Erik Gunderson/Drums
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Erik Gunderson/Drums

Appleton, Wisconsin, United States

Appleton, Wisconsin, United States
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"Valley Rock"

The Bakers

They are: Brandon Heise (guitar/vocals), Andrew “Zimmy” Zimmerman (bass/vocals), Erik Gunderson (drums)

Rehearsing in a storage garage off Highway 44, Fox Valley band the Bakers seem to embody the small-town band image.

The space is cluttered but clean; drumheads lay haphazardly around the kit; and old show posters line the wall. Their equipment ranges from a vintage stereo system to a laptop loaded with iTunes, and music softly plays in the background.
The Bakers formed in 2006, and defines its sound as alternative indie/classic rock, reminiscent of Radiohead and The Cult, with a largely riff-driven set list.

“People (in Wisconsin) tend to like the classic-rock sounds, songs that are classic-rock oriented,” Zimmerman said.

But the Bakers admittedly “rip everything off,” adapting different music styles to whatever a song needs.

“We try not to put up limits,” says Gunderson, who likes to practice along with the radio, playing up and down the dial to create different beats.

The Bakers guys write songs “on the fly,” they say. The laptop is kept on, recording the entire rehearsal, so if someone strikes the right chord or jumps on a beat, it’s not lost. They’ll go back later and solidify, editing as they go until they have their song. Lyrics usually come later.

Although there might be disagreement over what makes a song, they all believe it has to draw out some kind of emotion.

“It’s got to feel right in the first place,” Heise says. “We’ll watch the crowd at shows and see their reactions, work out the technical things. What it comes down to is, it has to grab you.”

For a song to become a vilified hit, the guys say probably has a lot to do with financial backing.

“But really, it should be something listenable, memorable and catchy,” Zimmerman says. “It should catch people across the board, be ‘ear candy.’” - The Northwestern


Discography

Christmas in the Valley Vol.1 (1994)
The Unreleased Cookie Bug Fiasco (1997)
Motopneumatic (2001)
Ripp Winkler 'Pork and Loathing in Osh Vegas' (2002)
Sarah 57 (2006)
A Pauper's Christmas (2006)
A Pauper's Christmas II (2007)
The Bakers E. P. (2008)

Photos

Bio

Bio from: Rock Garden Studio, list of regional session players.

Drums

Erik Gunderson:

Erik plays drums with hunger and passion. A heavy rocker with a strong funk background, He performs with numerous groups around the Wisconsin scene and has played on many recordings of various genres. Erik’s specialty is a larger than life kick drum sound.

Influences: John Bonham, Bernard Purdie, Tommy Lee, Jeff Porcaro and any drummer who has played for Prince, Sly and the Family Stone or Parliament Funkadelic.

Lead Time: Usually ready at a moment’s notice.