Eric Tepe Band

Many artists feel as though the word “radio” carries with it the perception of commercial compromise and the taint of diminished artistic content in favor of increased sales. Cincinnati-based vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Eric Tepe understands that mindset but also feels there are ways to be commercially viable while maintaining artistic integrity.
“I’m not trying to be an oddball that sells it in from a different angle, I’m trying to go the Pop route,” Tepe says over coffee at a downtown Starbucks. “Top 40 radio is where I would want to be. I don’t consider us to be an Indie Rock band, I think we’re Pop/Rock, probably a little heavier than the standard.”

Tepe’s idea of a balance between aesthetic beauty and commercial functionality, clearly evident on his excellent self-titled EP, has been reinforced during his five years at LPK, one of the city’s leading design and marketing firms. Tepe notes that in some quarters he’s been accused of “selling out” based on his radio-friendly songs and a certain amount of production polish. When offered a definition of selling out as reverse engineering your song to include the name “Oscar Mayer,” Tepe doesn’t hesitate for a moment.

“I would totally do that,” he says, laughing. “I’m a consummate seller-outer. I would do that in a heartbeat. To me that’s all part of it. Make Oscar Mayer your art. That kind of relates back to my exposure as a brand person at LPK.”

Tepe began playing by ear with no formal musical education as a child, plinking out melodies and tunes on an old Yamaha keyboard. In college, Tepe picked up a guitar after being cut from the University of Cincinnati baseball team, leaving him with a surplus of time that allowed him time to explore his new instrument.

“I had a chord diagram book and learned five or six basic chords and could play 150 songs right off the bat,” Tepe says. “I started jamming on a lot of Classic Rock because it was easy to play.”

Within a year and a half of learning guitar, Tepe was playing cover sets at area bars, offering multiple renderings of “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Brown Eyed Girl” every night. Tepe gained more than mere playing time from the experience.

“I learned how to perform doing that,” he says. “When it’s you and 10 other people (in a venue), you’ve got to entertain yourself a little bit. I gradually learned how to sing, too.”

For five years, Tepe played solo, primarily at The Blue Note in Price Hill, opening shows for a variety of acts, including local favorites Denial. Tepe learned a good deal about the business end of the music business from Denial’s Kevin Finkelmeier (the pair is currently collaborating on material that could show up in Tepe’s sets and recordings in the coming year).

When Tepe felt confident enough to record a demo, he worked with a number of area artists, most notably former Over the Rhine drummer Brian Kelley, who became Tepe’s drummer of record. After a year of playing out as a guitar/drums duo, Tepe added veteran local bassist Mike Georgin, high school/college classmate Aaron Brown on guitar and experienced keyboardist Andrew Lenihan. The quintet recorded an EP’s worth of material but they all felt it could be better, so they hit Ashley Shepherd’s Audiogrotto Studio in Newport and came away with their six-song debut as the Eric Tepe Band, released officially last November.

“He brought us to a new level,” Tepe says of Shepherd’s work on the recordings. “Previously, I’d recorded with people who had their own sound and it didn’t seem like a good fit. Ashley has a better ear for Pop music.”

The proof of Tepe’s experience and approach is all over ETB’s EP, six songs of crystalline Pop that bristle and soar with modern Rock energy. Tepe has heard plenty of vocal comparisons to Coldplay’s Chris Martin and former Police frontman Sting, which isn’t a bad place to start for a guy who adheres to the concept of success by radio.

“To me, it’s a compliment, because I like the person that the comparison is being made with,” Tepe says of the comparisons. “I would rather sound like someone I enjoy listening to than someone I don’t relate to. I’m fine with arranging and marketing things to the masses and going the mainstream Pop route. A lot of how I sing is what it is and if you try to mess with that, you’ll lose what makes you unique.”

Tepe’s current plans are to write new songs (possibly on piano, to move away from his guitar-strumming singer/songwriter comfort zone), establish the band’s presence regionally and open themselves up to greater possibilities, including the possible recording of a full-length album.

“This year we’ll have opportunities to get a lot of exposure and I want to have songs that I think can fly against anything on the radio now,” Tepe says. “I think we need to get more beat oriented, and I need to adjust how I’m phrasing things to get more relevant to where things are at right now. We’re getting there.” - CityBeat Cincinnati

On Friday, February 8, 2008 The Southgate House (ballroom) will host the release show for Eric Matthew Tepe’s debut album “Right Shirt Wrong Shoes”. In addition to a performance by Eric and his band, local acts The Vinyltones and The Kentucky Struts will take the stage. Doors will open at 8:30 and the show will start at 9:30. Admission for ages 21+ is $5, and admission for ages 18-20 is $8.

“Right Shirt Wrong Shoes” started as a small six song EP project to be recorded at Ice Cream Factory Studio. Studio owner, producer, and musician Matt Parmenter Cincinnati, OH noticed potential in the songs, however, and decided to bring in new supporting musicians to retake the existing tracks. Brian Kelley Cincinnati, OH was enlisted as the drummer for the project and Ben Smith Florence KY, helped produce and play on the album. With two weeks left for tracking the decision was made to move forward with three additional songs that would bump the planned EP into a full length album. “I am happy with the album, exhausted from recording it, and excited to see how our hard work is received.” – Eric Matthew Tepe

This project has not created a new face, only a new format…a bigger format. Eric has been playing shows for five years, but has not until now presented his music with a full band. “Existing strictly as a solo acoustic act in Cincinnati, I found it a challenging task to be taken seriously. I was consistently pegged as an opening act, or settled for playing shows where one voice and one guitar seemed to go unnoticed.” – Eric Matthew Tepe. With the help of a supporting band in his live performances, Eric welcomes the change of pace, and hopes for a new perspective on his existing project. The Album Release Show on February 8th at The Soughgate House will showcase this new locally produced album, fantastic music, and most importantly, PROGRESS. - City Beat (Cincinnati, OH)

Once a week The Wheel's Still In Spin highlights a band from the Greater Cincinnati area. Whether you prefer Skyline or Gold Star, you will agree that this band is "Better Than The Chili."

After performing as a solo acoustic musician, Eric Matthew Tepe decided to record a six song EP at the hometown Ice Cream Factory Studio. Studio owner and musician Matt Parmenter suggested fleshing out the songs by adding a full band. As the sound grew so did the project. More songs were recorded and the album expanded to a full-length release entitled Right Shirt Wrong Shoes.

Tonight, Friday, February 8th, 2008, Tepe and his band, which includes Parmenter on bass and backing vocals, Ben Smith on guitar and backing vocals, Brian Kelley on drums, and Al Hidalgo on keyboards, will be playing the Southgate House Ballroom for the release of Right Shirt Wrong Shoes. Accompanying Tepe’s band will be The Kentucky Struts and The Vinyltones. Admission for the show is only $5 (or $8 for age 18-20).

To get a feel for the euphonious and savory sound of the singer-songwriter’s new album, visit Eric's myspace site where you can listen to two songs, “Her Shift” and “Polar.”

Also, a video of a live performance of “Her Shift” with the full band is infixed after the jump.
- The Wheel's Still In Spin.com