Erik Penny is a US songwriter, musician and painter who has been living in Berlin for more than 12 years.
Erik grew up in El Paso, Texas, where he started his musical career as a bassist at the age of 16. A while later he started a course in painting which he aborted shortly before graduating to go on tour with his band.
This success of the tour led to his decision to go to Los Angeles. Here he recorded several EPs and two studio albums - "Footprints" and "The Linger Kiss". After various visits to Germany, Erik decided to move there for good in 2008. Within a short period of time he made strong connections in the local music scene.
Erik's wonderful album "Bend", published in 2010, written and conceived entirely in Berlin, is a collaboration between many, talented people that comprise the artistic and social hub of this wonderful city, resulting in a flavorful piece of art. Many tours and support tours followed. It is home to one of my favourite songs "Cherry".
After publishing "Live at The Sofa Sessions" in 2011, Erik withdrew from the music scene for 2 years and only returned to the stage in 2013 and played, amongst others, four opening concerts for Joe Cocker.
His album "Heart Bleed Out" came out in 2014 on the Blackbird Music Label, that was produced by Erik himself for the first time together with David Green.
Just recently his new single "The River" was published, a song with a hymnal depth that is juxtaposing a refreshingly positive melody with sinister lyrics. A great song for a world grappling with a pandemic looking for hope.
Erik and I have an overlapping circle of friends and I have been aware of Erik and his work for many years. And nonetheless, for reasons unknown, we never really shared a longer conversation together.
During the second lockdown, when Erik started a painting project on IG and he used one of my images as a reference for a painting, I was so overwhelmed by his art and his positive attitude that I thought: "Boy, have I missed out!
SHOW NOTES
* Erik's Website [https://www.erikpenny.de/]
* Erik's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/erikpenny/]
* Erik's Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/erik.penny.5]
* "Hamilton", Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_(musical)]
* "A Path We Share", Music Video by Erik Penny [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTE5C2oWCss]
* Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria_Ocasio-Cortez]
* History of the Cowboy Boot [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboy_boot]
* "High Fidelity", 2000, film by Stephen Frears [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146882/]
* History Of The XXth Century, Podcast by Mark Painter [https://open.spotify.com/show/5eLpTxhg1J5PRdYdAXpv5N?si=juyqjsOdSgm0uNdRASgXaQ]
* Flula Borg [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flula_Borg]
* Morissey [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morrissey]
* Trevor Noah [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Noah]
* Stephen Colbert [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert]
* Jimmy Kimmel [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Kimmel]
* Jimmy Fallon [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Fallon]
* German Störtebecker beer [https://www.stoertebeker.com/]
* Texas Margarita, recipe off www.marthastewart.com [https://www.marthastewart.com/1512438/texas-margarita]
Get Jim's song "Love In The Face Of Fear" [https://jimkroft.bigcartel.com/product/love-in-the-face-of-fear]
Mind The Bump [https://www.mindthebump.de]
00:00:00 Finding Balance Through Creativity
00:00:56 Podcast Introduction with Bastian
00:01:53 Introducing Eric Penny
00:03:17 Visibility and Practicality of Colors
00:04:47 Favorite Craft Beer Chat
00:06:48 Parenting During Lockdown
00:08:21 Podcast Appreciation
00:11:14 Margaritas and Future Gatherings
00:13:25 Parenting Challenges During Pandemic
00:20:28 Importance of High-Quality Sound
00:25:20 Cultural Blend in Texas
00:38:03 Release of 'The River'
00:42:05 Family Moves and Relationships
00:53:02 Moving to Germany Post-Election
01:14:11 Discussing American Politics
01:19:14 Impact of Trump's Presidency
01:22:22 Hopes and Skepticism for America
01:24:13 Global Influence of America
01:29:22 Inauguration Highlights
01:32:33 Critique of Trump's Administration
01:35:27 Cultural Divisions in America
01:38:17 Cowboy Boots Design Humor
01:40:33 New Political Figures and Hope
01:41:41 Celebration of American Culture
01:46:32 America's Legacy of Freedom
01:48:52 Universal Messages in Art
01:50:52 Independent Music Creation
01:54:29 Pandemic-Inspired Artistic Expression
02:02:30 Art Without Perfection
02:03:39 Opportunities in Crises
02:06:51 Quality Time and Fulfillment
