Art & Life with Ed Sweet

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed Sweet.

Ed, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I used to sing when I was a little kid, growing up in Chicago. I did a lot of talent shows and sang The Star Spangled Banner at Park District events. By the time I was nine or 10, I just kind of stopped. Maybe I got self-conscious about it.

Michael Jackson’s death in 2009 reawakened my dormant musical impulses. The shock of his death at such a relatively young age had a profound effect on me. Much to my surprise, I got very emotional about it. I ended up deciding I wanted to make music, so I started working with a vocal coach and teaching myself how to poke things out on a keyboard.

I was having a great time singing again, and I had an idea about writing songs, but I couldn’t get anything to gel. So after a few years, I decided to give up the songwriting thing. I am a professional advertising and marketing writer, and ghostwriter, so I thought maybe instead I’d write a book about a band trying to make it big by playing the Native American-owned casino circuit in the Southwest and Western U.S.

I named that band Electric Sol and had a pretty good story outline going when I decided I’d need to write songs for them. It was a lot easier to write songs for a fake band than it was to write songs for myself, and the words and music started to flow.

Before long, I decided I could sing these songs, so I put the book project on the back burner and started recording and performing as Electric Sol myself.

In 2016 I released my first CD, and in 2017 I started performing with a full band. Today, that band consists of me, Lindsey Bair, Cody Hazelle, Robert Bates, and Eddie Rossi.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
Electric Sol is a pop/rock/alternative band with definite 1980s influences.

I tend to write about the random dynamics of relationships, from love at first sight (You Walked In) and admiration (Hummingbird, Shooting Star), to betrayal (The Things You Made A Mess Of) and loss (Rough Night).

I want people who listen to my music to first of all have a good time, but also to think about the significant relationships they’ve had and how they can learn from them.

How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Since I have a solid career as a writer, I define my musical success in a more personal way. I am blessed to have band members who I genuinely love and respect, and I am grateful to have a chance to express my observations of the world and have people who want to listen to them.

We are definitely growing our fan base, and it’s nice to get paid for gigs, but for me right now I get more success and satisfaction out of the process instead of the results.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
The best way for people to check us out is at our website, electricsolmusic.com, and on Instagram, electricsolmusic.

We will be performing live at The Rhythm Room on Monday, June 3. We are supporting a touring band from Denver called Lost Aliens. Tickets are just $7 and can be purchased at The Rhythm Room.

We are also interested in doing live performances in people’s homes. House concerts are a great way to connect with people and provide a memorable night that’s a lot more intimate.

Contact Info:

• Website: electricsolmusic.com
• Email: eletricsolmusic@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electricsolmusic/
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSBWyWgGBxXM-BardD2LWsg

Image Credit:
Cartoon drawing by Nate Fox

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