Interview: Sun City - Eric Roberson

Writer: Nilda Velez

New York has an incredible music history of birthing legends. Every borough has its own tales of musicians who performed on humble stages to gracious crowds. Now there is a new fairy tale in lower Manhattan, where independent artists get their chops up and, not coincidentally, no names become big names.

SOBs is a music lover's smorgasbord. Every night caters to different musical tastes, with everything from spinning Bhangra tracks to live Brazilian samba. It's the soul seeker's appetite for fresh RnB that's satiated on the last Wednesday of every month at Sol Village. The live showcase seeks up and coming acts to perform original material. Faithful followers are continuously impressed by the talent on stage, which has been graced by the likes of Bilal, John Legend, and Musiq.

The innately funny and self-proclaimed corn ball that glues the show together is no stranger to any stage. Eric Roberson, an integral part of the show's inception and its host, exudes the kind of energy that people equate with New York music. He's dedicated to the purpose of Sol Village, makes having fun a priority, and somehow has the time to work on two new projects. On Varick Street in the early morning hours after a show, he told me about the history of Sol Village, his new LP, and how soda changed his life.

How did Sol Village originate?

It started with a conversation with the people from SOBs. A young lady by the name of Erika Elliot was still here at the time doing booking. It was a phone conversation, like, "Yo, we have an idea. We want to put together different acts and perform." I said I would love to be a part of something like that, either picking the acts or helping publicize it. In that phone conversation, they kind of decided to make me the host. I never hosted anything before so I didn't know if I could really do it. I tried it and I fell in love with it, especially as an independent artist trying to get on at SOBs and how hard it was to get on the SOBs stage because it was such a popular venue. Sol Village was pretty much created to give a lot of up-and-coming independent acts a chance to perform at a more popular venue outside of an open mic type of evening where there's a band that will learn your routine or you could bring your own band. It's a good opportunity where executives could come look at you, or your demographic that would probably buy your album.

How has it changed in the year and a half you've been doing Sol Village?

We run a tighter ship now. Before, we didn't really know what we were doing. We still make mistakes and we may still run long. We still have to figure out certain things. We have to figure out how to keep the crowd for a whole show because you'll have a certain amount of the crowd who's there for a certain artist. You never know what artist they're there for. It could be for the first act. It could be for the last act, but after the third act performs and that third act leaves, part of his audience leaves. You have a core audience, which you saw tonight, who's there for just a good show. There's been times we had Bilal was in the audience. Times when Floetry was there and they got on stage. Musiq was there and he got on stage. There's always room for whatever.

What do you think has been the most memorable performance?

Can I even answer that? Oh my, God. I mean, Curt [Chambers] playing tonight, out of independent acts and I'm being extremely biased, for good reason, in saying Curt.

How are you affiliated with him?

He's the guitar player in my band, as well. Let me think. Once a month, there's usually somebody who will just blow me away. There's so many incredible independent acts, I can run off names, just in general, that performed that did a great job. I mean, Chandlar, perfect example. Chandlar just performed tonight and he's probably done Sol Village once or twice before, but when he first did it he didn't have an album, didn't have anything. So, it's good to see him get up there now and he's like, "I got albums to sell now" and things of that nature and that's what Sol Village is about. But I'm gonna give you a name of someone who blew, blew me away. [long pause] Georgia, a girl named Georgia. And when she performed, all she did was sit behind a piano and perform, but she was phenomenal. To see now that she's on Platinum Pied Pipers record and her own album that she sells on CD Baby is crazy! There's certain people, you see them and go, "They're about to take off!" It's only a matter of time.

To what extent are you involved in picking the acts?

When I'm available, when I can, I love to pick all or most of the acts. Unfortunately, with my touring, my schedule, and all this other stuff, I can't do it all the time.

How is Sol Village important to the soul scene in New York?

It's an outlet. It's an outlet and we're trying to educate people on what we're doing. I don't know if it's really appreciated on the level it can be. Truthfully, in the long run, I think there's going to be several Sol Villages to compete with this one, but that's fine because it gives artists an outlet to perform.

