Album Notes

STAY TUNED! Eric Athey's new release "Time/Distance" will be released in March 2006 and available on CDBaby. Until then - be sure to pick up a copy of his first record "Open House" on this site.

Eric Athey was born, raised and resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Despite over 20 years of writing and performing his own brand of roots rock in local bars, he had never recorded any of his songs until the summer of 2003. Open House is his debut.

With influences ranging from Kris Kristofferson and Tim Hardin to The Blasters and The Clash, Athey's songs tell a story of relationships gone awry and resolved, desperation and forgiveness. Some of the songs are driven by loud guitars, a sawing fiddle and pounding drums. Others are sparsely arranged with acoustic guitar, lap steel or dobro. Open House is an honest summation of a relationship laid bare, picked at and lifted back up - and it hits all of the stops along the way. Anger, regret, hope, denial, penance, shame, resentment and relief.

Recorded live in August 2003 in a former Baptist Church in Newfield, NY, with a band recruited from friends and strangers, Open House is the sound of a stellar band bringing Athey's songs to life. Accompanying Athey is Dave Boquist on guitar, lap steel, fiddle, and dobro; Ken Zeserson on guitar, saxophone and backing vocals; Jan Nigro on piano and organ; Brook Duer on bass; and Mark Boquist on drums and percussion. Kimberly Sherwood provides backing vocals on "In Another World."

Matt Saccuccimorano engineered, mixed and produced along with Athey and Mark Boquist.

More info at: www.ericathey.com

REVIEWS:

"Five stars - ....This is winning roots rock music at its best. A new album with a new sound for the rock enthusiast...What a sound!" Roots Music Report

"Four stars - ...a breakthrough record..." ronsaltcountry.com

"Four stars - ...The simplicity and allure of many of these lyrics just hit home,...This is a very promising debut from a songwriter that has the ability to tell everyday stories with real emotion." ALTCOUNTRYTab.Com

"...F***in' A, what a great record!" Jack Sparks, The Other Side of Country

"...When a dozen or so rootsy discs with unfamiliar names on the front surface each month, you end up looking for elements that separate one from the rest of the pack. On Eric Athey's Open House, those things are melody, crunch, and brains, plus vocals with the right amount of spit and unpolish - a pretty persuasive four-pack." No Depression

"Eric Athey has provided the first surprise of the new year. This singer/songwriter from Pennsylvania has released a very remarkable CD with his debut Open House." www.altcountry.nl (Netherlands)

"The album has made an overwhelming impression on us...The absolute highlights are the bittersweet and very melodic "Did I Break Your Heart Tonight"..., the restrained "Habits Die Slow" and the two unbelievably beautiful songs that wave us goodbye - "Don't Have to Be Alone" and "Home Tonight." CtrlAltCountry.be (Belgium)

"...thirteen songs of consistently high quality...a class piece of work..." Americana-UK

"...a wild rollercoaster ride of unflinching emotion...delivered...with raw urgency [that] weaves [a] tale through smartly written songs that are at times hard hitting, biting, and often bittersweet. Open House is a gripping album of first rate roots-rock from the very talented Eric Athey." TakeCountryBack.com

"...urgent electrified rockers courtesy of Eric Athey, a Lancaster, PA native with a knack for spinning tough tales and lacing them up with a rock and roll drama." Country Standard Time

"...the thirteen songs plus hidden track...convey a sense of unflinching recall and remembrance with a be-damned attitude...he can definitely write." House of Rock.com (German)

"....The thirteen tracks on this CD unfold like a mini-drama, from infatuation, to alienation, to self-destruction and beyond...As I listened to it, I truly did want to hear what was coming up next. I truly did want to hear all the way through the CD to find out how it all turned out. I won't spoil the ending for anyone except to say that it seemed to end on a realistic note." Clink Magazine

"...damn good." Roots Revival Radio (Belgium)