Excel spreadsheet expert by day, charitable folk-americana musician by night; Chandler’s very own musical hero. This dual life is a reality for passionate musician Eric Douglas, a local artist who has devoted most of his life to music and now shares that passion with the local audiences of Chandler.
Alongside his various gigs, this east-coast born artist has spent the last year playing many nights at Sozo Coffehouse, a quirky and creative mini-venue on Warner and Alma School. His gigs usually involve open-mic with his first full show taking place on January 31st.
“I’ve been playing music since fourth grade. In elementary school, I started playing tuba. In high school I started singing, in college I started playing piano, and after college I started playing guitar.”
This music veteran has found his passion in music and doing everything he can to spread his music to others.
“I’m a very lyrics oriented person. It’s all about the words for me. I have a ton of my own songs. [Being Local] gives me the freedom to do whatever I want.” Douglas enjoys impacting his audiences with profound lyrics that run off of various themes, such as politics or personal inspiration.
This musician’s inspiration comes from the works of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, two artists he idolizes and enjoys covering in his shows. However, Douglas does not enjoy using his talent for a profit, in fact, his altruistic nature allows him to do what he can to use his music as a means of enjoyment, not dollar signs.
“I think one of the biggest burdens, for me, is when I get paid for this. When I go to play at a bar and they pay you to play, I find that so restricting.” Douglas enjoys giving his proceeds back to where he plays, as he feels it does not behold his artistic talent.
Identifying himself as a folk-americana musician, this free spirit creates music that is rich with acoustics and raw vocals, adding the sounds of guest violinist Wendy Marberry.
Douglas believes that his musical inspiration is created through other music as he states,“When I hear singers that I like or songwriters that I like, that inspires me. When I hear a good singer, that makes me want to go home and write or pick up my guitar and play. But when I hear a great singer, it makes me want to just quit forever.”
Douglas does not, however, plan to leave his music behind at all. Being a local artist keeps his passion for music burning, while allowing him to carry on a normal life with his wife and kids.
Sozo’s coffee shop is a very welcoming location with many local artists, somewhere to add onto your “to go to” list. They play live music most Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 7-10 pm, and serve delicious beverages; caffeine and music galore.