How are you trying to educate people?

There's other formats than just the radio that you hear, the videos that you see, and the concerts that you go to that you usually hear about. There are other talented people putting together some really incredible music and this is an outlet for you to see it. Independent music doesn't really have many outlets to advertise the music. When we first did Sol Village, funny enough, it was that way with everything. We had painters. We had fashion designers. People making jewelery. That's the difference between Sol Village now and before. Actually, before it was like a flea market of soulful things. Now it's like a soulful music review.

It's better that way?

I wouldn't say it's better that way. I liked when we had [it the other way]. I think it was a lot of work to probably get those people to come in and set up their venues. I think it made it more lively. If we could do that again [we would], but I think it was a lot of work.

Tell me about the new projects you're working on now.

I am working on taking over the world!

Do you care to elaborate?

[Laughs] I'm working on my album that's coming out in February and working on taking my show to another level now. I think we've toured the entire world with a very good show and we have more songs now and more ideas. We're trying to execute that in a way that people will enjoy it like they enjoyed the older show we did. So, the album we're doing now that's coming out in February and I'm releasing another album called The Appetizer in September. The Appetizer consists of songs I did over the last 13 years while I've been in the music business that people've been looking for. Certain songs have been hard to find that I've done.

So, are these songs that you've been performing, but that haven't made their way onto a formal album?

Well, three of the songs have been released before. One song is a song entitled The Moon that I did when I was 19 or 20 on Warner Brothers back when I was in college. That was a long time ago and that song has been out of print for years. As times, you'll find it selling on eBay for way too much money. It's a song that definitely when I go to places like D.C. or North Carolina, people are requesting it pretty heavy. I get asked about the song nonstop. Although I feel I've outgrown the song, but any person who did something 13 years ago or however old I am, you think you'd outgrow something like that, but people still love it. So, that song's on there. A song I did for an artist, Larry Gold. He's a string arranger in Philadelphia. He did an album. The album didn't really go anywhere, but we did a beautiful song called Just a Dream on the record and it gets a lot of airplay, but the song really has no home. No one really knows about his album. And just other songs that I worked on while developing myself to become the artist I am now. If you're a fan of mine and you love what I do, you'll love that record.

And that comes out next month?

It's being first released and introduced in London. The first copy anyone will ever have will be a person in London. The whole goal was to have the record finished to bring to London with us.

Why London first?

More than anything, I think they'll appreciate it more than anybody. It's the truth! Londoners are more appreciative of music than American people. I've been recognized more walking the streets of New York by Londoners visiting than by New Yorkers.

Who are you working with on the new project?

A lot of it was done with my band. I worked with Redhead Kingpin; still working with him on the records. Jermaine Mobley, who I did previous cuts on Musiq's record. We did something on his record. I should never get into saying names because I'm always going to forget somebody. Kev Brown who worked on the previous record, he and I did a song on the new record. And then some new producers as well. A guy named B. Jazz out of Ohio. It's been coming together.

What have you learned from hosting Sol Village and seeing other artists perform?

I think you learn something from everything and anybody, even if you learn what not to do. One thing that I've learned is to just enjoy yourself and be loose. People are not there to punish. People are there to enjoy you. So, I personally, for me, it's important not to take it too seriously. Sol Village is a perfect outlet for me to be as silly as I want to be. As foolish, as crazy as I want to be and still carry on a good show. It's bled over to my actual show now.

How has your show changed from back in the day?

Back in the day, I wanted to be all professional and sexy and just perfect. I wanted to look flawless and it's not about that. We're human beings and, basically, we're more celebrated when we're flawed. People can relate to you more. It's not that deep any more. What's important is that you have the right songs, the right messages. If you have those things, how you portray those songs, how you portray those messages is easier. If you have trash material, of course you have to add in fifty million parts of spectacle to try to make up for it. If you just have the core, which is a beautiful story or a beautiful message, just give the message. You can rock with a guitar or an 18 piece orchestra. It's whatever if you have the message. I truly understand that so the work goes into when you're in the studio trying to make the most honest song. I mean honest in your own personal life, but honest in the process of how you make the song. So, when you do hit the road, the job is a lot easier. You just get up there and enjoy yourself.

