All I can say is... "Soon."

I used to make fun of Axl Rose & Dr. Dre for taking so long to finish their albums. Axl took 15 yrs. It's been 20 since Dre's last. It's been one year for me. But it's almost ready. I mean it.

I didn't mean to lie. I really didn't. I've stated so many dates that were going to be the official release of the EP. The truth is I just wasn't ready. There are many reasons for this. One is that I just wasn't completely satisfied with the way the EP sounded.  Don't get me wrong, it sounded great. I just knew it could sound even better. You've heard it in its present form. It's good. I like it. But it's not all that it can be. So even as I thank you for your patience I ask for more patience.

Last week I set up a studio at my church and recorded a ton of new stuff for the EP. I don't mean new songs, I mean new parts for several of the songs. But I will also be recording new music to include as bonus tracks as well.

As soon as the music is finished I will send it off to get the CDs printed and once I get those back I will send out the rewards to Kickstarter backers and the music will be on iTunes shortly after that.

Thank you for your continued support. It means the world to me.

It's finally coming out!

It was going to be November. Then December. Then January. Then March.

The EP is finally going to be released to the world this month!

Truth be told, I just haven't had enough money. Still don't really, but we're going to make it happen. When I created the Kickstarter campaign, I set the monetary amount for the bare minimum for finishing the recording, mixing and mastering. I did the bare minimum because the Kickstarter campaign I had done before that was not successful and I really needed to finish the process. The thing is, it costs a lot more to actually release a music pro ject, not to mention to pay for all the promotion.

If you would like to help fully fund this you can donate with PayPal to eric(at)ericcoomer.com.

I'll be promoting the music by booking concerts and interviews, and starting a new YouTube campaign with music videos and covers. If you are interested in helping me book some shows, whether at a traditional venue (club, church, etc.) or a house show, please let me know.

Oh and yes, that's a brand spanking new cover up there! For more info,  go to the official Eric Coomer website.

"The Vast Configuration of Things" EP Available Here and Now!

The day has come! My debut solo EP, "The Vast Configuration of Things", is finally available and you can get it right here! Please let your friends know and read the entry below this one for more info on how you can help get the word out and why it's only available here and on my Facebook page!

To listen to or purchase the EP, click on Music at the top of the page.

Thanks for taking the time to check it out and I hope you love it as much as I do!

November 13! Get the pre-release of my new EP!

Hi friends.

It's easy to get jealous of those super special people who get to do things early:

• The Academy voters who get to see a movie (at HOME) before it even comes out in the theater 
• The members of the fan club you didn't even know existed who got the front row tickets to your favorite band's concert before they even went on sale
• The Game Stop employee who gets a copy of the hottest game a week before it releases to the public
• The record exec who has your favorite band's album half a year before you can
• The hot girl who walks past the line and gets into the club without waiting

Well, now you can be that hot girl Game Stop record exec Academy member! Or something like that.

Next week I will be pre-releasing my EP, "The Vast Configuration of Things" exclusively through Bandcamp right here at www.ericcoomer.com. I'd love it if you get it early and, if you enjoy it, start talking it up and telling people about it via social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. (By the way, I'm on all those. Yep. Follow me by clicking on the links at the top right of this page!)  You can brag about how cool you are for getting it early!

I'm really proud of "The Vast Configuration of Things"!  I made it over several months this year with Andrew Osenga and I love the way it turned out. I'm really proud of the music, the lyrics, the production. The whole shebang!

But I need a little more time to release it to stores so I can get reviews and interviews in magazines and blogs. So I'm releasing it later than I thought to stores like iTunes, Amazon and actual record stores (Yes, thank God, they do still exist) so I can do those things. But you will be able to get it next week here! And then...you won't be able to for just a bit.

The record industry has changed. This EP wasn't funded by a record label or some corporation. It was funded 31 generous people mostly on Kickstarter. So, this has been grassroots from the start.

And I still need your help! Here are some ways you can help:

• Do you have a blog? Write a review! It doesn't matter if its not a music blog. It's still great! Know of another blog where I should be featured? Let me (or them) know!
• Work in a business that plays music in the background? Play my EP! (And talk to me about selling it there!)
• Are you able to host a concert or know of somewhere I could play? Let me know!
• Listen to a radio station that plays independent artists? Tell me and I'll get them my music to them.
• Do you have a ton of followers on a social network (or even just five)? You can post about the EP there. 
• Make a video for one of my songs by yourself or with your friends! You could even use a site like GoAnimate or Animoto.
• Donate a little more than what's asked when you buy my EP! We need all the money we can get to be able to afford marketing and promotion.
• Above all, pray for me and my family. That's the greatest way you could help us.

Do you have other ideas? Let me know!

The first step is to let your Facebook friends know that they should "Like" me at facebook.com/theericcoomer. I'll be updating there and letting you know how you can help further and what people are doing to help.

Thanks for all of your support! Stay tuned here and to the Facebook page! And make sure to come back next Tuesday!!!

Why hello there...

I haven't blogged since May?!? Wow. That's ridiculous.

It's mostly because I've been tweeting a lot at twitter.com/ericcoomer and posting at The Eric Coomer Music Facebook Page. And I've updated the official Eric Coomer website.

But I should update you here as well! First of all, my solo EP, "The Vast Configuration of Things" (Hey, that's the name of this blog too!) will be releasing in November and I can't wait for you to hear it! It's almost finally done and those who supported me by donating at Kickstarter will be receiving it within the next couple weeks.

For those of you who weren't able to donate before, you can still get the EP in advance by purchasing it here within the next few weeks. More info coming on that soon. These purchases will be paramount because any money from those sales will be used to promote the EP on the actual release date.

