter, figuring out the universe...you know, simple things like that ha!
What are you listening to these days?
The Rolling Stones remasters, The Police remasters, Japan remasters, The Fratellis new album, The Beatles' "Let It Be Naked", "Plastic Ono Band" remaster, "The Mandalorian" soundtrack, new Duran Duran, and a live Yes album from 1990.
It seems you are mostly into catalog these days.
Yeah, I rarely find anything new I like, because you can't find anything with uncomputerized performances. I can't listen to that, I have to hear the spaces between the notes, and these days because of recording software, there are no spaces...but I do like that Weeknd Arian Grande "Save Your Tears" remix. Has an 80's feel.
Is that basically your favorite style, 80's?
It's when I was a little kid, and they say your most important music hits you at that age. I like all decades, except maybe the last one overall. I think the 70's were the most creative period, but I also love the jangle of the 60's, the bop of the 50's, the electro rock of the 90's, film scores...it's all relative.
Any new artists who have caught your ear?
No.
What's your favorite part of the musical process?
The cherry on top for me is laying down the vocals. I think I am most happy when singing.
When you were a college kid, you produced the first digitally watermarked CD...a tech invented by your buddy Scott Moskowitz. What's it like knowing that this tech runs everything we do digitally?
It's wild. I knew Scott was onto something, had no idea if it would work, but believed in Scott, so I gave the green light. To think that Scott's invention is at work as I type this, log into anything and everything, is so cool and still inspiring.
What do you think is the biggest problem with the music industry?
It hasn't embraced technology properly, and it's the only industry in the history of commerce that is designed to destroy itself. Why would any industry devalue its own products? Complete idiots are in control.
What's the solution?
If I play my cards right, you'll see.
Sounds like you know something.
🙂