Eric Van Gilder: I'm a singer-songwriter that likes to tell stories.

It's the story of someone who has always been in the background and discovers their voice and their strength, going from invisible to invincible. It has parallels to my own life. I grew up on the smaller stature with little confidence and often stayed in the background. Through life's experiences, I found that the only thing holding me back was myself. Once self barriers are broken and one discovers they can do things they once thought they couldn't, it's very empowering. The cost was lost time finding that inner strength and confidence.

Where it started

Many family members played instruments when I was a child and it became natural to want to learn how to play. I took piano lessons when I was young, then moved to guitar. Hearing so many amazing guitar solos when I was younger moved me and made me want to do that too.

The come-up

The road here wasn't clean. Self imposed limitations and self doubt were the biggest hurdles. I wrote my first song in July of 2024 and it was well received by a very small audience. When I started, I had no idea that the creativity would flow more.

The project

The latest is "Invincible" https://youtu.be/ZMZUIdD2QAE?si=XN_RmE9r6Bq_SI6x. It's the story of someone who has always been in the background and discovers their voice and their strength, going from invisible to invincible. It has parallels to my own life. I grew up on the smaller stature with little confidence and often stayed in the background. Through life's experiences, I found that the only thing holding me back was myself. Once self barriers are broken and one discovers they can do things they once thought they couldn't, it's very empowering. The cost was lost time finding that inner strength and confidence.

What they want you to know

I believe that songs should tell a story or have something to say, good or bad. I have a big curiosity of the people around me and the places I visit. I keep politics out of music as I feel music should be a uniting force. I do write songs that are social commentary, but don't feel blame or praise belongs to a political party.

What's next

I have several songs in my queue to record. I often write faster than I can get the song recorded and released. I participate in regular "sign up jams" and open mics and am working to be able to perform live shows on a regular basis in my local area.

Follow Eric Van Gilder: spotify · youtube

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