Eric Nicolau
He’s toured with Allstar Weekend and can be seen as part of the band on Glee, but Eric Nicolau has finally started to work more on his own music. This talented singer/songwriter just released his debut album on iTunes and it features a blend of sounds you need to hear to understand. Eric isn’t afraid to experiment with different sounds to come up with his own unique tone and to the benefit of the fans, there is always a new song to listen to. We chatted about Glee, the album and 2012, so make sure to check it out below.
Arin: You play a lot of instruments, when did you learn each one?
Eric: When I started my first band I was like 15, and we had all the instruments in my basement lying around at my moms house so when the guys weren’t around, they were really cool, I asked for permission of course, to use their instruments when I was writing the songs. I was like, actively writing so I would go down there and track some chords for the demos I’d try the drums and the bass and piano and all that stuff so I would hear the song in my head and I would want to play it immediately so I would basically record the songs myself and then show it to the band later. So, it just kind of happened because I just had the instruments around. See, you leave me in a room with the instrument and I guess I’ll figure it out.
A: What has it been like to take your many talents and put them to work with Glee?
E: It’s really great because Glee has started off as primarily a guitar role, because I was playing guitar for a significant amount of time in Season 2 but starting in this season I started playing keyboards and bass as well, and there’s no telling what could be next as far as what I’ll be playing on the show but its exciting because those extra abilities that I’ve picked up along the way have all the sudden come in handy because all the sudden you get called in to shoot and they say ‘hey can you play keyboards, we have this song that just came up and it would be really great if you could do it’ and my reply is ‘well of course’ so it’s been really great. I recently just did an episode with Ricky Martin and that was unbelievable, and I did song with Ricky Martin and I was playing keytar on it, but anyways it’s a really great episode and I’m excited to see it air because I have more of a shining moment in it.
A: Do you have a favorite song you got to do for Glee?
E: I’d have to say Hall and Oates actually, but actually I would have to say it’s a tie between Hall and Oates which was a mash up of their songs, and when we did the episode on Fleetwood Mac and we did almost all their songs from the record ‘Rumors,’ anyways it’s kind of a dad or mom record, but it was really cool because we played one of the songs, it was an acoustic song, with Artie, he’s that character in the wheelchair, he sings this song and it’s an acoustic song off that record and its one of my favorite songs in the world. So I got to play with like 20 guitar players on stage and I got to direct them in a way because I got to teach them all how play the part, it was like this big orchestral guitar thing, it was fun.
A: With your own music, your album just came out so what has it been like to finally get that out there?
E: It’s been great. I was nervous definitely, to see how people were going to respond to it, because it’s not a straight up pop record or anything, it’s not like a straight ahead synth, electronic, kind of sound, it’s a very earthy, organic acoustic pop with moments definitely of different styles, there’s some R&B Brazilian stuff and rock and pop, so it’s not one specific sound, it kind of touches a lot of different styles so it was kind of a trial for me it was kind of a test to see if they like them all, if they relate to one song or another and I’m starting to see that a lot of kids are liking the variety and it’s very interesting to me.
A: What do you think lyrically is your favorite song on the album?
E: My favorite song on the album, it kind of changes in time, you know how you have a CD that you listen to and you say that you love this one song and you think you will never stop loving that song, and then it kind of changes; that’s how I am with my record.
A: What are your goals for 2012?
E: My goals are to release another record, I would like to release a full length record by summer time, or at least have it wrapped and of course, I’m doing it all D.I.Y. right now so I’d love to go on tour and sign to a label, that would be amazing of course, but I need to build up a fan base and prove I can make a serious career out of this before I can even get to that point and that’s what its all about right now, just building it up from the ground floor.
A: How do you connect with all your fans through social networks?
E: Well, I went on tour this summer opening up for Selena Gomez with the band Allstar Weekend and then I came back and went straight into the studio to record this record. I had no time to really mess around or play and gigs or book much more than actually recording and social networking, so social networking has been obviously a huge focus for me. In Brazil, they really related to me because, Selena has huge fans down there and when I was on her tour, they obviously seem to know somehow everyone that’s on tour so I got some attention and they would ask “Are you Brazilian”, well yeah my family’s from Sal Paul and it just kind of started from there. They really found my music and are now just great dedicated fans, it’s crazy.