What moves you to write?

Oh, everything. The desire to just create. If I wasn't musically talented in any form or fashion, I probably would still be creating something. I'd be writing essays or doing spoken word on HBO or making socks or something! The creative bug is really, really in me. And it's still the same process. When I got my first keyboard at 11, 12, or 13, I was in the basement trying to figure out the next line or trying to figure out the next chord, the next movement in music. It's the same thing now. It's the same approach. I just know a little more now. I'm still excited when I get a line. I'm still excited when a song is finished. I'm still racking my brain and up till the wee hours of the morning trying how to say this line better. It's the same thing. It doesn't change. For me, the important thing has always been if that's where I get my joy from, if that's where I get my desire from, try to surround my life so that I'm not pulled from that situation. Being smart about how I financially do things because one wrong move will get blinded. If I do music for money, then I'll have to fit a timeline. I won't do music that I just enjoy myself. My songs are better when I just wait for them to come and when they come, I get out of their way.

You're that patient?

I have to be. I'm too spoiled now. I used to write a song a day. I did years of that. Literally, nonstop studio work. I had my own equipment, so I would write it and record it immediately. So, imagine almost a song a day would be recorded. Those songs weren't special. Once in a blue moon you'll have special song. So, I would go up to [my producer] and say, "Here's a new batch of songs, 15 songs" and they'd only go crazy over one of them. And that one was the one that just came at three o'clock in the morning before I went to sleep when the mood just hit me. Now I'm spoiled by those songs. That's what I want to do all the time. I stay humble and I stay in the music. So now I'm writing letters, I'm writing always or writing whatever, playing with ideas, doing research. I'm preparing myself so when the song does come. Writing isn't hard any more. I'm just extremely selective about it.

What topics have you covered on your new album?

A lot of it is still about love and my ongoing quest to understand it.

Are you in love?

Yes, but even being in love, it's still a struggle. My parents have been married for thirty-something years now and my mother's still trying to figure my father out. They were high school sweethearts and I understand that I'm not God. I don't understand women that much. I try to make sure I do what's right. She tries to do what's right. I try to write about that. There's other songs; there's a song called The Baby Song. A friend of mine was having a baby with his wife and I wrote it about the process of what he's going through with his wife; having a baby, running to get the milkshakes and cheeseburgers at three o'clock in the morning. The nervousness, the anticipation of waiting to see what his child is going to look like. Is it a boy? Is it a girl? There's a song called Man Who Had It All To Lose and that's really a story about a person who is wealthy in everything; has a beautiful family, has a great job, is looked up to in his community, but has a secret, dark life. He puts everything he's blessed with at risk every time he does the other stuff and one day that meets up. The song's not about Kobe, but it could be about Kobe. The song's not about President Bush, but it could be about President Bush. It's just a song about someone always putting themselves in danger. This person has it all, but they also have it all to lose.

How is it different from your older stuff?

This is a growth process. The challenge now, with all the records before, there was just so much going on in my life and I was able to put all that stuff in. I'm pretty settled now and you can't have that many crazy things happen in all the years before. I had to dig a little bit deeper for this record. I had to write more about other people's lives than just my own. It's a very honest record, as well.

You're funny. What makes you funny?

My parents are funny.

They're still together?

Yup; love sick love birds. It's very intimidating. That's just as intimidating as growing up... Do I want to say in a divorced household? Growing up in a divorced household is painful and intimidating, but growing up with parents who were married with two kids and a house by the time they got out of college and now you... At the age that I am now, still trying to figure it out, at 31 years old, my father already had me and my sister, a job, a house. Destiny was set and I'm still trying to figure it out. That's extremely intimidating to see a perfect match. To see a man driving and a woman holding the road map like, "Turn here." So everywhere you go you're like, "Is that my combination?" I had a model and a lot of people growing up didn't. Not to say that I'm right and they're wrong, but I don't see eye to eye with them because the idea I have in my mind is not the idea they have in their mind. I'm 31 years old, in love right now, doing very well, but the ones all the way before that didn't work out and I really tried hard in those [relationships]. It must be something I still got to figure out. Once again, it's not easy.

