Our first-time intro to any music artist begins with our Artist Profile, where we learn about them and their music, directly from them.
Name: Eric Zayne
CMW Show(s): Thursday, May 8 @ 9pm – Detour Bar
Hometown: Montreal, QC
Music Genre: Pop Alternative
Year it all began: 2013
A quick introduction: Eric Zayne is a Los Angeles based musician and record producer who blends old-school, soul and R&B with modern pop-rock music. Comparable to legends like Prince, Lenny Kravitz and Maroon 5, this artist is known for his eclectic sound, dynamic live performances and instrumental versatility. The recently released mixtape ‘AutobiograMe’ features artists like Matisyahu, Amber Riley from Glee and King Blaise. This year alone, Zayne won the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and played NAMM’s GoPro Mainstage, as well as performing at the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW and sold-out shows at House of Blues Sunset and Hotel Cafe.
What got you into music? I grew up in the Congo, Africa and my dad enrolled me into piano lessons. I didn’t want to be a musician, but I was very influenced by my older brothers who introduced me to funk and all the legends like Prince, James Brown, Michael Jackson. When I was 13, a civil war caused me to evacuate and leave my family. I moved to Montreal to live with extended family and music just kind of found me. I ended up learning keys, guitar, drums and bass and playing in lots of bands around the city. I was just a kid, but I had a fire to play and write music everyday.
What are your sources of inspiration? Prince was my biggest inspiration growing up and I listened to a lot of funk. I always admired Prince because he can do everything himself, has a work ethic like no other, and broke musical boundaries. Today I’m influenced by the constant evolving industry from indie electronics to rock bands to big pop songs. I find inspiration from everything I hear which is why my music is so diverse.
Dream gig? Playing at the Grammy’s so I can share my music with a huge audience and being on stage accepting Grammy’s too. I dream of that moment everyday.
Your thoughts on Canadian Music Week? I’ve been living and touring the U.S for almost 2 years and I’m excited for the opportunity to play on a Canadian stage again and be able to connect with fans and other musicians from around the World.
Interesting points others don’t know about you? I love dancing and dancers – later in my career I would love to do some Broadway and express myself all around artistically.
