Eric Gaffney

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Eric Gaffney is a songwriter and recording artist In 1989, he co-founded the indie rock band Sebadoh, and, since 1998, has been performing and recording with his own project, Fields of Gaffney.

Eric has been a home recording artist since 1981, performing since 1983 as a [drummer], [guitar] player, amd [songwriter]. Eric started the band Sebadoh in a garage in Florence, Massachusetts Summer, 1989. Fields of Gaffney was Eric's most recent band, 1998-2006

Eric's website: http://www.angelfire.com/indie/ericgaffney.com/

Eric grew up in Northampton, in bucolic Western Massachusetts, A picturesque city of 29,000 in the Pioneer ("Happy Valley" and "Asparagus Valley") Valley. Calvin Coolidge-ville, lots of bands, artists, celebrities and investment bankers have passed through and called it a home.

Eric's musical background: Early exposure to a lot of music (stereo, folk clubs, jazz/outdoor concerts) in the late 60's... rock concerts (Kiss '78) early punk shows; (The Ramones, also in '78) then hall shows/clubs in the early 80's, blah blah blah... First drums; 1973 red sparkle 4-piece w. one cymbal that i have to this day and sounds trashy and good, short decay. Broke the pedal in '76. started playing drums with earphones to records in '79. 1st guitar, old tennis racket with the middle width-wide catgut strings removed '78, 1st acoustic Christmas '79

Eric was first listed on a bill in May, 1978 as part of the "Asparagus Valley Contemporary Music Ensemble"... (a family affair) for a David Reck piece. 1st electric; 1981. Sears 60's no-name sunburst, cool shape/cutaway, played terribly. $50. 1st amp; 1959 Sears Silvertone No. 1432, Chicago blues amp. 1st performance; July, '83 Greenfield Grange Hall, with Adrenalin O.D. from NJ... ("Suburbia" 45-ep... massive guitar sound) + local W.Mass hardcore bands...w. "GREY MATTER," a unique band Eric started a year previous. Eric played drums and wrote most of the lyrics. Later, Grey Matter got a girl bass player, started to sound better, but played less than 10 shows total and it was over.

Eric wrote three few scene reports for Maximum Rock 'n' Roll and created a 50-cent fanzine, WITHDRAWAL, 3 issues, from 1983-84.

Eric first played guitar onstage at a Western Mass. hardcore day show, (Catharsis) June, 1984, and was later, in 1986 "The Gracefully Aging Hippy Soloists" a duo, electric guitar and drums, with the late Charles Ondras (of Boss Hog), high school friend and neighbor.

SEBADOH began in a garage in Florence, MA. in the summer of 1989. Eric played an open-tuned acoustic and Gibson SG Deluxe through a Peavey 'Deuce', later a 1968 Fender Twin, wrote and arranged the songs, scheduled rehearsals, and booked the early shows, through 1990.

In 1988, Eric and Lou Barlow released "The Freed Man" cassette, made them one by one, sold at Main Street Records for $1.00 in a Dr. Seuss box. They also released single ep's w. up to 14 minutes, split-singles, LPs, then CDs on Sub Pop (Bubble and Scrape, Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock, my titles), 20/20/Domino (Rockin' the Forest, Sebadoh Vs. Helmet, more of my titles), City Slang, Homestead (The Freed Man, The Freed Weed, Sebadoh III, Gimmie Indie Rock) , Vertical, Leopard Gecko, Sonic Life, Silt Breeze. We released 4-track recordings only up to 'Gimmie Indie Rock' in 1990-91. III was the first 'studio' album. We toured the U.S. (a week with fIREHOSE) fall, '91, Lots of shows, press, recording with Bob Weston for Smash yr. head (partly in Boston) and Bubble & Scrape in Western Mass. in the summer of 92. we toured with Pavement and Sonic Youth for shows in Germany and in PragueWe toured Europe again in 1993, the UK again, inc. Glastonbury Festival, and a U.S. tour, inc. Lollapalooza -New Orleans to L.A. Europe (Futurama Festival, Belgium, 1992) recorded two BBC sessions, ('92 and '93) got tons of press in Melody Maker/N.M.E. in 1992. We were filmed and on television in Paris, France. (someone have this tape?) and did a few live radio performances in Holland. We sort of broke at the same time as Pavement, who we played shows with early on (Axis, Boston Sept '91)

THE FREED MAN (52 SONGS) REISSUE released on Domino Records, July 10, 2007

SEBADOH III has been reissued with 2nd bonus CD!

