Every song tells a story – something exceedingly true for songwriter and producer Eric James Clark.
Noting a lifetime of creative pursuit, Eric has always followed a sense of purpose and meaning when making music. His artist name is E# (E Sharp), and his longest standing project is Resistance Band.
In the past, Eric made music purely for himself – an admitted recluse, keeping things private but in the process creating with an unfiltered sense of realism and artistry that’s rarely found in the arena of intending to release and entertain people.
What suddenly changed after many years, was that Eric sadly lost his older sister to cancer. One of her very last wishes was that he finally share his music with the world, and so it would be done.
When the project was first completed, Eric released the music under the name West Country Daze, printed off 1000 physical CDs, and then left it alone.
Fast forward to 2025, Eric connected with producer and engineer Gawain Mathews, and began collaborating, for a whole new sound and style.
Eric’s latest single is a track entitled Free – perhaps a fitting representation of the feelings the artist associates with both making music and his youthful memories; that natural ability to live purely for the moment – not consumed by the past nor worried for the future.
Inspired by the likes of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, and even Daft Punk, the single follows a unique blending of acoustic and lightly ethereal, electronic details. It’s a dreamy set-up, delicate finger-picking and aptly Cohen-esque vocals, of depth and intimacy, quietly whispering short lines of nostalgia into the mix.
The emotional intensity rises throughout, as we reflect together on the freedom of youth, and we end up in a quite impassioned indie realm – psychedelic funk and nu disco dancing expressively together, as the vocal injects a more upbeat, inspiring kind of energy; effectively underlining the freedom and excitement of living purely for the current moment – as if today was the only day you’d get.
The listener escapes into the journey and music with their protagonist, vocal harmonies rain down, a rolling groove keeps the energy and optimism high and near-euphoric, and at just over four minutes in full, the song proves a rather cinematic, storytelling gem of a track. It’s both personal and accessible, for any and all who wish to dive into their own memories of being free, and indeed to reflect upon the fact that we all seem to inevitably lose our ability to live freely over time.
Noting layers of horn, keys, glockenspiel, celeste, and Theremin, Free is a multi-layered and confidently colourful arrangement and song. The vocals and lyrics unite beautifully with the surrounding musicianship, and the result is a song that feels like a slept-on classic – somewhat alternative, but also massively satisfying; a much needed celebration of simply being Free.
