Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz With “Stuck Inside”

Eric has appeared in my column with updates and news on previous releases but I must say he’s outdone himself on this one. It’s moving and inspirational and welcomes the listener into the melody and the message. All the songs on this collection were written and composed during the Covid pandemic. It is a powerful expression of what people around the world may or may not be feeling and experiencing in such a trying time in our world.

Press kit interview:

THE ALBUM: STUCK INISDE

The eleven songs on Stuck Inside are a bit edgier, a bit more rockin’–more electric-guitar-based, whereas Variant Blues is more acoustic-guitar-based.

You can hear an overview of us (mostly soft) rockin’ on this “Eric Anders (Mostly Soft) Rocks!” playlist.

For more on Stuck Inside, see my blog post, “Stuck Inside and Variant Blues.”  See this blog post for more on “Morton’s Pillory Plea,” the first song on Stuck Inside.

What does the album title mean? How does the album title relate to the music?

I almost moved away from the name “Stuck Inside” for the album because it didn’t really fit the latter part of 2020 and early 2021 when the CDC encouraged being outside rather than stay indoors where the virus spreads more. “Stuck Inside” seemed like a better fit with the early part of the lockdown when most of us were afraid to leave the house.

I considered using the name of the last song on Stuck Inside, “Small World Abide,” as the album name because it contrasts nicely with the title of my 2016 “best of” solo compilation, Big World Abide, named after the second song on my 2006 album Tethered to the Ground.

Many of the songs on Stuck Inside are about the extreme self-centeredness and pathological narcissism that goes hand-in-hand with the Santa beliefs I sing about in the song “Big World Abide”–being trapped inside yourself, stuck inside, and lost at sea.

I believe that millions of people have responded to the trauma of the pandemic (combined with the trauma of Trump and the effects of global warming) by retreating into their narcissism, commodity fetishism, fundamentalism’s, and the simplistic right-wing ideologies that grow out of all of these.  

This is why I decided to stick with the “Stuck Inside” title over the “Small World Abide” title.  We seem to be even more “stuck inside” our Santa beliefs and unable to deal with how big and small the world actually is at the same time.

When were you going through the songwriting process?

2020 and the first half of 2021.

When and where did you record?

We recorded at our respective home studios.

With whom did you work creating the record? Did you have a hand in the production?

Mike Butler was the producer. Mark and I love that Mike stays true to our original or demo vision/version of the songs when this is warranted. For almost all of the songs, he used some of what we recorded at our home studios on the final record.

Press quotes:

“This might have been what it was like when people heard Simon & Garfunkel for the first time.”
– Joshua Macala, Raised by Gypsies

“Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz’s album, Of All These Things, is something truly special. Melodically, lyrically, and generally stunning… an outstanding piece of work.”
– Made Shaw, The Weekly Spoon


All Songs Written by Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz
Produced and Mixed by Mike Butler
Mastered by Jamal Ruhe
Cover Design by Ileana Hernandez and Eric Anders

For more information on Eric Anders and Mark O’Bitz please check out the following websites. All information on this artist is provided by Independent Music Promotions.

ARTIST WEBSITE/SOCIAL MEDIA:
www.AndersObitz.com

About Sherryl Craig 410 Articles
Sherryl is a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor with Nashville Music Guide and her blog, Lyrics N Legends has been featured since 2012. Her articles has graced the cover and have appeared as feature stories in the NMG print edition. She is also a member of WMMW, Women of Music Music of Women, a non-profit organization in support of women in the music industry. WMMW also appears here in Nashville Music Guide.

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