Eric Devries

The internationally critical acclaimed album ‘Song & Dance Man’ is Devries' 4th solo album. practically recorded live in Studio Doornenburg in The Netherlands. It’s an intimate and folky document, in a Bluegrass setting apart from the odd electric guitar. Devries tends to tell a story with depth and passion and a somewhat understated sense of humor. Devries writes about people who had to endure some hard knocks in life, people that have lived, about human frailty, about love lost or unrequited. About drink and (feelings of) depression. Stories about time passing and about following your heart, even against better judgement, but also about following your dreams. Together with producer and multi instrumentalist Janos Koolen and bassist Lucas Beukers, Devries recorded 12 original songs for this Americana album. Overdubs were few and limited to where Koolen took up the odd extra instrument or to where violinist Joost van Es layered some violin parts to create a more orchestrated arrangement. Singer Sophie Janna (The Lasses) was brought in to do some harmony vocals. Devries debut solo album appeared in 2004. Since his third solo album ‘Close To Home’ (2014) Devries released 5 more albums with Hidden Agenda Deluxe and with the legendary Matthews Southern Comfort. With this fourth solo release Devries adds another highlight to his discography.

website: www.ericdevries.info
Single: Little White Lies : https://youtu.be/qcSF8327q4s

Eric is the real thing. I know his music well, from our time together in Matthews Southern Comfort. He has a writing style unlike any other Dutch singer songwriter. To hear him perform his own songs and indeed those of others, in that inimitable high tenor, leaning over the microphone in his high heeled boots and bebop hat, you’re more inclined to think his roots are in Tulsa Oklahoma rather than The Netherlands. On his new album he’s chosen the perfect blend of acoustic instruments to embellish his finely constructed tunes. It’s an album to listen to, or dance to. Your choice. But if I were you, I’d kick back with a generous glass of quality Chardonnay and groove your way through. At least twice. Maybe three times. Iain Matthews.
Sure it was a little coquettish that Bob Dylan, in 1965, after receiving his first sanctifications, proclaimed himself to be nothing but a song and dance man. Such coquetry is alien to Eric Devries: He is a song & dance man but better still, one that can measure himself against the greatest in the Americana scene. This is his fourth solo-album, after adventures with Matthews Southern Comfort and Hidden Agenda Deluxe, and it is his best so far. Refined lyrics on universal themes, with a less is more accompaniment. With the title song as highlight being so much more than a casual homage to Van Morrison. Jan Donkers (author, DJ, journalist)
Press Quotes
{..}The primarily acoustic album from Dutch singer-songwriter Eric Devries is full of passion, humour and in depth storytelling lyrics set to a folky, bluegrass backdrop.{..} Maverick Country Magazine UK
{..} In Ballad of A Song & Dance Man  Devries refers to Van Morrison. The apprentice surpasses the master by far.{..} Oor NL
{..} Mann muss sich nicht unbedingt ins ferne Tennessee aufmachen, um authentischen Americana zu hören {..} Classic Rock magazine DE
{..} underscored by Devries’s excellent finger-picking, providing one of the best Americana albums to come out of the Netherlands in recent years. {..} Penny Black Magazine UK{..} An exemplary collection of fresh-as-a-summer-breeze songwriting in a line that stretches back to those pop-tinged but uncompromising McGuinn, Nesmith LA sun-shimmering reinventions of country in the late 60s.{..} RnR Magazine UK

Eric Devries ist einer der renommiertesten und gefragtesten Musiker der niederländischen Americana-Szene. “Im Juni 2014 veröffentlichte der niederländische Singer/Songwriter ERIC DEVRIES sein drittes Album „Close to Home“. Das Album schildert eindrucksvoll eine Reise durch das Leben mit all seinen Facetten. Es erzählt einerseits von Liebe und Hoffnung, andererseits aber auch von Abschied durch Trennung oder Tod.
ERIC DEVRIES‘ Songsprache ist Englisch, sein Instrument die Gitarre. Der Musiker hat das gewisse Etwas, das seinen Songs rundum Tiefe und Glaubwürdigkeit verleiht. Er ist außerdem Veranstalter einer Konzertreihe („Ramble on…“), in deren Rahmen er Künstlern aus aller Welt ein Forum bietet. Mit seiner eigenständigen Mischung aus Folk, Country und Blues, seinem exzellenten Finger-Picking, seinen ehrlichen, anspruchsvollen Texten schafft es ERIC DEVRIES immer wieder sein Publikum gleichermaßen zu berühren und zu unterhalten.”

Presse:

“… Devries is the Chris Hillman of the Netherlands..” Harry de Jong – Lust for Life Magazine 2016
“…belongs to the same mold as Clark en Crowell… well crafted .. 8,5” Marc Vos – Heaven Magazine
“…among the very best ever to reach us from The Netherlands…” Benny Metten – Ctrl.altCountry.be
“… one of the best Dutch singersongwriteralbums this year…” Eric van Domburg Scipio 2014
“.. captivating, due to diversity, and especially the quality of songs…” Antoine Legat – rootstime.be
“…Diese Musik ist auf jeden Fall auch WANTED. Immer und immer wieder!…” Sylke Aydin