Eric M. Lichter by Jamie Bannon
Eric M. Lichter has captured the hearts of many through his works Chorduroy and Owl. Today, from his studio, Dirt Floor, which has hosted hundreds of artists, he shares his influences, his love for nature, and the immeasurable company of his two dogs. With exciting projects on the horizon, he teases the soundtrack for “Tuesday’s Flu” and the work on his upcoming album, Daughter of the Storm.
When exploring folk artists from the East Coast of the United States, many of whom have graced the Newport Festival, whether out of curiosity or affinity, it is almost inevitable, as lovers of this genre, to stumble upon Eric M. Lichter. And once that happens, there’s no turning back. Music always gifts us pleasant surprises, and those moments become even more special when those songs become pieces we turn to desperately, repeating them over and over without getting tired. This is what happens when you encounter this musician, producer, and multi-instrumentalist.
Lichter’s first studio album, ‘Chorduroy’(Amphetamine Crown, 2004), is considered a reference for many artists and for us. Even when artists come to his Dirt Floor studio, he confesses that they like that album and ask to do something similar. His other self-produced album, ‘Owl’(2018), is equally magical in its composition and vocal quality. In addition, on streaming platforms, there are a handful of equally majestic singles, as well as “Lost Songs” (2018), which includes, among others, versions of some of his favorite artists.
Who knows if one day we will come across a documentary about his life similar to “Searching for Sugar Man” or if over time we will see him again on stage, alone or with his brother Jeremy, in their band “The Lichter Brothers.” For now, we settle for turning to these albums for solace and keeping track of him in his idyllic cabin in Haddam, where he lives with his wife Linda and where his studio “DIRT FLOOR Recording & Production” is located at the end of a forest-lined road that allows him to leave the highway behind.
Perched on the banks of the Connecticut River, the view he shares on his social media is as expansive as the set of skills Lichter brings to each project he works on with his peers, and the foliage as varied as the artists who choose to seek him out. We’re talking about Mercury Rev, Absolutely, Wesley Jensen, Earl Slick from David Bowie, Brown Bird, Christopher P Stelling, Greg Loftus, Susan, or Cowsill, among many others of the hundreds.
The eagerness to know what project he’s involved in blends with the urgent need to see photos of Oliver and Henley, his two giant dogs with whom he shares his day-to-day life in the studio. It seems like 2023 has been a wonderful year, and 2024 promises even more… He tells us himself!
NOTEDETENGAS: Tell us about the origin of Dirt Floor Recording & Production Studio. How did the idea come about, and how has it evolved over the years?
ERIC M. LICHTER: I started Dirt Floor in 2006, after working on my own record called ‘Chorduroy’, and playing all the parts myself. So many other artists seemed to enjoy that record, and asked me if I could do the same thing to their music. I had no idea that what I was doing was actually “producing”, and that wasn’t a term I even began to use for several years to follow. As each year passed I became more and more confident in what I was doing as a “recordist” and multi-instrumentalist/
NTD: You’ve worked with a variety of artists that I know. How do you manage to adapt to so many different musical styles while maintaining that distinctive ‘Dirt Floor’ sound?
EML: I feel very fortunate to have such a great team, and we’ve somehow stumbled upon a certain style and sound that’s synonymous with Dirt Floor. Obviously any project which requires my musical input will have some sort of identifiable stylistic characteristics. Working with bands and artists that do not require that still have a sound that one can identify with Dirt Floor, and i LOVE that. I’m not sure how this is, to be honest. It’s partly the gear, the room, and the sensibilities of the Dirt Floor crew. We will make heavy stoner rock records that fit right in the same sonic wheelhouse as the most delicate singer/songwriter type record. It’s crazy, but now bands and artists seek us out for this very thing, and i’m all for it!
NTD: And to reach that point, surely your influences have been important. What are the most significant ones in your approach as a producer and musician?
EML: As far as my own influences are concerned, they grow and change constantly, and I LOVE learning and evolving. I’ve been recently incredibly obsessed with Jack Antonoff and Bleachers. I love how he can bring the 80’s sound right into the now, and have it be so fresh and musical. I’m all over the place in regards to influences, especially for each instrument I pick up. Some very unlikely artists color my style, and i’m very proud of that. Dan Fogelberg was such a tremendous guitarist, and has been right there as i’m creating my own parts on albums. It’s my way of bringing him along with me.
