Eric Hisaw

Eric is a musician who I went to High School with. We played in different bands so I never really knew him in high school. Over the years our lives have crossed paths several times with each of us helping each other in our respective towns that we currently live in. He has developed into an awesome songwriter and lead guitarist and I hope will go check out Eric's music at www.erichisaw.com

A young Eric from the time I went to school with him.

 

 

 

When did you begin playing music? I started playing music in sixth grade at University Hills when they offered guitar as part of the music program. My desire to play had been sparked by seeing the movie "The Buddy Holly Story" which is factually very weak but was spiritually very touching to me. 

What instruments do you play? Guitar is the only instrument I really play. I can come up with a part on lap steel or mandolin to record but have never played those live. I can play some bass, (I did a brief tour with my East LA buddies Los Fabulocos playing cumbias, rancheras, Chuck Berry rockers and Fats Domino triplet ballads) but I'm no master 

Do you come from a family of musicians or are you the first? My parents are great music fans but not players. My paternal grandfather's people in Oklahoma were country fiddlers and guitar pickets which had an influence. Here is a picture of my grandfather and an unknown relative. MY grandfather is the one holding the guitar.

Are you self taught or are you professionally trained? I've taken some lessons but the majority of my instrumental exploration has been on my own. I moved to Austin when I was 18 and loved going to clubs to see bands in the midst of my drinking and hell raising I did a lot of guitar player watching as well 

Do you have a practice routine? I play a series of boring technical exercises with a metronome every morning when I first get up. I try to spend time rehearsing myself on the songs I perform with my band as often as possible as well as dig in to something new. My schedule doesn't always allow for all of that but I do at least hit my technique stuff for 45 minutes to an hour every single day 

What was the first album you purchased?  I believe the first record I bought (from my good friend Rick Eakens' Budget Records and Tapes on Idaho Dr) was a Kerrville Folk Festival compilation called Texas Folk and Outlaw Music.

Does it still influence you and how?The record definitely had a big impact on me as the narrative lyric style prevalent among the Texas songwriters has always played heavily in my own music. I ended up meeting, opening for and playing with a number of people featured on that record which made it some what prophetic I suppose 

What is your most recent musical purchase? Most recent new album I've bought was Chuck Prophet's latest "Bad Year For Rock'n'Roll". Chuck's guitar work with Green On Red had a big influence on me as a teenager and he continues to make very interesting and creative albums. I've bought a ton of old records lately by the Flamin' Groovies, Chris Spedding and the Sir Douglas Quintet, one of the most interesting of which is the 1970 Atlantic Records solo album by Sam 'the Sham' Samudio called Hard and Heavy. Good blues/soul/rock with an undercurrent of brown power 

What is the most bizarre thing someone shared with you at a gig? A guy once asked me if his dad who was a saxophonist could sit in with the band. He told me a little about him and I said yeah, bring him up. He went to the car to get him and came back with an urn he sat on my amp for the rest of the set. 

What is your favorite instrument to play? I am pretty much a one guitar man with an irrational semi superstitious attachment to my early 80's Japanese Fender Telecaster. I bought it at Hubbard's Music in Las Cruces in 1986 or 87 and other than a 3 or 4 year spell of playing a cherry red tele in the mid 2000's it's been my main guitar for everything 

Does it go on tour with you? My tele has toured quite a bit. I got worried about flying with it and it missed a Midwest tour I was on but for the most part it goes everywhere. It's been coast to coast, corner to corner and to the UK 

www.erichisaw.com

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