Erik Mitchell

Artist Information

Biography

The bridge connecting traditional to modern is a long span, probably made of rope and wood at the start, giving way to large steel beams nearing the end. Very rarely does an artist cover this entire length successfully, as its many trappings have snared more than one promising talent. However, Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter Erik Mitchell has navigated his way from both traditional to modern, taking a bevy of followers along for the ride.

With the wit of Randy Newman, the nostalgic sincerity of Tom Waits, and the modern poetic detail of Josh Ritter and Jack Johnson, Erik can spin a tale through his music seldom heard in songwriting today. He displays an exceptional gift for narrative, which is the focal thread running through each of his songs. Overflowing with vivid characters and settings, it has been said that listening to his music is like watching a series of four-minute movies. His colorful stories are matched with timeless guitar melodies, while his live performances offer intense emotion, intimate delivery, and sharp humor.

Educated at two Ivy League universities, as well as Berklee College of Music, Erik's smarts are evident throughout his entire repertoire. It may be his roots as an actor, or perhaps his extensive study of early British, Appalachian and Western ballads, but he's always felt it necessary to carry on the folk tradition of storytelling though song. From the ill-fated sailor in "Man of the Sea" to "Earlene's" hard-up trucker, each of his compositions share the common gift of passionate yet simple narratives, touching upon universal emotions every listener can relate to.

Receiving his first guitar at age twenty and not writing his first song until two years later, Erik was forced to pick up the pen, and subsequently caught the spirit, when his college band was sick of playing cover tunes. A few years and hundreds of songs later, Erik is one of the East Coast's most talented and prolific new performers. He's recently entertained audiences at legendary clubs like The Tin Angel in Philadelphia, PA, Club Passim in Boston, MA, functions for the Philadelphia Songwriter's Project, as well as at a number of eastern universities and musical hotspots.

Erik's first official CD release, "All These Words," containing 14 original compositions was released in the Fall of 2005 after many months of hard work at Grammy Award-winning MorningStar Studios. His album continues to receive critical acclaim from stations such as 88.5 WXPN in Philadelphia, PA and 93.7 WSTW in Wilmington, DE, and plans are already in the works for a follow up release.

Instrumentation

Erik Mitchell - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Corey Bonser - Bass
John Conahan - Keyboards, Vocals
Robert Desjardin - Drums
Jon Mernyk - Guitar

Discography

2005 - All These Words (Full Length CD)
2006 - "I Think I've Been Good This Year" included on WSTW Hometown Heroes Christmas Compilation CD

Audio

• All These Words
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• The House of Osiris
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• Earlene
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Lyrics

• All These Words
• The House of Osiris
• Earlene

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• WXPN Philly Local Pick-of-the-Day [+ Show ]
  

  "One of Philadelphia's most talented upcoming singer-songwriters, Erik Mitchell has storytelling abi..."One of Philadelphia's most talented upcoming singer-songwriters, Erik Mitchell has storytelling abilities beyond his years. With an extensive knowledge of folk music and ballads, Mitchell has himself become a bard of sorts, spinning 4 minute tales of love, loss, and everything in between. Complemented by catchy acoustic guitar melodies, his stories radiate color and vibrance. His first official album, All These Words, was released in the fall of 2005, and he is currently in the studio working on a second."

• "All These Words" Review [+ Show ]
  

  "Erik Mitchell is an original mix of witty, insightful lyrics combined with fresh acoustic licks tha..."Erik Mitchell is an original mix of witty, insightful lyrics combined with fresh acoustic licks that will steal your attention. Definitely an artist to watch, this CD will surely become one of your top favorites. A highly recommended listen."
  

• Troubadour Tradition [+ Show ]
  

  For emerging singer-songwriter Erik Mitchell, carrying it on means writing thoughtful songs that a...
  For emerging singer-songwriter Erik Mitchell, carrying it on means writing thoughtful songs that allow the lyrics to shine.
  
  Erik Mitchell is fascinated by stories. The ones people tell.
  
  And the ones in his head — spun from moments of observation, his own personal reflections and an active imagination, the kind that can transform a Romanian folk tale into song and create characters that resonate with such poignancy, they seem drawn from real life.
  
  It’s no wonder then that the 29-year-old troubadour has fashioned himself as the thinker’s songwriter.
  "There’s nothing worse than the ambiguous love song," says Mitchell. "With all those clichés — sometimes you don’t know what they’re even talking about. It makes me ill."
  
  And so on his debut disc, "All These Words," the singer-songwriter creates what he likens to a series of mini-movies, songs with vivid, poetic detail, earnest emotion and an occasional dry sense of humor that invite the listener to inhabit the space with him.
  
