Erik Hansen Sheds More Light On New EP “Seasons of the Wind”

it always makes me happy to evaluate an artist’s transformation, and Erik Hansen’s EP “Seasons of the Wind” proves that his is a successful path. Former Fallen Angels band member Hansen’s solo debut is a bold move to combining grunge sound of Nirvana and The Offspring with rocky pieces of AC/DC and Metallica. This five-track EP does not only reveal Hansen’s capacities as a musician and lyricist but this also allows us to experience the versatile forms of rock music.

“Seasons of the Wind” is an entry into Hansen’s creative sphere. Production quality is excellent, where there is a flawless layering of each instrument which results in a complex and rich sound experience. The reason why the EP goes beyond the expectations is the Hansen’s emotional and exciting vocals. The EP that was co-produced by Pamela Moore, a fellow Queensryche member, and it included the many artists like Chris Gohde and John Hansen, the artist’s father, it is a proof of this collaboration and the efforts of the artist.

“Seasons of the Wind” taps on the massive potential of the rock while it blends the melody of folk music with eloquent poetry. “The Road” and “Send Me a Sign” are case in point of Hansen’s skill to switch up from grunge anthems to punk-informed activism, and “Horizon” demonstrates a tender acoustic moment to contemplate. The EP ends up with “Traveler” and “Forever Dream. ” So, epitome of Hansen’s signature sound with the help of distorted guitars and deep melodies is exhibited.

The song “Season Of The Wind” brings Hansen a new title of the solo artist. Now the fans are expecting his further projects with great interest. In this special talk, we learn about Erik Hansen’s creative process, his impulses, and the way he produced this wonderful album.

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What is your stage name
Erik Hansen

Is there a story behind your stage name?
Nope, just the name that I was given at birth haha!

Where do you find inspiration?
I find it from everywhere in life, it could be the sunset streaming through the trees, the sound of laughter, interactions with people, conversations. There’s so many things to see, touch and feel that it all inspires me to want to play different bursts of musical expression on the guitar. After that I usually figure out what lyrics fit against the mood of the song.

What was the role of music in the early years of your life?
There was always music around the house, my dad is a guitar player so that was the gateway to having an instrument around to start playing. My mom was more the rocker and would always be blasting the stereo with CDs, vinyl or radio stations from various rock and country artists. So hearing that at early age definitely left an impression.

Are you from a musical or artistic family?
Yes, my dad plays guitar and my moms always been creative with crafts and other methods of self expression.

Who inspired you to be a part of the music industry?
I really started getting more serious about the guitar in 6th grade when I started hearing what was being promoted on rock radio at that time so bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, The Offspring, Green Day, Alice in Chains. Over time I developed into a competent guitar player and always found an interest in writing songs rather than playing covers, so I just set out on figuring out what it’s like to be in a band, writing songs and playing shows.

I feel like I have plenty left to say on the guitar and would like to inspire others to keep carrying the torch of guitar playing and rock music.

How did you learn to sing/write/to play?
I’ve had various guitar instructors over the years, usually for not much longer than a few months. I never really liked the structure of guitar lesson books so I developed most of my rhythm and lead playing by learning songs and paying attention to the chord structures used in various keys. I did learn theory so I understand minor/major interchanges but I never went all in learning how to use all the various modes. It’s definitely one of those things where I spent a lot of time putting in the work of learning to play, I probably spent at least 1-2 hours a day in my youth and through the years practicing and playing.

When it comes to singing I have had some lessons in the past to learn the basics but never got serious about it till around 2021. I came across an ad on cork board at a rehearsal studio from Pamela Moore promoting vocal lessons. I reached out and we’ve been working together ever since. I’ve tried to apply the same consistency I did learning the guitar to singing so that I can keep improving and to see if I can make myself competent sooner.

What was the first concert that you ever went to and who did you see perform?
My brother and I went to see Megadeth at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, I think Hell’s Bells (AC/DC cover band) and Gruntruck also played. I seem to remember it was a holiday show put on my one of the local rock radio stations 99.9 KISW.

How could you describe your Music?
I describe it as a mix of 70s/80s/90s rock music, my influences come from rock, metal, country, classical. I want to continue to write stuff that’s diverse, there could be some slow heavy songs, fast songs, acoustic songs, clean open airy songs etc…I’d like to just paint with a broad brush in the genre of rock music but keep it very heavily guitar oriented.

