Montreal-born
Eric Vani has spent his life playing and listening to music. Over the last
ten years, he has played in a slew of bands, including the Banff-based
four-piece Douglas Firs and Ottawa-based ONE GREAT BAND. Along the way,
Vani began playing solo acoustic performances and writing more and more
of his own material. In 96, he began recording Flowers on the Dash. Chris
Murphy, of the Seattle-based Eschaton Music Works, became interested in
the project and finally co-produced it with Vani. The album was recorded
in Ottawa and mixed in Seattle.
Vani has a multi-instrumental background, but his music mostly takes shape around the acoustic guitar. The songs are built around solid grooves, but the lyrics flow and the music allows them to breathe. Vani’s influences are eclectic: “I mostly listen to trip-hop, hip-hop, and drum and bass. I grew up breakdancing and listening to Africa Bambaata and Kraftwerk but I now also have a Ben Harper fetish. I like the first Ani Difranco albums and I love reading Tom Robbins. When I make acoustic music, all those artists are a part of me... I remember playing along to a Herbie Hancock ‘45 on my father’s old classical guitar when I was ten. I still love to play along to records... ”
released 1998
Weatherbeaten People
CD $15.00 ON SALE AGAIN SEPTEMEBER 8, 2003
1. Walking in the Rain 
2. Stepping Stones
3. Wispy Alibi
4. Frozen
5. Lovers like Trading-Cards
6. Cold Wind
7. Give Me
8. Fear My Lover
9. Velvet
10. Disguise
released 1996
Flowers on the Dash
CD $15.00 ON SALE AGAIN SEPTEMEBER 8, 2003
1. Miss O’Shaughnessy
2. Flowers on the dash
3. Amity sleeps
4. Serena’s joy
5. Strange parade
6. Sun
7. Coming to terms
8. Garbage pails
9. The eyes of race
10. Not obsessive
Visit Eric Vani's website