  On "Earlene," he plaintively paints the lonely life of a trucker, yearning only to return home to his beloved with every mile that takes him away from her. "The House of Osiris" — Osiris in Egyptian mythology being the "god of the dead" — offers a glimpse of Hell through the eyes of a bartender employed at the "party all night in the underworld." And "Man of the Sea" tells of a seafarer’s stoic acceptance of his fate as his boat is caught in a storm.
  
  "For some people, it’s easier to write about themselves," says Mitchell, who lives in Philadelphia. "This is more fun for me. It’s like, 'How can I develop the most concise, image-filled story in three minutes?' That’s always been a challenge, and it’s the thinking aspect — the challenge of creating emotion around the character — that I’m drawn to."
  
  Even when he spins more traditional songwriting fare, wrestling with topics such as love and loss, he writes from an unlikely perspective, using a mix of self-deprecation and wisdom to express contentment in a relationship in "Easy To Love You," and calling on a motley crew that includes the FBI, London’s Metropolitan Police and the cast of "Clue" to help him get back his heart in "She Stole My Love."
  
  It’s clever writing backed by melodic guitar work and steeped in a rootsy Americana feel melded with more contemporary influences — a blend that Mitchell dubs modern folk.
  
  "I don’t know if I can be a songwriter and not be influenced by the big giants, and by that I mean guys like Bob Dylan and the (Grateful) Dead," he says. "But then there’s Al Stewart, who had some cheesy hits in the ’70s, but was more of a historical folk writer, who wrote a lot about World War II.
  
  "And then you have guys like Tom Waits, who can just punch you in the stomach with a simple emotion. And then you have quirky guys like Randy Newman and David Byrne of Talking Heads — and some of my lyrics can be pretty quirky — who would just make you laugh or put a smile on your face."
  
  Mitchell also brings an intellectual bent to his music, having taken a course in Anglo-American folk songs in college, where he spent hours researching early British, Appalachian and Western ballads.
  
  "In my head, folk songs were Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan," he says. "But then I traced the history of folk songs from the 1600s to modern day, songs like 'Jack A Roe,' which originated in England and then the folkies took it and went one way with it and the Dead latched onto it and it became a part of their show. … It was the first time I learned about the history of folk music and to hear some of those songs still being played today — there’s a nostalgic element to it, and I think a bit of me’s wanting to carry on that tradition."
  
  Mitchell, who performs Friday at Double Shots Café, a new, all-ages live music venue in Philadelphia, laughs when he recalls how far he’s come from the teenager whose musical interests tended toward rap artists such as NWA, Public Enemy and LL Cool J. He was 14, growing up in Wilmington, Del., when his father had enough.
  
  "He needed some melody," recalls Mitchell. "So one day, he says, 'Look, get in the car.' He drives me to the mall and buys me a Jimi Hendrix tape and pops it in on the way home. I still have an affinity for Public Enemy, but I learned a newfound respect for musicians."
  
  As a kid, Mitchell was always involved in music, whether it was singing in the school choir or in church or performing in musical theater. But when he went to Gettysburg College, despite initial thoughts of majoring in acting, he went the more practical route and got a degree in psychology. And though he started a Grateful Dead cover band with a friend, having received a guitar from his parents at age 20, a work-study job serving as a youth education coordinator setting up tutoring and mentoring programs for kids left an indelible impression on him.
  
  He had begun to write his own songs, looking to evolve beyond a cover band, but after graduation, went on to get his master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania, and from there went to Yale University on a post-master’s scholarship. It was there, while working as a family therapist and pondering how much he disliked New Haven, Conn.’s strange environs of post-industrial decay and Ivy League affluence, that he decided to get serious about his music.
  
  Today, Mitchell is fortunate to be doing two of the things he loves the most. He still dedicates his time to helping kids as a social worker at West Philadelphia High School and after spending the last year writing and recording his new CD, is looking forward to building a second career performing and making more music — something he hopes to eventually do full time.
  
  They are two aspects of his life that are inexorably linked. His daytime profession of connecting emotionally with others while constantly learning about the human condition allows him to come to his music and the stories he tells as both empathetic and insightful observer — and vulnerable participant.
  
  "I just want people to really appreciate lyrics again," says Mitchell, "to go, 'Oh, that was written well. That was a good song.' That, to me, is refreshing, and I really hope I can achieve that."
  

Setlist

An average 2 hour performance will consist of 20-25 original songs written by Erik along with 2-4 eclectic covers.

Basic Requirements

Calendar