New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Singer Eryn is on a quest to establish her voice, both literally and figuratively. As an award-winning emerging artist, she's been hard to categorize - often described as a mixture of blues, soul, jazz, pop, rock and country. Now she's figured out that puzzle, and seeks to lay claim to the 'RetroPop' genre with her upcoming EP 'Lady E', out April 6th.
Eryn combines an old school sound that evokes the rhythms and recording techniques of the past with a modern pop mindset and powerhouse live performances. She's looking for something authentic, commenting, "The music industry always goes through waves of the bubble gum and the raw, and I feel like the public is starting to tire of the bubblegum that has been on the scene for the last decade."
In 2016, she became the youngest-ever inductee into the NJ Blues Hall of Fame. Born and raised in Maryland and now living in New Jersey, Eryn began singing professionally at the age of 13 and hasn't looked back. She has performed with or opened for such luminaries as
Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Greg Allman, Robert Cray, Don McLean, Johnny Winter, The Gin Blossoms, Bernard Purdie, The
Little River Band and many others.
Changing her name has been a crucial part of her new, self-empowered perspective, as she sheds her last name 'Shewell' to perform simply as 'Eryn' - "This EP represents a new chapter in my book of life, and for me as an artist. There have been many changes for me since I released my last record four years ago. Not only did I get married to the man of my dreams, I was able to cut out a lot of negativity and find a new self-worth. It's almost as if changing my name represented letting go of my past pain and heartbreak. We will always go through tough times but now I feel more prepared to tackle them. Loving and understanding myself is the key to this. It feels as if all my previous works were me as a girl, and now I have become a woman."
Much in the way
Bruno Mars recalls the excitement of 1970s music, or
Amy Winehouse took listeners on a journey back to the 1960s, or
Meghan Trainor evokes a 1950s vibe, Eryn hopes to have Lady E transport listeners to another era. The EP delivers in a big way - starting with Eryn's powerful, thrilling vocals and reinforcing them with a compelling range of songs, from the wit and catharsis of first single 'Hallelujah You're Gone' (out March 23rd,) to the understated storytelling of 'Stranger in my House', to the epic build of 'The You Missing From Me', written by Bon Jovi's
David Bryan, which rises to an anthemic high and is surely a centerpiece of the EP.
Watch a live performance of Eryn covering 'Natural Woman':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKvWfCMTOvQ&feature=youtu.be&t=3m51s
The pedigree on Eryn's upcoming EP is impressive. It was Produced and Mixed by Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz, Joss Stone, Beyonce,) and Daley also played bass on the EP. Songwriting credits include ASCAP Award winner Cheryl DaVeiga & Anthony Krizan (Spin Doctors, Lenny Kravitz,) and the musicians are among the best in the business - see the list of players, here: https://erynofficial.com/liner-notes
Eryn offers these further thoughts:
I'm hoping these songs and my delivery can reach out to both a younger audience and a mature audience by combining the older retro elements of the music of the 60's and 70's with some of the newer pop elements of today. RetroPop is a style of music that seeks to both recall and update the sounds of recent eras. There are more and more artists coming out who are embracing real instruments and old-school recording styles. The world is going through such a crazy time that I think people are craving 'genuineness' and realness.
Track-by-track song notes, by Eryn:
"Hallelujah You're Gone"
This song really represents where I am in my life right now. I've been in a lot of bad relationships in the past, both personal and professional, and it took me a while to realize who the negative people were in my life. Once I cut out this negativity it seemed like doors started opening and I made room for great things to start happening.
"The You Missing From Me"
When I first heard this song I cried on
David Bryan's studio couch. Something within the music and the words just touched my soul, even though I had not yet fully grasped the meaning of it all. The lyrics and the melody just resonated with the aching I had gone through for so many years. What an amazing honor to have someone as talented as
David write a song specifically for me to sing.
"Just Jump"
This is a fun song about the fear of beginning a new relationship after being hurt a few times. We were really trying to capture the vibe of the old
Al Green tunes when writing this one. Cheryl DaVeiga came up with this really cute lyric Idea and we merged it with some music and melody I'd been working on. I think there are many times in our lives when we need to put our fears behind us and just jump into the fire -- and that's this song.
"
Stranger In My House"
This song hits really close to home for me. I wrote this lyric after getting into an argument with the person I was with at the time. It just flowed out onto the paper like my muse was writing it for me. I turned around one day and realized that this person I was living with was a complete stranger, and although we had been in a relationship for a long time, I didn't know who he was. I think a lot of people have gone through this in their relationships and marriages and can relate to this sense of desolation.
"Our Love Won't Die"
All relationships go through tough times, but I believe that a strong friendship underneath a relationship will truly hold it together. I always try to keep this in mind if I ever argue with my husband. I know that underneath any frustration and anger, he will always love me.
"Running Red Lights"
This is another fun song for me. I really wanted to sing this song because of the Motown elements in the music and melody, as well as how much I love the visual in the lyric about chasing after the one you love by running red lights to finally tell them how you feel. We should all be out there telling the people we love that we love them everyday. Life is too short.
Upcoming Performances Include:
April 6 Gladstone Tavern Gladstone, NJ
Eryn & The Whiskey Devils
April 13 The
Cassidy Maplewood, NJ
Eryn & The Whiskey Devils
April 28
Lizzie Rose
Music Room Tuckerton, NJ
Eryn opening for The Matt O'Ree Band
August 5 Long Branch Summer Concert Series - West End Park -
Eryn & The Whiskey Devils Long Branch, NJ
Full Schedule here - https://www.erynshewell.com/touring
Full bio here: https://www.erynshewell.com/my-bio
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Visit: https://www.youtube.com/user/ErynsMusic
