Eric Jackson & The Willow River Band unveil their single, “Two Churches And A Bar”
Formed in July 2021, Eric Jackson & The Willow River Band is a new alt-country/folk group that focuses on both original music and covers.
The band consists of Eric Jackson (lead vocals), Jake Marsky (lead guitar), and Tyler Craig (mandolin/banjo) and includes session musicians on bass, background vocals, and drums.
The band unveiled their album, Grand, in July 2022. Their latest single, “Two Churches And A Bar,” follows previous singles, “Birds of Prey” and “Another Lie.”
“Two Churches And A Bar” is about Eric’s small town of Plattsville, Ontario.
Review
As “Two Churches and a Bar” begins, we’re treated to a sound that blends various genres, from country and folk to bluegrass.
I love the traditional vibe given off on this single, and the vocal harmonies throughout the song pulled me in from the start.
Given that I live in a very small town, I understand these lyrics too well. From “Hearing gossip in the streets from the nicest damn people you’ll ever meet, But nothing stays a secret for too long” and “You gotta drive the kids around, Cause the only damn fun is way out of town” are common issues in every small town, and can be very annoying, but at the same time, comforting.
The chorus has been stuck in my head all day. It’s just so damn catchy; if you’re a country music fan, you’ll have it on repeat throughout the day.
Listen to “Two Churches and a Bar” below and learn more via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
My name is Eric Jackson. I’m a Métis singer/songwriter from Plattsville, Ontario. I grew up singing in choirs and in 2021, formed the alternative country/folk band ‘Eric Jackson & The Willow River Band.’ I still live in the small town where I grew up with my husband and our two dogs, Fozzie & Cuinn. I’m a huge fan of horror movies, being outdoors, and music!
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
We released our debut album, Grand, in July 2022. One of our singles, Two Churches and a Bar, is written all about the small town of Plattsville, and it’s quite literal – we really do only have two churches and a bar. This was one of the first songs we wrote on the album, we wanted something that listeners in small towns could relate to, so we wrote down all the small-town cliches we could think of and turned it into a song that is a crowd favourite at every show. Two Churches is playing on various indie country stations around North America and recently debuted on the Canadian Indie Country Countdown.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
Many of our songs are written about personal or close friends’ experiences. We like to write about things that are meaningful to us, so we always turn to real life for inspiration before anything else. We’ve taken a lot of inspiration from the indigenous community my husband and I are part of and our painful life experiences. Our sound is influenced by bands like Zac Brown Band, Mumford & Sons, and The Chicks. In fact, our album has a Chicks cover on it!
Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
We’re really excited to be featured at the Ayr Porchfest next June! Since I was raised around that area, it’s exciting to do a festival there. We are also working on a big joint show with a couple of other local artists, so stay tuned to our social channels for news!
What’s your goal for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023?
In the next year, we hope to book a couple of local festivals and release a couple more singles we are currently working on. The goal is by Spring 2023. There will be a new single out to radio. We are also looking forward to continuing networking with other musicians in our area, so hopefully, we find some opportunity for collaboration.
Connect with Eric Jackson & The Willow River Band:
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