Multi-instrumentalist Eric Ezra recently released his album, Amphibian, blending industrial-style electronic production with metal drums and varying forms of guitar work into the sonic equivalent of Captain America meets Swamp Thing.
Eric Ezra has been pounding out his grunge-meets-goth-meets-metal-meets-progressive (but not prog-rock) compositions in rapid succession since 2020, with Amphibian being his seventh album in four years, and that doesn’t include several interstitial singles and EPs. Chronically experimental, Ezra’s works incorporate truly novel and haunting production work paired with guitar styles ranging from shoegaze to psychedelic.
Amphibian, Ezra’s most comprehensive album to date, borders on the conceptual while remaining avant-garde and exploratory. These tracks do seem amphibious, clocking the life and times of the figure on the album cover.
Ezra explains, “The album ‘Amphibian’ is just a collection of bangers I wrote. There is some conceptual significance about the first track being called ‘Amphibian’ because it sounds like a monster walking through a swamp but other than that it’s just a lot of music. The song titles are just associations with concepts that songs sounded like to me.”
Tattoo.com caught up with Eric Ezra to find out more about his unique sound, his shift from indie-rock to electronic, and his influences.
How would you describe your own music?
It’s meant to be laid back but kind of aggressive. I like to focus on rhythm sections as being complicated enough to stand on their own so that the melody can drive the music over the top.
Tell us more about ‘Amphibian.’ Walk us through your mindset as you recorded.
I really just sat down every day working on songs trying to come up with something good. I let the keyboard direct the process in the beginning. There are so many sounds that machine can come up with, so I always start out with that and then move on from there.
What prompted you to shift from indie-rock to a more electronic direction?
I’m not sure why I started playing electronic music. I think I’ve always liked electronic music and found it easier to go in a new direction with keyboards. I like guitar but it is kind of limiting to have to come up with music only on a guitar.
Which artists/musicians influenced your sound?
I started listening to Mega Drive and Volkor X a lot when I started making electronic music. I think those two bands inspired me to start playing on keyboards more.
For years albums and, generally, all new music dropped on Tuesdays. Now, it’s typically Fridays. What are your thoughts on the change?
I don’t know about that. I was releasing my own albums for a while but lately it has been through record labels so I didn’t really have a say in when the records were released.
‘Amphibian’ encompasses 10 tracks. Is there one track that’s more personal to you, that carries more meaning, than the others?
No, I wouldn’t say any of them are really personal. There’s not much emotional expression in my music, it’s more about just making good music than conveying an emotion or anything like that.
With ‘Amphibian,’ what was your main focus? What did you really want to try and achieve with this record?
My main focus was just exploring a new keyboard I had gotten. I wanted to make music that sounded great, and I think I did a decent job with this record.
Eric Ezra | Amphibian
What kind of guitar do you play? And what amps and pedals are you using?
I play a Fender Stratocaster, but I don’t play through an amp. Everything is directly input with my recordings, even the drums are an electronic drum set. I use a Wampler distortion pedal and Caverns and Digitech delay pedals.
Now, I do want to ask as well, what’s been the highlight of your career so far? Maybe touring or who you’ve played with, something that’s really stood out.
It’s hard to say because really my career hasn’t been very rewarding. I used to play in bands and playing shows was fun at the time, but it wasn’t that much different from just hanging out with friends that I saw all the time anyway. I think making this album has been the best part though. I’m very proud of this record.
In my for what it’s worth opinion, much of contemporary music doesn’t follow the traditional song structure: intro, verse — chorus — verse — chorus —bridge — chorus— outro. Yet your songs do follow a more traditional structure. How do you explain that?
Song structure is a major part of composition. The way the parts interact is a significant aspect of how a song sounds. So, for me, I like to repeat parts at least once in a song, and coming up with different structures throughout the album is always key.
Is that the way you were taught, or did it just come naturally?
I guess that most of the music I’ve listened to has always been classically structured like that.
Which do you enjoy the most: writing, recording, practicing, or playing live?
I like recording the most. There’s just a lot you can do with music when you sit down and record your ideas. It’s also great to have the recording on file to listen to at any time.
What’s next for you?
I just signed a contract with Golden Robot Records and I will be releasing a new album sometime soon. I plan on recording a few more records. I’m not really interested in playing live shows or anything like that. I’m just trying to record music and put it out there for people to listen to.
