Austin, TX (Top40 Charts/ Mark Pucci Media) As the national Labor Day holiday approaches, Austin-based singer/songwriter Eric Hanke's title track single from his latest CD paints a vivid portrait of the current state of the American worker in today's world. To hear the song, click on this link: www.erichanke.com.
"It's a workingman's tune," says Hanke about the song. "On the back of the Factory Man album, there's a picture of my grandfather when he was 17 years old in Germany, when he got his apprenticeship as a tool-and-die maker." His grandfather immigrated to the U.S. and like so many of his generation, spent most of his life working at one plant.
"That song is about when that place, after so many years, was closing down and outsourcing all of the jobs to China and Brazil," explains Hanke. "At the time, I wrote it about that one place in particular, but it became about unemployment in general and the hard economic times people are going through."
Since the April release of Factory Man, the album's pure Americana music sound, populated by tales of the hopes, fears and dreams of blue-collar characters all drawn from Hanke's life experiences (he was born in Michigan and moved to Dallas at the age of two), have resonated with fans and critics alike. "In line with serious writers like Slaid Cleaves and Bruce Robison, the tall Texan's tunes like the down and dirty 'Burn It Down' and world-weary title cut uphold his ability to compose in the tradition without resorting to gimmickry," said the Austin Chronicle in its review. "Hanke's earnest breed of roots-rock is a cool breeze on a stifling summer night." UK's Country Music People described the album as "...11 superbly crafted gems from a singer of huge talent, passion, soul and humanity;" while Elmore magazine said of Hanke's writing, "He not only translates inspirations into songs, as the best writers do, but he manages to touch on disparate but memorable details of life like baseball, old cars and heroes of bygone eras like Mickey Mantle. Inevitably you'll find something to relate to in Hanke's well-crafted, well-delivered tunes." And The Dallas Morning News said in its review: "Texas has a fresh troubadour in the Guy Clark, Robert Earl Keen and Townes Van Zandt tradition... Hanke stitches country, folk, blues and roadhouse soul into the vivid songs on his second CD. You'll connect with every one of them by the time the last note plays."
Factory Man was produced by Hanke's friend and bandmate, Merel Bregante, who gained fame drumming for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Loggins & Messina. Bregante also produced Hanke's debut album, Autumn Blues, which was released in 2006 and signaled the arrival of a new songwriter who drew comparisons to some of the best the Lone Star State has to offer. Bregante also added his drum work to the new CD, along with such other standout players as Bregante's wife, singer Sarah Pierce; guitarist Kenny Grimes; keyboardist Riley Osbourn; and steel player Cindy Cashdollar.
Released on Ten Foot Texan Records, the Factory Man album is available for digital download purchase at Amazon.com, iTunes, Napster and many other outlets, as well as through CD Baby and Eric Hanke's website. Radio promotion for Factory Man is by Leslie Rouffe of Songlines Music (615-298-2262; [email protected]).
