Overview

Hello music lovers! Eric Keeney here, I'm a guitarist and singer-songwriter in St. Louis, MO.

Growing up I got involved in music playing trumpet in jazz and marching bands at school.  At that time I thought of the craft of playing an instrument as a challenge, a skill to master, an interesting challenge that I endeavored to conquer.  Growing up through high school I was always into music, listening to popular and classic rock, but in college it really hit me that music plays such an integral part in people’s lives…It provides an escape, solace, it instills feelings of celebration, excitement…basically transporting you to a different world wholly apart from the day to day.  It was then in college that I connected that I may be able to do that same thing and impact others like music impacted me, so I asked for a guitar for Christmas, started learning guitar on my own with friends and started writing songs.  

My deepest inspiration for writing music now comes from stories and feelings that come from where my parents’ families are from in southern Missouri.  The Wheel Number 1101 is homage to an ancestor who wrote poetry, was active in his community sharing his ideas in op-eds in the newspaper, and was active in a group called the Agricultural Wheel.  The Agricultural Wheel was formed in Arkansas in 1882 as a cooperative to further small farmer’s rights and aimed to rectify wrongs perpetrated by the railroads, grain elevators and such that depressed prices and caused a lot of hardship in the day for small farmers.  Since the time of that distant relative and up to the last 30 years or so my extended family made a living, or a some times a side hustle, off the land raising cattle or other livestock, trapping, logging, whatever it took to feed their families and survive.  This connection between land, family, and the struggles and celebrations intertwined in all of that inspire my writing today.

After playing guitar for 25 years or so, and over that time writing a handful of songs, I decided it was time to double down, focus on my craft of guitar and songwriting.  So I started playing with other people in jams, working into open mics and now continue to write, record, and share my music online and in live performances as much as I can.  I try to share my art as honestly and raw as I can as a singer/songwriter and get feedback that my style of guitar and songwriting are different, it resonates, and people seem to be touched in some way by my art which is what I always set out to do.  Now, with a small song portfolio 18 strong I want to take a few of my best songs and add the dynamic and color that you can only do with other musicians and instrumentation.  

The material is ready, and the musicians are waiting -- this Plaid Dog campaign is the final step toward creating my first ever, professionally produced studio EP.

This campaign is raising funds for my professionally recorded EP with Ryan Gallagher in Boston, MA. Ryan is a Boston-based producer and engineer with experience working with both established and up-and-coming musicians. Together, Ryan and I are digging into my original material, working on arrangements, and reaching out to local musicians to bring the songs to life. 

We’ve been able to cover the costs of recording and producing one song, which is ready for you to check out right here on this page. This first song is called “Broken Land,” and you can check it out below!

While I’ve been able to fund the recording process for "Broken Land" on my own, to create an EP of songs of this quality, studio costs add up quickly. With that said, this campaign can give us a unique opportunity to collaborate and make great art together. Your donation will cover the following costs of my project:

1. Pre-Production: This is where everything starts. Ryan and I will start crafting the arrangements for each song slated for the EP. We’ll hold rehearsals to fine-tune the songs and arrangements and talk through new and exciting ideas for how to approach the recording process.

2. Recording: This is when we enter the studio and start capturing the music and where the songs become what you'll hear on this EP. This campaign will play a huge role in making sure we have enough time to capture great performances for every member of the band.

3. Mixing & Mastering: Each track will get mixed to create the right balance between instruments, texture and color that make up a track. As a final step, the EP will be mastered from beginning to end so that the listening experience is cohesive and carefully choreographed from start to finish.

And what will you get for your generosity and support? So many awesome things!

I am so appreciative and grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign. In exchange for your generosity, I've put together a really exciting group of gifts that are available exclusively through your participation in this campaign.

Check out some examples below and a full list to the right!

Being able to create my first/new studio EP would be a total game changer. Your support will help bring the songs I have written to life.  To paraphrase one of my favorite artists, Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead, songs are like an organism, an entity of its own, that lives and breathes and grows with age.  People get attached to the song, the song builds community, and if you’re lucky the song changes culture and people in an ever-lasting way.  THAT, is my goal, and your support can help my songs get out into the wild so they have that chance to live and prosper.

If you're ready to contribute, just click the "Back This Project" button on the top right of this page! Every little bit counts, and I’m so grateful for all your support.

If you have folks in your network that would be interested in supporting me, please feel free to share this page with them.

Thank you so much for checking out my campaign page. I can't wait to share this music with you.