So stay tuned for further updates. Thanks always for your support!

Kickstarter Update

Kickstart Me!

The new Kickstarter page is now up. Check it out at http://kck.st/K65dOF.

You can pre-order my debut solo EP there for less than you'll get it on iTunes or Amazon when it comes out. AND you'll get it before they have it! Or you can give more and get great rewards.

Any money you pledge will get you something in return and you won't actually be charged unless the entire project is funded. What that means is, well...that I need your help. We've raised about $4500 and only need $1500 to finish financing the EP.  Any money given above that amount will be used to promote the EP.

Please check out the site and share it with your friends. There's a "Like" button right below the video that will post the video and page on your Facebook wall.

We're doing what couldn't have been done just a few years ago. You are now my record company: funding the studio time, getting it on iTunes and other online outlets like Spotify, and helping me to realize the dream I've had since I was a little boy.

Thanks so much for your support.

For more info, go to the official Eric Coomer website.

EP Update!

It's been a while since I updated the blog and I want to keep you in the loop.

I went back into the studio last week with the great Kristin Cole to do a little Kickstarter video stuff. We got some good footage of me pretending to record since Andrew Osenga is away on paternity leave. (Speaking of which, congrats to Andy and Allison Osenga on Charlotte Olive Osenga!) It gave me an excuse to play some of Andy's fabulous geetars and his blue piano. We should have the whole video done this week. I'm excited about it. It will be an important part of the new Kickstarter.com campaign.

The first Kickstarter campaign to fund my debut solo EP was not successful...technically. We've raised some money outside of Kickstarter, and we had $650 in pledges for the first campaign. Since we didn't get the full $6000 we needed, Kickstarter doesn't charge the folks who pledged.

So, I'm asking those who have already pledged to pledge again when the new page is up. And I'm asking you to pledge money as well. You can simply give $4 and pre-order the EP for less than it'll cost at iTunes or Amazon and get it earlier than they'll have it. If you give more there will be some added incentives such as extra music, t-shirts, your name in the thank yous, etc. You can get a lunch with me and Andy Osenga or get me to record a cover song of your choice. I'll even write and record a song about/for you. There will be a bevy of choices.

The recording is mostly done, but the mix still needs to happen before we can get the music out there. I can't wait for you to hear it! Stay tuned...

Update! The Kickstarter page is now live.

As you may have heard, I am going in the studio next month to work on a solo EP.

The only way I'm going to be able to this is with your help. We need to raise $6000 and every dollar counts. That's why I've launched a Kickstarter campaign where you can donate money to help me get the record done. I have great incentives on the page, so check them out.

We are in an age when anyone can record music on their computers. So, it may seem odd to you that I am asking for so much money to record a five song EP. But to do what I am wanting to do I need to work with the best - the best studio with the best equipment, the best musicians and best production possible.

I will be working Andrew Osenga to make the EP. Andrew is known for his solo music as well as from being a member of The Normals and Caedmon's Call. He's also toured as a player with Jars of Clay and Andrew Peterson and has produced many excellent projects including his own. When I decided to do this project, he was my top choice.

The Kickstarter page is live today and will be throughout Lent. I need to raise the money by Easter Sunday. With your help, I can do what I've dreamed of doing since I was a little boy.

Thanks always for your support!

New Solo Music's A-Comin'

While my band, KNAPSACKHEROES!, is still very much alive and kicking, Vinyl Jones and I are both working on solo projects.

My first new project, which will be out before Christmas, will be Eric Coomer & The Kinesthetic Learners. That's the name of the band even though I am the whole band. Haven't decided on a title yet. This short EP will be made up of electronic music with lots of sampling and loops. I will be singing on it though. It's going to sound unlike anything else I've done. Musically, it falls somewhere between KNAPSACKHEROES!, St. Vincent, La Roux, and maybe Art of Noise...for lack of a better description. Thematically it has sort of a post-apocalyptic sci-fi Blade Runner feel. Yeah, I can't wait to hear it either.

The Cardigans
Long Gone Before Daylight

I will start recording the second project next March with Andrew Osenga producing. This will be a six to seven song EP with more of a singer/songwriter vibe that's very electric guitar driven. Influences for this record include The Cardigans' "Long Gone Before Daylight",  John Mark McMillan's "The Medicine"  (check out those Spotify links!), and albums by artists like Sixpence None the Richer, Over the Rhine, and Derek Webb.

Andrew Osenga
Choosing Sides

One of the biggest influences is Andrew himself. I asked him to produce it because I've been a fan of his ever since he was in The Normals. The sound of his solo albums like "Choosing Sides" is really what I'm hearing in my head for my music. You may have seen Andrew with Caedmon's Call (he's been a member for a few years now). Or maybe you saw him play guitar on the Andrew Peterson Behold the Lamb of God Christmas tour. He also co-produced that particular classic holiday album (sorry, it's not on Spotify).

Vinyl Jones
Vinyl Jones & The Indie Fit Club

I'm really excited about both of these projects as well as the Vinyl Jones & The Indie Fit Club project, which I'm also a small part of. And KNAPSACKHEROES! is currently writing new material and has (finally) taken the reins of our long awaited full length album.

So, stay tuned for more info. I'm going to be giving the Kinesthetic Learners album away for free and relying on your help to fund the second project with donations at kickstarter.com.

The first thing I need everyone to do though, is to go to http://facebook.com/theericcoomer and click Like. Then go check out the official Eric Coomer music website.

Oh! Listen to the Vinyl Jones project below. I'm on two of the songs.