I’m also hugely influenced by Lindsey Buckingham, Mike Campbell, Stephen Stills, Joe Walsh, Don Felder, and so many others...So, for each instrument i’ve got a set of people that I borrow from either consciously or subconsciously. From a keyboard perspective it’s Gregg Allman, Elton, Jai Winding, Paul Harris, Kat Wolff, Roy Bittan, and others. As a drummer, I borrow from Don Henley, Levon Helm, Kenny Buttrey and Karen Carpenter. I’m NOT the best drummer, but what I do serves the song. As a bass player I borrow from Dee Murray, Lee Sklar, Rick Danko and Randy Meisner. These are my faves, and a GREAT bassline is a rarity nowadays. These dudes brought it, and i’m constantly stealing from them, haha.
NTD: Actually, initially your goal was to write, record, and perform your own music, right? How and why did you transition to producing music for other artists?
EML: My original intent, in 2004, was to simply work on my own music, but with the next few years the focus turned more to the production side of things, which felt like something that should be able to give me some sort of a life, as streaming was just starting. Our daughter was born in 2007, and I really had no desire to be out there traveling. Even now, I still love making music of my own, but have NO desire to really do much with it outside of dropping it on streaming platforms for people to enjoy. I get so much satisfaction from what I do, and i LOVE the people that I work with so much, that it’s a joy.
NTD: Your studio albums are absolutely precious, among my favorites. Are you currently working on new music of your own?
EML: Thank you for your kind words about my own records! I do still make my own music, though it often takes a back seat to the projects i’m making with other people. There’s seldom time to work on them, after putting in long days in the studio creating for everyone else. I will still continue to make and release music, though I don’t see myself performing in front of people again, unless it’s with my brother Jeremy. We have an on and off thing called the Lichter Bros.
NTD: I would love for you to describe your music. There is a strong connection to the golden age of American folk, like a fusion of the rich and poetic narrative reminiscent of artists such as Joni Mitchell, Carole King, or the distinctive harmony of Simon & Garfunkel…
EML: you are fairly spot on! I was raised on so much of the music that you had mentioned here, including some of my biggest influences, Jackson Browne, Gordon Lightfoot, Dan Fogelberg, Warren Zevon, James Taylor, etc. Joni Mitchell is really the first that I discovered through my parents record collection. When I first moved out on my own, Into a funky little house on Martha’s Vineyard, I took a stack of records from my father, which included Joni’s first record a Song to a Seagull. I was in my early 20s, and that record had a lasting effect on me, and remains my very favorite record of hers to this very day. There is something very wintry about it, and it brings me back to those cold Martha’s Vineyard February evenings alone in that little house. I love that there are so many modern folk rock artists who are inspired by so many of these people, and continue to keep that fire burning.
That being said, I’m also huge fan of so much of what is being made in modern music. Jack Antonoff(Bleachers), Haim, Lana Del Rey, Drug Dealer, Father John Misty, Lemon Twigs etc… I know that some of these artists have a bit of a throwback angle, but again, I love that they bring it into current times, with a little bit of a modern twist.
NTD: As you mentioned, you have a distinctive “sound or style.” But, how do you manage to work with artists without imposing too much of your own style in the end? It seems almost impossible!
EML: I love this question! First of all, yes, I have worked for so long. At this point that I’ve developed a very distinct style, which is, of course, based on styles of those that came before me, so I definitely have not reinvented the wheel, in that regard. When I am producing an artist, and playing instruments, it is all about the artist that I am working with first and foremost. I always want to make sure that their song, and what they are doing remains at the front, and everything that I do, as a producer, and instrumentally, serves as a support. Now, naturally, if I’m playing drums, I have a certain style on the drums, and if I’m playing guitars, the same thing would apply, so I’m not really overly precious about trying to sound like someone else when I’m doing it.
Take, for instance someone I had mentioned in the previous answer, Jack Antonoff, a tremendous producer and artist. When he is working with Taylor, Swift, or any number of the wonderful artist, he works with, you can hear his style in their work, which is a big part of what makes their work really great. Taylor is a great example, because before Jack worked with her, her music didn’t really hit me. Once they began working together, I started to hear things in her songs that I hadn’t before, and much of that has to do with his production. So, often times when I’m working with a solo artist, they are coming to me for the thing that I do, which makes it very easy. There are certainly times when I am producing and not called to play anything at all, which I love as well. I’m currently working with a hard rock band, bone church, who I absolutely love. If you listen to their latest record, which will be out soon, you will definitely hear a dirt floor element, but you won’t hear me, aside from some Organ and some piano here in there. I give a lot of credit to my team as well, my engineers Steve, Guido and Elijah. At this point, I really couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t have them doing what they all did so beautifully.
