Roland Eckstein
A few words with singer-songwriter-guitarist Roland Eckstein. Roland fronts
The Rum Runners and is also involved in solo projects.
Leicester Bangs: Tell us a little about yourself. Roland: I'm 21 years old from Middletown, NJ, recently graduated from Fairfield University in Connecticut.
LB: How did you start out making music? Roland: I started making music while at school. I've always loved music and always had a passion for writing. When I got to college I realized there was an audience for my writing and that people enjoyed hearing me play and hearing the stories I told.
LB: Who did you grow up listening to and how do they influence what you’re doing now? Roland: Growing up I was lucky enough to be subjected to lots of different music at a young age. My dad would play Paul Simon and James Taylor for me a lot, and I think that's probably where I get the songwriter side of me from. But then we'd listen to Ray Charles and Bruce Springsteen and Counting Crows, and I think that's why I got into performing and loving the connection that you get out of the crowd when you play with a full band.
LB: Tell us about your latest release. Roland: This release, Under the Elm, is my first release. It definitely shows the softer side of my songwriting and has a raw kind of feel to it. The one I'm currently working on with the band (The Rum Runners) is much more alive and rock n’ roll influenced. So we're real excited about that
LB: Do you get out and play your music live, and if so, what can an audience expect at one of your shows? Roland: Definitely. I think that's one of the most important things for an artist to do. There's a connection that an artist can make with a live audience that the audience might not have been able to grasp just through listening online. Our shows range from the intimate acoustic storytelling kind, which I cherish because of the authenticity and rawness, to the funk and blues infused Americana rock that aims to get people movin’ and groovin’.
LB: What aspects of playing and recording music do you most enjoy? Roland: I think what I love about playing and recording music is both the eternal and ethereal qualities music has. In recording your own music you're leaving your mark on the world through stories, an art form that is rooted in our human nature and has changed and evolved tremendously throughout the course of time.
LB: Where can people find (and buy) your music? Roland: People can find us all over the web. Songs are available for purchase on iTunes, CDBaby, Rhapsody, and so on... all their affiliates. And people can check us out online at: www.TheRumRunnersNJ.com
