Singer/Guitarist Eric Croft
Crimson Croft was formed in Glasgow, Kentucky in December of 2014. Founding member Eric Croft is no new comer to music. His various music projects makes him a veteran musician. Crimson Croft is comprised of vocalist Eric Croft & drummer Nick Gabow of Circled In Black. The band formed when Circled In Black went on a long & still lasting hiatus due to issues of extensive travel between band members. The band performs in a two piece & sometimes three piece set with bass player Ricky Hodge. They have released material on various online mediums such as Bandcamp, Reverbnation, YouTube, and Soundcloud. They have graced stages at various venues around Bowling Green, Ky, Louisville, Ky & Nashville, Tn. They often perform with various other acts such as Chest Rockwell, Heron & Crane, The Creatures and All Deeds Done. Eric is a master when it comes to lyrics and has played in bands since his teens, and his romance with words came long before that. His way with words allows his darkest revelations to escape his soul and into our ears. We were lucky enough to speak with Eric about his music, influence and some other tid bits of information.
You have been in several projects throughout the years, Distorted Souls, Circled in Black and now currently Crimson Croft. How do those projects compare and contrast?
Eric Croft: The Distorted Souls project was the beginning so to speak for me experimenting with music & collaborating with other artists. It was very industrial. Next came Circled in Black which was more of a metal band I think. What I’m doing now with Crimson Croft is more indie/alternative rock.
You have always wrote amazing lyrical content, what do you use as inspiration to write? And what motivates you to make music?
Eric Croft: My lyrical inspiration I would have to say comes from dreams, sometimes nightmares. Of course none of us can escape the impression daily life, pop culture & social interaction has on our artistic views. Music has always been an outlet for me, a way to cope & attempt to understand the many monstrous & occasionally beautiful things that manifest in this life. It feels to me like the simplest & most natural form of expression.
What does it mean to you when a fan or listener really connects to your lyrics and has a positive effect on them?
Eric Croft: I’ve always felt that every living organism is somehow interconnected. I think relating to an artist & sharing the same emotion as them through their work is proof of that. It’s an amazing thing.
Who would you contribute as being some of your top influences as an artist?
Eric Croft: I would have to say Marc Bolan & T-Rex. The punk scene also rubbed off on me, The Dead Kennedys, Christian Death. Also Joy Division, Love & Rockets, so many different influences. Queens of the Stone Age, Elliott Smith, the list could go on & on.
How would you describe Crimson Croft’s sound to people that may not be familiar with the band?
Eric Croft: I think we are a blend of Lofi,indie/alternative, mixed with punk & space rock. Some of the music could also be described as singer/songwriter material. I’ve began to refer to it as an indie rock oddity.
What goals have you set for yourself as a musician?
Eric Croft: I’m mostly driven by performing live, writing & recording. I also enjoy creating the overall imagery & artwork for the music. I hope to continue watching this grow into an entity all its own. It would be great to find & sign with the right label at some point, I’d love to tour.
How does your writing process start and then evolve into a song?
Eric Croft: I’m always writing poetry/lyrics throughout the day, I’ll often look over them as I sit down to write riffs on the guitar. Sometimes it appears to me like a jigsaw puzzle, I simply have to sort the pieces out & put the song together. Once I have something I feel comfortable with I’ll share it with the other guys. From there we continue the writing process together & it eventually becomes part of our set list.
Can you tell us about the other members of the band?
Eric Croft: Well I have Nick Gabow on drums, he & I have been writing music together almost 9 years now. He collaborated with me on The Distorted Souls Project, also played drums in Circled in Black. At this point it’s almost like we have some kinda psychic connection, when working on a new song we both already seem to know the direction we are going without having to say anything. I have Ricky Hodge on bass, he & I began working together on a fun but short lived project called The Ghost & The Human Hoax. He’s a very experienced & talented musician & recording artist. I consider myself very lucky to be in a band with these fine & talented gentlemen.
How have fans reacted to your music when you play in a live setting?
Eric Croft: What I’m doing now is very different as opposed to what I’ve done in the past. Being only a vocalist & front man for other projects I used various stage antics to interact & capture the audience attention. Now it’s more of an intimate setting it seems. Now I tend to rely more on the power & energy behind the music. I think now people are paying more attention to what’s being conveyed rather than how I’m dressed or what I’m doing while on stage. So far the reactions have been great.
What do you feel has been the biggest learning experience for you as a musician?
Eric Croft: I think that being forced to rely upon myself to make the effort to move forward & continue on has had the biggest effect on me. Nothing ever comes easy in life, & if you let someone or any circumstance get in the way of your dreams then it’s your own fault. Ultimately it’s up to you & only you where you choose to go as an artist or in life in general. You can never base your decisions & actions upon the expectations or standards of other people. Another example I think would be my approach to recording, I don’t do it based upon industry standards or the way someone else may want to hear it. I choose to record Lofi & sometimes let the song sound raw or rough because it sounds better that way than it would overly polished & produced.
“Little Thorn” is a favorite song of mine, can you tell us about the inspiration behind the song?
Eric Croft: I was in a toxic relationship, I tried to make it work but in the end I had to let go. In the chorus of the song I say “I cut you from my side, little thorn this is goodbye, although the pain is bittersweet, there is no more you & me”. Sometimes we can get used to being hurt, so much so that we don’t even recognize it as being hurt anymore, it’s just something that we come to accept as all we may ever know. To me the song is about finally recognizing that your being hurt & making the choice to put an end to it.
You are based in Glasgow, Kentucky. Which use to have a pretty good music scene. How is the scene there currently? Do you feel living in that area is beneficial to the band or does it hinder your growth?
Eric Croft: It’s my home town, so it will always be home to me, but I plan to relocate soon to bowling green Ky. I spend a great deal of time there anyway, it’s a bigger city & there are many more opportunities available for a musician. Glasgow is small, a lot of great talent comes from Glasgow but in the end it doesn’t offer much to build a name for yourself upon. There aren’t really any music venues.
Is there anything currently in the works for Crimson Croft? Tour? Album or EP release?
Eric Croft: We are currently working on an EP that we are recording & producing ourselves. we are also looking to book shows locally in Bowling green Ky, Louisville Ky & Nashville Tn. We hope for a full album release & tour in the near future.
Open floor… Is there anything you’d like to say to our readers?
Eric Croft: You Can keep up with us & get information about upcoming shows & new music releases by visiting our Facebook page & various other forms of social media.
YouTube
Facebook
Reverbnation
Bandcamp
Soundcloud
Twitter
Instagram
Crimson Croft is now booking shows in/around Bowling Green, Nashville, and Louisville. You can follow them at any of the above to hear more, and we will have a exclusive song release in the next few weeks; so stay tuned.
