Singer-songwriter Eric Bolander is an art teacher by day and a storyteller by night. The Lexington, Kentucky-native packs an emotional wallop with his forthcoming album The Wind (out on March 29), a 10-song collection of Americana gems.
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The album's title track is a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit.
"Why don't the wind blow me away? Why don't the wind blow me down?" Bolander sings.
Bolander says the song is about showing tenacity in tough times.
"The title track came from thinking about how people face adversity. This usually looks different from person to person but always seems to have a common outcome; either you overcome it or let it consume you. 'The Wind' is ultimately about surprising yourself and overcoming whatever is standing between you and your goals," Bolander tells Wide Open Country.
Bolander says the song was partially inspired by his real family history.
"The lyrics came to me partly by way of knowing my granny. She has been such a strong woman through out her life and has inspired several of my songs. Though the song itself speaks to someone struggling to keep going, it means more to me," Bolander says. "When my mom and her siblings were really young, my grandfather left my granny for a younger woman and took the kids somewhere in Ohio. My granny searched for them best she could. Being poor and basically stuck in eastern Kentucky, she made phone calls and reached out to as many people as possible. One day one of my aunts snuck to a phone at a nearby grocery store where they were taken and called my granny. Then my granny was able to get help and go get them. Crazy how something like this could make someone tougher and grow from it. She is still around and I'm so thankful my daughter gets to know her through occasional visits with my mom."
Listen to "The Wind" below.
The Wind was produced by Duane Lundy (Sturgill Simpson) and recorded at Shangri-la Studios in Lexington, Kentucky.
For a full list of tour dates, visit here.
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