NTD: On social media, you share incredible images of your mountain runs and moments with your dogs. Nature and sports surely influence your life and work, don’t they?
EML: Daily exercise, and certainly running, has been a very big part of my life for over a decade now, switching over from cycling. In the winter months, I love cross country skiing, because it’s a very solitary sort of sport. I tend to gravitate towards athletic pursuits that are solitary, and I don’t often listen to music while I’m doing them. they are so important because they’re a way for me to keep anxiety and stress out, and, of course stay in good physical shape, especially at my advanced age! When I’m out on a run in the morning, I think about what my day is going to be like, I think about the types of arrangements I’m going to add to songs, etc. I am married to somebody that also enjoys these pursuits, and we love bringing the dogs out for hikes and adventures. Getting out there every day is good for the soul! Being outside has been a big part of my life ever since I can remember, and I would directly credit Music for it, especially the music of John Denver, Dan Fogelberg, Gordon Lightfoot, etc… lots of mountains, lots of woods, and I always loved the romance of it all.
NTD: Now, let’s talk a bit about your dogs, Henley and Oliver, I love them. How have they become part of the Dirt Floor experience?
EML: Oliver and Henley have become a huge part of the whole dirt floor experience, because they are with me almost every single day while I am working. Oliver is a Bernedoodle which we adopted back in June 2019 as a pup. We went to an event in Park slope, Brooklyn, and there he was! As you can probably tell from the photographs and videos, he is very barely in his appearance, and everybody loves him. Same goes for Henley, who is a silver Labrador, and just about the sweetest girl you could meet! Guido often times will have Nash, a Basset hound, and Elijah will have his two Dobermans, Luca, and Lady. So, there are a lot of dogs around, almost all of the time, and I would not have it any other way! They are all so sweet, and only add to the vibe at the studio.
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NTD: What exciting projects do you have on the horizon for Dirt Floor Recording & Production Studio?
EML: The last few years have been the very best yet, in regards to DF and making records. In fact, they’ve been the most rewarding, after over 15 years of doing this. You know, the industry seems to be reinventing itself constantly, and normally one would have to find a way of reinventing themselves along with it, but I haven’t had that problem, we’ve just done what we do, and do it extremely well, and that has been enough. Of course, we are always evolving and trying to learn new things, and this is certainly been a huge help in propelling forward. Some great new albums to look forward to from Rachael wolff, from The Wolff Sisters, Greg Loftus, Bone Church, Wesley Jensen’s Rodeo Parade, and so many more that I can’t even remember at the moment because it’s about 5 o’clock in the morning!
But trust me, so many many. In fact, anything that I find myself working on, I find myself very proud of in the end. I’m also blessed with incredible relationships with each, and everyone of the artists that has chosen to make their records with us. We are in the trenches together, we create together, and, the relationships have remained.
NTD: Regarding your own music, is there any upcoming project that particularly excites you?
EML: I have long been working on a record of my own, as a proper follow up to the last record I made, which came out in 2009. It’s very tough to work on your own music when you spend so much time working on everybody else’s music, but I really don’t mind, because I get so much, and it feeds my soul so much to do. I really cannot complain about that. I’ve been working on a record for a number of years titled ‘Daughter of the Storm’, and released an instrumental piece about a year ago, that surges the cornerstone of this record. It will come out someday! Once in a while, I will drop a little something onto streaming platforms, whether it’s something of mine, or a classic song that I just happened to.
We are in the process of working on a motion, picture soundtrack and movie score to the movie ‘Tuesday’s Flu’, which is slated for release at some point later in the year or early next year. We actually start scoring the film next month, and we will be using some of the artists that I’ve worked with to pepper the soundtrack. This is a big deal for me because I’ve always wanted to do a motion picture score, and it’s really great to have the opportunity finally. There are some great, very recognizable actors in the film, and it’s a really great plot. Wesley Jensen will be working on the score along side of me, so it will be fun to collaborate with him on this.
NTD: Eric, I will now ask you five quick questions, and I want you to respond with just one word. Here we go!
NTD: Artist with whom recording was especially fun| EML: “Wesley Jensen’s Penny Arcade”
NTD: Project with most surprises | EML:”Tucker Davey”
NTD: Album you would take to a deserted island | EML: “Crosby Stills & Nash”
NTD: Your own song that makes you cry | EML: “Something to Do”
NTD: I will never work without ____ | EML: ¡Oliver & Henley!
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