DISCOGRAPHY Full Length Releases

Uncharted Waters 2007
Cosmic Chicken and Egg Sept 2005
"Nature Walk" CD, March 2003.
"Brilliant Concert Numbers" CD, Old Gold Records, Limited Edition 1,000, September 1999

Singles & Compilations "The Dunes" (eric & jessica) on 'Down in a Mirror" Jandek tribute Vol II (Summersteps records, Moscow, PA.)

"Wanna Be With You/Long Journey" split 7" with Pernath, Morc Records, February 2004
"Pinball Machine" track on Cool Beans #15 CD, 2003
"Too Bad Luck" on "What, Are You on Drugs? Comp. CD (Ant Lunch, Florida)
"Paws On Paws Off" ('99 duo recording, eric-casio, with Janice Gaffney-vocals) track on "Lo-Fi" CD from Sao Paolo, Brazil, January 2002
"Cold Weather" b/w Twilight, Sub Pop Singles Club, Limited Edition 1,300, January 2000
"Fields of Gaffney vol. 2" Limited Edition Cassette, 1999 (out of print)
"Lights Up and Spins Around" Limited Edition cassette, 1998 (out of print)

RECORDS with SEBADOH (1989-present;

Sebadoh III (Domino Records) reissue CD w. 2nd CD of bonus tracks!, inc. Gimmie Indie Rock EP 45 + lots more. Rel; July 10, 2006 (UK) Tue., August 8th (U.S.)

"Tarred and Furthered," "Delicious Cakes" from 1990 EP (Silt Breeze Records) Released; 1999

"Beauty of the Ride" EP (drums on "16" and "Slintstrumental," BBC sessions '92-93) Released; 1996

"Bakesale" (drums on 4 songs from 1993 Chicago session with; Steve Albini/Bob Weston) (Sub Pop/Domino) Released; 1994

"Bubble and Scrape" -wrote six songs, + drummed/backing vocals- "Flood," title, back cover photos, insert w. vinyl (Sub Pop) bonus single w. LP in UK, (Domino) also released by City Slang (Berlin) and Sony (Japan) Released; April, 1993

"Soul & Fire EP" (Domino/Sub Pop) 2 songs, inc. "Fantastic Disaster" re-mix, Released; 1993

Single (Sub Pop) 4 songs including; "Bouquet For A Siren" (1st version) Released; March, 1993

"Smash Your Head On The Punk Rock" (wrote 3 songs, + drums, title, front cover art, vinyl (green) label design, CD artwork design (Sub Pop) Released; September, 1992

"Rockin' The Forest Vs. Helmet" (City Slang, Germany) 3 songs/drums, gtr/vocals. Released; Oct 1992

"Sebadoh Vs. Helmet" (Domino, UK) 2 songs, drums Released; October, 1992

"Rockin' The Forest" (20/20, UK) 1 song/+ drums. Released; Summer, 1992

Split-single -"Loma Prieta" + sleeve art design (Dark Beloved Cloud) Released; Dec., 1991

"Oven Is My Friend" 45rpm EP (Silt Breeze) guitar, vocals, drums, Released Jan. 1992 (recorded Summer, 1990)

"Sebadoh III" (Homestead) wrote six songs, drums/guitar/voc. front cover photo, Released; September, 1991

"Gimme Indie Rock" 45rpm single (clear vinyl) (Homestead) 5 songs; drums/lead guitar/vocals/wrote "Calling Yog Soggoth" Released; January, 1991 (yrs later Homestead had it available as a picture disc w. label art/hand with pills)

"The Freed Weed" (Homestead) -some songs from "The Freed Man," 3 were re-recorded, released; January, 1990

"Weed Forestin" (Homestead) percussion, Released; January, 1990

"Asshole" (Vertical) one side; "Julienne," "Elements," "Attention," "Your Long Journey." 1st Sebadoh-only 45. Released; early 1990

"Magic Ribbons" (Leopard Gecko) Box Set (3 split singles, with Sebadoh/King Missile 45rpm on red vinyl) "Design," "Cyster," "Lorax," Released; December, 1989

"The Freed Man" (Homestead) Vinyl/Cassette, 15 songs of 31, Released; September, 1989

"Split single" with Big Stick (Sonic Life) inc. "Cindy", UK only release, Released; 1989