John Eichleay
Brooklyn, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
John Eichleay’s self-titled debut album is ambitious yet wholly approachable. Eichleay worked as a guitarist before going solo but upon moving to NYC, he found himself focusing on his own penmanship. Featuring everything from pop to synth-infused rock, his folk-inspired record captures Eichleay’s eagerness to experiment with all genres of music. “Tree Song” emits a sort of enchanting glow, dragging you into a story filled with childhood memories of the great outdoors, while the hazy keyboards on “Poor Excuse” gives you a good one to ponder love. The disc incorporates nearly five years of tireless writing into its simple tunes, making for a sharp yet very welcoming solo debut. (Copper Beach) - www.exclaim.ca
Alternative tunesmith John Eichleay creates one of 2008's more intriguing releases on his eponymous Copper Beech Records debut.
An eclectic Brooklyn, New York musician, Eichleay has taken his rock guitar chops and filled out a swinging psychedelic rock sound with his backing band, including bassist Jamie Bishop, keyboardist Adam Klipple and drummer Jordan Perlson. Composed of hard-to-forget sonic forays that revolve around NYC cityscapes, Eichleay digs deeper with each track. The opener, "Friends and Family," introduces Eichleay's gritty vocals and scratchy guitar leads, and he later takes "Subway Shuffle" and "Strange Parade" to new punk heights. Masterful pop ballads like "Breathing In" are sure to find instant audience attraction across the country and expose Eichleay and company's vast instrumental talents.
Recorded by Joshua Sadlier-Brown at Dubway Studios in New York City, the auspicious first album by John Eichleay is sure to turn a few heads and summon even more to his transcendental cause.
John Eichleay is out now on Copper Beach.
- Honest Tune
“Taking cues from the beautiful melancholy pop of Jeff Buckley, the orchestral moods of Andrew Bird and many others, Eichleay's songs are rhythmically and musically original. "Friends and Family," with its sashaying rock beat, happy organs and the songwriter's sprightly vocal, is like a Vampire Weekend song without the throwback gimmickry. The mid-tempo "Tree Song" is perhaps one of the disc's most single-worthy cuts, with a catchy tension-building guitar part giving way to a stop-and-start chorus led by Eichleay's nostalgic tree-climbing lyrics: "We took to treetops to watch the world dance ... and with each new day we saw a great chance to greet each sunrise, to know each sunset." Wherever John Eichleay has been hiding, it sure is nice to have him finally stepping into the spotlight.” - Staten Island Advance - Staten Island Advance
“Throwing together everything from the dub beats of ska to the pop melodies of the British Invasion, and stirring it all together with the bare bones attitude of such legends as Jonathan Richman; John Eichleay brings more than a serving size of indescribable, avant-garde, and inventive blues-based rock ‘n’ roll to the dinner table. He places the three course meal in front of the listener, and leaves them begging for more.” - Metro Spirit - Metro Spirit
Fire Drills Review:
The eponymous debut album by New York musician John Eichleay is a simple lesson what a solid voice, lyric and melody can do that will draw you in immediately. Eichleay started out on classical guitar but has explored everything from blues and funk to jazz and bluegrass. In 1997 he moved to Chicago to attend DePaul University, where he became friends with guitarist Alfonso Ponticelli and played the Chicago Jazz Festival. His album shows off his experience as it is just a solid, catchy and smart Beatlesque record. - Fire Drills The Fire Note Annex Sept 30th
Discography
1. John Eichleay "Self Titled" Oct 2008
2. Pigeon Vision Oct 2010
3. new album on the way
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Bio
John Eichleay may originally be from Pittsburgh, but this singer-songwriter, who now calls Brooklyn home is quintessentially New York. His newest effort, Pigeon Vision (Copper Beech Records) is a sonic soundscape inspired by his experiences living in the city; from tiny apartments, the frenzied pace, and late nights in the Big Apple.
Having devoted the past four years to this solo project, Eichleay's eclectic taste in music lent itself to the songwriting process, drawing influences from Americana/roots music to classic rock and Britpop fare.
Eichleay's urban surroundings found their way onto Hideout, an upbeat blues tinged number that recounts his time in his bomb shelter of an apartment after a girlfriend left him broken hearted. While, tracks like Take Me Back Blues and Holiday were inspired by Eichleay's love of the outdoors. On Take Me Back Blues, Eichleay croons sometimes big city you get me so down and yearns for rural surroundings singing, Give me the meadows and the stars in the sky.
Much of Pigeon Vision was born out of the desire to craft an upbeat and festive musical experience that would translate well into live performances. This came to fruition on tracks like Suzanne and Rebound.
Recorded primarily at Fireplace and Integrated Studios in New York,Pigeon Vision was a collaborative effort tapping into the communal spirit of music making, with Eichleay enlisting a group of friends and seasoned NY
musicians including Daru Oda (Norah Jones' The Handsome Band), Adam Klipple (Drive by Leslie), as well as Tom Roslak and Jamie Bishop (The Prigs). He also commissioned producer-friend Joshua Sadlier-Brown, who he credits for helping him sift through a mountain of demos and giving the album an honest rock feel with loose guitar riffs and a rougher more authentic sound.
Eichleay also strove to craft a more consistently cohesive sound on Pigeon Vision, somewhat of departure from his more stylistically diverse 2008 self titled debut and resulting in a set of sparkling, emotive introspective indie pop gems showcasing a breadth of skill and experience.
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