 Courtesy of the Artist Currently playing guitar and mandolin for Radney Foster, Eddie Heinzelman has already made a major footprint on the country music landscape. However, he's also imprinting in an even more impactful way as a solo artist, with the release of his sophomore album Wherever You Go (due October 26) which offers up an infectious mix of Americana, country, roots rock, and classic jams. With 10 new songs written over the past year while touring, Heinzelman explains that the evolution of this record was particularly special, "This album has more of my own style and direction," he notes, adding that he hadn't been previously operating under complete creative freedom. "I was doing what everyone told me I was supposed to do in order to get a publishing deal in Nashville, but I had set aside making the music I wanted to make. This is me writing and performing—focused on being honest and true to the art and the craft of songwriting, improvisation, and the music and most importantly, to myself." Here, the artist answers his Essential 8 where he talks about the album, names his "bucket list" artist to perform with, offers some touring tips, and much more. What’s the story behind your album’s title? I originally had an idea to write a song for my daughters who were graduating high school and heading onto college. I took a title and idea to Radney Foster when we got together to write one day. We changed the title to “Wherever You Go” but then the song also took on a broader meaning - it’s not only advice to our children. It’s really advice to everyone and anyone who is heading off to chase their dreams or going into an unknown future. I finish all of my shows with this song and this message now - that sometimes, everyone feels alone, but they’re never alone. Like the last line says, “when you go running down your own road, know my love goes with you wherever you go.” Where do you draw inspiration from when writing? Wherever I can. For example, Steal Away/Dandelion is inspired by the book Steal Away Home written by Billy Coffey. Wherever You Go is inspired by my daughters. The Road is a song for my wife. Medicine and Miss TLC both originally came from musical riffs I came up with. The Heart Knows What It Needs harkens back to my days growing up on a farm using the ferry to take tobacco to Kentucky to sell it. Writers usually have a keen sense of listening. Inspiration is all around us if we just tune into the frequencies and listen and are open to receive it. What’s your favorite food on the road? Breakfast Tacos! I have favorite places that I go to every time I’m anywhere near them. Do you have any touring tips?
One of the hardest parts of touring is staying healthy and not getting sick. Trying to eat right and staying healthy when you’re around so many different people and different places and your usual routine is completely shattered is sometimes hard to do. Finding time to rest, meditate, exercise, and getting sleep is very important. The other thing that is incredibly important is to do proper warm ups before the show. It’s easy to get caught up and be hanging out backstage, but make sure you warm up your hands and your voice before performing. And lastly, being productive in the downtime - during flights, I’ll often write lyrics or edit video or even practice/rehearse - I use visualization and targeted listening to practice without having a guitar in my hands. What do you love most about being on the road? Two things mainly: Performing live and sharing music with an audience is one of the greatest feelings in the world. It’s not about adulation, it’s about the communication within the moment itself. And the other thing is getting to see different parts of the world: different cities, different cultures, different foods. I grew up in a small farming community in Indiana. I knew when I was 12 years old this was what I wanted to do in life, but I never dreamed back then that I would have performed in Japan or China or Norway…heck, or even NYC or Los Angeles for that matter. Who would you love to collaborate with? There are so many. Jackson Browne - Probably the biggest influence on my writing. I think Charlie Starr (Blackberry Smoke) or Rich Robinson/Marc Ford (Magpie Salute) and I could come up with some really cool stuff together, or Joe Walsh…. and I’d love to collaborate with John Scofield, for sure. Have you met any of your heroes? If so, how did it go? I’ve been fortunate to have met several of my heroes, and I will say, so far, the experiences have all been great. I got to meet Steve Vai a few years ago. It was in a group Meet & Greet, but he still took time to answer a few questions and let me play his guitar. I met Robin Trower who was a huge influence on me as a young guitarist and he was super sweet. Marc Ford was very cool - I helped street team when he played Nashville during his Holy Ghost tour. And so many of my country heroes: Ricky Skaggs, Radney Foster, Jimmy Fortune, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Rodney Crowell, The Dixie Chicks, Emmylou Harris have all been incredibly nice. Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off? To get to perform/tour with Emmylou Harris. Emmylou is my absolute favorite singer. I know Will Kimbrough and some of her current band members so I’m just patiently waiting. :) Website | Facebook | Youtube
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