Eren Cannata Interview

New Yorker Eren Cannata Discusses His Debut Album And Influences

Feb 19, 2007

With his debut album 'Blame It On The City' due for release via Brown Dog Records on March 20th, we catch up with Eren Cannata to discuss past, present and future.

Singer-songwriters usually fall within two camps - the torn artist, sharing emotion and pain with the world via often sombre songs, such as Damien Rice and Tom McRae; and the upbeat, classic indie pop type who, although still with tales to tell, use a more positive and brighter sound to introduce their world to us, like Paolo Nutini and David Martin. Eren Cannata is definitely one of the latter.

A graduate of the New York University Clive Davis Recorded Music program, where his song Part Of Me was used in an episode of 'Dawson's Creek', Eren Cannata brings a timeless pop heritage to the indie singer-songwriter scene. We caught up with him to discuss his debut album Blame It On The City, his influences, and his hopes for the future.

Eren Cannata Interview

Suite101: You come from a very strong musical background (Eren's father Richie played with Billy Joel and The Beach Boys). What was the music you listened to while growing up?

Eren Cannata: When I was growing up, I was highly influenced by The Beach Boys and Billy Joel, obviously, as growing up on tour around these artists made life very interesting, and probably added to my own style today. However, there aren't any set influences - I also like listening to artists such as Jellyfish, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles... The list is pretty endless.

Suite: Have these artists helped style your own songwriting, and if so, who would you say has been the biggest influence?

Eren: I don't think I could put a finger on any one band or artist that has influenced me more than any other. I'd like to think that all my listening tastes have had an equal impression on me, and that comes over in my songs.

Suite: You've appeared in movies and television shows from a very young age (Eren appeared in 'Under The Cover Of Darkness', a film with Richard Bradford, and also featured in the TV show 'As The World Turns'). Do you feel this has helped you with regards to how difficult the industry can be for up-and-coming artists?

Eren: Absolutely. There is nothing like actually being involved in the industry to understand it. As many people can find, it's a very tough business, and the more battle scars you can pick up, the more you get to know.

Suite: Your song Part Of Me was featured on the 'Dawson's Creek' soundtrack. Do you feel that shows like this and similar, such as 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'The OC', have become more important than traditional media in breaking a new artist?

Eren: I'm not sure if I'd say they're more important, but I'd agree they can definitely help. There's so much great music out there that never gets heard, that if it takes a show as popular as 'Dawson's Creek' to get people talking about a particular song and looking it up, then so be it. Truly good music deserves to be heard, regardless of what medium.

Suite: There seems to be more pressure now to have a pre-defined image, or sound. Do you feel new artists are forced into having to have more than just their music do the talking?

Suite: You're a very active live performer. With reality shows such as 'American Idol' allowing people success without having done the hard work in little clubs and venues, do you feel that gigging is still an important way to raise your profile?

Eren: Things like 'American Idol' don't interest me - it's the biggest karaoke contest of all time! I play live because I still believe that it's about the songs, the writing, and the feeling you get from a live performance. I'm very proud of that kind of skill. I feel the 'American Idol' contestants, as good as some may be, will never really know what it's like to be as true as that.

Suite: With the popularity of these types of shows, do you think it's a good time for new artists trying to break into the industry?

Suite: Like many singer-songwriters, you're from New York. Do you feel there's something intrinsically different about this city that has spawned so many talented artists?

Eren: To me, New York is the hardest city in the world. As the main man himself said, 'If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere...'. It has more people than anywhere around, yet it can be the loneliest place ever. If that's not the start of a great song, then I don't know what is.

Suite: New media such as i-Tunes, You Tube and MySpace has made it easier to spread the word about new artists. Does it make the more traditional route of demo, EP and album less important?

Eren: It has made the actual physical element of selling albums different, but I don't think it's made them less important. With the way the industry is, we've always got to look for new ways to sell music and get people into it. If i-Tunes, MySpace and the likes are a way to sell records, then get a great profile on MySpace and make your stuff available on i-Tunes as best as possible. The industry needs to adapt.

Suite: With your penchance for live shows, you're beginning to garner a lot of interest in your native New York. What are your plans to extend this audience?

Eren: Once the album is released, we'll be looking at a tour for the spring and summer.

Suite: You also work with other artists, such as Brie Larson. Do you feel this helps introduce more people to your work?

Eren: The more hands you shake, and the more friends you make, the better off you are.

Suite: You're about to release your debut album. In this age of single song downloads, how would you like your album to be listened to - one descriptive cohesive, or a collection of individual songs?

Eren: I really just want people to have the chance to listen to it, and let it speak for itself. Of course, I'd prefer for people to listen to it in its entirety, but as long as people are enjoying it, I'll be happy.

Suite: What are your own hopes for the album, and how would you define its success?

Eren: Just for the album to be listened to by as wide an audience as possible; for people to hear it, accept it, understand it and buy it. That alone would be successful to me.

Suite: Obviously you have the album to promote. Any other plans for the next 6-12 months?

Eren: (laughs) Just promoting the album. It's out in March, so we'll be touring on that for a bit.

Suite: We've mentioned that you grew up surrounded by amazing music and artists. If you could play live with any performer or band, from any era, who would it be?

Eren: Well, I know this might sound cliched, but I would love to sing an acoustic duet with Paul McCartney. I think I would pee! (laughs)

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