Erik Hansen On the Making Of ‘Seasons Of The Wind III’
What was the creative process like for this particular EP?
I always start out by working out the guitar parts, so most of the riffs and chord structures get put together in a rough idea then I typically work out lyric ideas. I’ll hum melodies along as I play and see if any words come to mind that might inspire something. I never know what might capture my mood when I’m coming up with song ideas, some days things get written with an electric guitar roaring through an amp and others it’s just an acoustic guitar and me staring out the window.
Could you discuss the lyrical themes or messages conveyed in 'Seasons Of The Wind III?'
With a song like “Never Alone” I wanted to talk about how we are all in this crazy world together and even at times when you feel like you are on your own that you know there are millions of other people thinking the same thing. “Free Me” was written about getting fed up with most people’s indifference to the plight of our world, I get it though most people are trying to keep up with existing in day-to-day life but that doesn’t mean we can ignore things either. “Take Me Home” was written about a summer time memory I had when I was a teenager floating down a river on an inner tube without a care in the world. “Raven’s Wings” is about the Vikings Valhalla and resurrection in the afterlife. I like tackling both fantasy and reality themes as the morals in them intersect.
Which song(s) do you like the best and why?
I’m pretty happy with “Raven’s Wings” cause I’m a big Black Sabbath fan and I think it captured their kind of vibe. The guitar parts and interweaving with the lyrics and flow of the song I think fit the lyrical theme very well.
Can you tell us more about you as an artist?
I’ve been a die-hard guitar player since age 12 and was raised on rock and folk music. I listened to a lot of The Byrds, Beatles, The Doors, Credence Clearwater Revival from my parent’s stereo. I gradually got into my own thing as a teenager moving into bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, The Offspring, Metallica, Megadeth. I played a lot of heavy fast metal for a long time but wanted to incorporate more melody and hooks into my songs so I’ve been having fun trying to take all of these influences from the 60s-90s and mashing them together into my own thing.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
Musically the songs will come from whatever mood I’m in, so I know typically if I start playing guitar that certain types of sounds will come out as I play. Lyrically I like to take from my interest in philosophy and my view of the world and the life we all our living on this planet. I still want to come to it from an angle that others can relate to though. Vocally I like to listen to a lot of my favorite singers like Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Scott Weiland, Phil Lynott and pick out things they’re doing and see if I can kind of incorporate some it and make it my own thing.
