The Wizard Of Kraz (via Colorado Culture)

Ever heard of Eric Krasno? Chances are that's a yes; from co-founding Lettuce and Soulive to writing for a slew of musicians you probably HAVE heard of (50 Cent, Norah Jones, Talib Kweli to name a few), Krasno has had his hands and head fully submerged in the sea that is the music industry for the past 2 decades. Despite winning two Grammy awards, his upcoming album marks first time in his career featuring his voice. We got a chance to dig into this musical mastermind's head:

CC: You have a resume that makes Diplo look like a novice; explain how you’ve managed to stay so low-key despite 2 Grammy’s under your belt over 2 decades.

EK: Up until now, I’ve always been kind of on the back-end of the project. I usually fill the role of writing for other people and being the producer rather than being a frontman or performer. It’s only up until recently that I’ve decided to use my voice more in recordings and begin these solo projects.

CC: Which has only been recently heard - in a popular setting I should say. The first time I heard of you was on "Torture" off Gramatik’s Age Of Reason album.

EK: Yes that is a jam! That’s actually one of my songs that is coming out on my upcoming album Blood From A Stone coming out July 8th. But yeah, Denis [Gramatik] got wind of the track, did his chops and screws and we decided it would be a good fit for that album. But the original version I wrote will be featured on mine.

CC: Speaking of which, the album sounds amazing. You recently featured the first track, Waiting On Your Love. It’s a richly classic diddle that’s also deeply rooted in emotion. Tell me about the process of making it.

EK: Well, I got together with Adam Deitch [Lettuce, Break Science] who’s worked with Pretty Lights for a while. We got some of the drum samples you hear in the track and just started playing on giving it an old school Blues feel. The theme behind it is about moving on, whether it be a person, a group of people, or an opportunity.

CC: What’s in store for your band’s headliner sets at The Mishawaka and Fox Theater?

EK: I’m hoping to have a lot of special guests coming! There’s obviously a ton of local talent that I work with that I’d love to feature at these shows. That and you can expect a lot of new content from Blood From A Stone.

Continue reading at ColoradoCulture.co

NEW VIDEO: On The Rise

Here's the new video for "On The Rise" - the second single off Blood From A Stone. Curtis Peel did an amazing job on the animation. Hope you all enjoy it.

You can get this track (as well as the first single) instantly when you pre-order the new record. Check out the Pledge Music page for an exclusive t-shirt, signed vinyl, test pressings, art proofs and more. Album drops July 8 on Feel Music.

Trip Through an Animated Alien World with a Cyclops Monk [The Creators Project Premiere]

Soulive founder and guitarist Eric Krasno has been writing and recording for nearly two decades. But it's only on his new solo record, Blood From A Stone, that he steps up to the microphone. While most of the tracks sit comfortably on the blues and R&B end of the musical spectrum, the single “On the Rise” explores a more psychedelic vibe, complete with a laid-back groove and cinematic orchestrations.

Video artist and filmmaker Curtis Peel gives “On the Rise” an equally psychedelic animated music video, which premieres today on The Creators Project. Amidst the procession of imagery are a levitating cyclops buddha, several technicolor nature scenes, and multi-hued babies in strange wombs. Peel tells The Creators Project that the song’s groove and “sugary, psychedelic choruses” suggested to him that the video would need a lot of color instead of a heavy emphasis on plot.  

“For me, the narrative was this sort of gradual reveal that culminates at the end of the final chorus,” Peel says. “At first you think you're just watching this cyclops monk enjoying a meditative ritual on a hilltop of some distant planet, but as he starts to trip out, you realize that he is envisioning a distant civilization that has long since been buried beneath the ocean.”

“The waters subside, revealing ruins/infrastructure akin to a major metropolis like New York City,” he adds. “Our monk feels compassion for the humans that didn't survive whatever catastrophe had its way with them and decides to plant the seeds for their rebirth, but the humans quickly grow out of control and the monk flees the planet.”

Peel animated the video using primarily Adobe After Effects. He compiled over 50 scenes individually, then transitioned between them sequentially. “Given that the story-line ended up being this stream of consciousness, this gave me the freedom to simultaneously storyboard and piece together the animated bits as if you were turning pages in a comic book,” Peel says. Check out the music video for "On the Rise" at TheCreatorsProject.Vice.com

Pre-Order 'Blood From A Stone'

'Blood From A Stone' Now Available For Pre-Order

Eric Krasno's new record, Blood From A Stone, is now available for pre-order on PledgeMusic, iTunes and Amazon.