Describe your creative process.
My creative process always starts with the guitar, I’ll just pick a guitar up and play. It could be acoustic, distorted guitar, clean guitar but I’ll just let whatever wants to come out, jump off the fretboard. If I like an idea, I’ll record it and try and give it around 24 hours before I listen again.

Sometimes you can be too excited about an initial idea but it doesn’t sound that great after the excitement wore off. When I revisit it and I still like it, I’ll start to see what vocal melodies come out against the riffs. During that process I might say a word or a phrase that I like and maybe that will turn into the meaning of the song or the inspiration for the lyrics.

From there I try to keep revisiting and massaging the song musically, rhythmically, vocally until I feel like presenting it to others for feedback.

What is your main inspiration?
I’ve been inspired by various guitar players and songwriters over the years, some of them for different things. Randy Rhoads is a huge inspiration as was James Hetfield and Dave Mustaine. Angus and Malcolm Young, Michael Schenker, Uli Jon Roth, John Fogerty, Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Tom Petty, Phil Lynott, Ken Hensley, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi.

What musician do you admire most and why?
That’s a tough one but lately I’ve been really appreciating Chris Cornell’s songwriting abilities and vocal melodies. They have a cool psychedelic dirge to them that kind of reminds me of a cross of The Doors meets Black Sabbath. I’ve always liked that epic kind of haunting sound.

Did your style evolve since the beginning of your career?
Yes, very much so. When I started my first band Fallen Angels we were doing metal in the style of Megadeth and Metallica. The style morphed into Slayer and Sepultura over time then into bay area thrash bands like Forbidden.

I was always trying to add melody to the music but as you go you start to figure patterns or tempos that you like for various things. When Fallen Angels disbanded, I started playing with some of the members from that band in a project called Sygnal which was my attempt at playing more 70’s hard rock/80’s heavy metal.

During this project is when I started writing music on the side for my solo project, at first it was mainly acoustic oriented but changed into a hard rock side different from what I was going before. The challenge of learning to write vocal melodies for my own vocal range against the music steered it towards what writing style I’m in today.

Who do you see as your main competitor?
I see myself as my main competitor in that can I write something better than before, better hooks, better melodies, catchier songs in different moods. Art I find so hard to quantify into rankings since in sports you have points and scores to compare. Also art resonates in such different ways with people, I think it’s more about finding people that resonate with what you’re doing.

What are your interests outside of music?
I enjoy working on electronics, doing mechanical work, martial arts, riding my motorcycle, being outdoors and walking my dog.

If it wasn’t a music career, what would you be doing?
Good question, I work in the electronics industry as I have a degree in it. I find that fulfilling since I like engineering and implementing ideas. Or doing mentor work of some kind, I feel like I’m a pretty good teacher and like showing people how to do things.

What is the biggest problem you have encountered in the journey of music?
Finding my audience, I’ve never had a big PR campaign behind me or had offers to do extensive touring to try and build that audience. I came onto the scene as record labels have been dying out and there being less money available to take chances on bands. I figured I needed to have a steady job and funnel money from that back into music and to try and be my own record company.

If you could change one thing in the music industry, what would it be?
I think that we need to keep nurturing live music and venues, it’s in these places where new artists and ideas are born and nurtured. I know it’s a business and people have to make money to keep a float but I also don’t want to see a bunch of corporate monopolies running everything.

It’s a slippery slope of listeners caring enough to pay for music but also wanting access to things for free or a minimal cost. I think musicians need to spend more time honing their songs rather than creating a quantity of songs so that we can really tap into a talent pool of music people will gladly spend money on to support.

Why did you choose this as the title of this project?
I like nature and the outdoors and fits with my views of life ever changing and just rolling with the punches.

What are your plans for the coming months?
I’m currently working on trying to get a show setup here in the Seattle area and to start playing live more. I’m also working on new material and have tentative plans to start recording this next winter.
Do you have any artistic collaboration plans
None at the moment, I’ve been filling in with my buddies band Skelator for live shows. They’re working on a new album and I might be contributing some guitar solos.

What message would you like to give to your fans?
To never give up and keep punching higher. This life is a bumpy road but with perseverance and dedication you can achieve so much. I’m always trying to improve and that’s a never-ending quest for everyone!