So, how were your parents funny?

They were funny in a whole different way. Well, some people think I'm corny.

Did your sense of humor make it on to the album?

Definitely on this one it did. I think it did on this one. I think more and more as I get older it will.

What would say was the funniest Sol Village moment?

The funniest moment I can think of right now was when this artist was performing and I had to introduce him. He gave me his bio late, first of all. So I'm reading the bio and it says that he's a love child of Stevie Wonder and Prince. [laughs] We stopped what we were doing and just ran and went on that whole tangent for... It was wrong and it was sick, but it was very, very funny and everyone was literally on the floor. We should maybe throw Chaka Chan or somebody in there! That's nasty! Yo, Stevie Wonder and Prince should not be having a child together. We went way too long on that. I mean, I know he's blind and I know he's sexy so maybe by the time he figured out it was too late. Ahhh! People were on the floor!

Do you enjoy performing in the UK?

I love it. I cannot wait to go back, They are so giving out there. I will honestly tell you, before Sol Village, before all of this, the first show that I really understood what matters was when I went to London with Jazzy Jeff and we did some concerts there. Those shows were so loose and the crowd was like performing with you. From that point on, I can guarantee, I haven't had a bad show since.

And when was that?

About three years ago.

What makes a good show?

People who are really getting it; what you're going after. Art is interesting. It's all about how it's perceived. An artist should do things and say, "I'm going to do this and I expect you to hate and I expect you to love it." Most artist have done that at one point. Stevie Wonder did that with The Secret Life of Plants. Marvin Gaye did that with Here, My Dear. Miles Davis did it with Bitches Brew. With everything you take a chance. I still see that with how Bilal performs and does his music. It's to make sure that someone out there is completely blown away by what you did. Doesn't have to be everyone, but someone has to be completely floored by what you did. That's a good show.

And you've done that every time for three years?

I believe. It might have just been my mom, but it was somebody.

What little known fact could I share with your fans?

[Long pause] I stopped drinking soda at 11 years old. I came in from a little league baseball game. I had an A&P black cherry soda in my hand and I was enjoying it to a certain degree, but I stopped in my rec room...

You had a rec room!?

Yeah, you had the living room which you couldn't go into. You couldn't touch anything. You couldn't sit down and you had a rec room. The rec room was the one you chilled in. You had your Atari games all laid out. I walked into the rec room and said, "I don't enjoy this. This doesn't make me happy. It hurts when I swallow it and I'm not going to drink this anymore." And from that point on I put down soda and I probably have had one soda every two or three years. Since I was eleven, I've probably had six or seven sodas. And oh man, thank you God for giving me this! That realization, I've been searching for those realizations and when I realize something I'm a hundred percent committed to it. The beautiful moment of this, that's what I did, being a major artist to an independent artist. I realized what everyone else was doing and the way they were doing it didn't make me happy. And it didn't feel good and from now on I'm not going to do it. And from the moment I put down that soda can, I put down the major musical aspirations that everyone else considered success and that has been the moment I've enjoyed myself completely.

---

RELATED LINKS:
Eric Roberson - official site
Lizz Fields and Eric Roberson - our 2004 interview


Buy Eric Roberson's Esoteric at Amazon
UK (CD)  | US (CD)



Buy Eric Roberson's The Vault 1.5 at Amazon
UK (CD)  | US (CD)



Buy Eric Roberson's The Esoteric Movement at Amazon
US (CD)

PUBLISHED: 24 September 2005

More Features

---

To send us music for potential inclusion, email us at promos@knowtheledge.net

EMAIL UPDATES! Do you want to receive Know The Ledge update emails? Click here to sign up!