Keeping true to their model, the PledgeMusic campaign features a handful of exclusive offerings including the only place to pre-order the CD, signed CDs and Vinyl, Test Pressings, Art Proofs and much, much more.

All pre-orders will come with an instant download of the first two singles, "Waiting On Your Love" and "On The Rise," which you can stream below. The album comes out July 8 on Feel Music.

All Music Song Premiere: Eric Krasno, "On the Rise"

oulive and Lettuce guitarist Eric Krasno debuts his vocal chops on "On the Rise," a track from his upcoming solo album, Blood From a Stone. Krasno has made a name for himself in the jazz, funk and jam band scenes, but "On the Rise" shows off his psychedelic side, with lyrics about "where the mountain meets the moon," vintage-sounding production and swirling, ephemeral vocals. Blood From a Stone is due out on July 8.

Blood From a Stone can be ordered via PledgeMusic

Upcoming Eric Krasno tour dates:
July 1 - Bellvue, CO - Mishawaka Amphitheatre *
July 2 - Boulder CO - Fox Theatre *
July 7 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bowl ^
July 8 - Bridgeport, CT - The Acoustic
July 14 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
July 15 - Hartford, CT - Arch Street Tavern ^^
July 17 - Rowayton, CT - Rowayton Summer Music Festival
August 6 - Springfield, MA - Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival
August 19 - Portland, ME - Portland House of Music ^^
August 20 - Bolton Valley, VT - Hop Jam
August 27 - Sherman, NY - Night Light Festival
October 18 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry ** 
October 19 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre ** 
October 20 - Atlanta, GA - Terminal West **
October 21 - Asheville, NC - New Mountain **
October 22 - Charleston, SC - The Pour House **

* w/ Dumpstaphunk
** w/ Marco Benevento
^ w/ Marcus King Band
^^ w/ Armies

Grammy Winner Eric Krasno Drops Bluesy 'Waiting On Your Love': Exclusive Billboard Premiere

Watch "Waiting On Your Love" at Billboard.com

Soulive and Lettuce co-founder and guitarist, Grammy winner, and producer for just about everyone (he's worked with Talib Kweli, Norah Jones and 50 Cent, to name a few): Eric Krasno has an impressive CV for someone who's only releasing his second solo album two decades into his career.

The experienced Krasno crafted the bulk of upcoming album Blood From a Stone in a handful of days alongside Rustic Overtones' Dave Gutter. "We didn't realize we were actually making the record, so there was no pressure, and that let us experiment in really cool ways," Krasno explained. "There's a lot of rawness to the recordings, and that really bled into the performances and my vocal delivery."

Blood From a Stone and lead single "Waiting On Your Love" (premiering exclusively below) mark a change from Krasno's earlier funk-imbued style to a more structured blues and R&B-influenced sound. "Growing up, I listened to Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and the Grateful Dead, along with a lot of hip-hop," Krasno recalled. "When I linked up with Soulive, we played instrumental music, and that's the path I’ve mostly been on ever since. This record loops back to those initial bands and songs I loved, but with the added experience and influence of the past 20 years."

Krasno described "Waiting On Your Love" as "a song about moving on. Realizing you can’t wait any longer on something that isn’t there." Sonically, it's a mix of his varied influences. "It's blues, but psychedelic, and has a hip-hop feel at the same time. The hypnotic vibe is a good introduction for what’s to follow."

Krasno utilized the city of New Orleans and its resources for the single's music video, enlisting skilled local faves Mike Bertel, Alex Glustrom, and Ben McKay for the colorful clip. "For the initial shots in the video, we actually hopped a fence and snuck in to an old rundown factory building in New Orleans," Krasno said. "At one point I’m standing with my guitar on a rail at the top of a seven story building acting like everything was cool, but thinking ‘damn, I could fall deep into the abyss from here.'"

"Waiting On Your Love" marks Krasno's first single featuring his vocals. "It's something I didn’t know was there," Kresno said. "I would have been totally content just being a guitar player and writing songs for other people, but this inspiration just happened, and I'm really glad it did, because it's changed things. I didn't know I had this in me."

Watch "Waiting On Your Love" at Billboard.com