When did you first realise that COVID-19 was going to have an effect on your band?
Hi, I’m Eric Gynan, Cofounder of the Rock band Leaving Eden from New England USA.
Leaving Eden Lineup: Eve Lead Vocals, Alyssa Bailey White Keys and Vocals, Jake Gynan Drums, Eric Gynan Guitars and Vocals, Rich Chouinard Bass and Vocals.
In March we were on tour down south USA. We played a bunch of venues and when the Main St Station one of the biggest Bike week Venues announced they were being shut down, this is when we realized the seriousness of the situation. We still had shows at other venues which we played and then headed back to New England.
Initially, what was that whole situation like, and how did your band overcome/react to it?
We were booked at that point in March all the way through November. Suddenly all of our gigs were canceled. Actually didn’t have one date open. So normally we don’t even start recording our album until August. We already had our previous album done and ready to be released in May 2020. So with the time down we recorded our newest album titled Fable.
Dark Star Records/Sony/Universal
Videos:
The World Is Yours
The Rose
Detached
Song Black Wolf to be featured in Director Massimiliano Cerchi Movie Black Wolf
How has your creative process changed as a band over the last couple of months?
We’ve been releasing videos from our last album and our newest album as well as working on some videos from past albums. We were fortunate over the summer to be able to play a bunch of outdoor gigs. Actually it reminded me of down south because a lot of the shows are outside. I think here in New England it’s a good precedent to have bands outdoors. It’s more of a party situation instead of being inside on a hot summer night. Think that part of it will stay.
What’s been the hardest part about writing/doing music this way?
Really there’s not much affect other than getting all the people together to Do their part in the band.
What bands/artists have you been listening to over the last couple of months?
I’ve Really not had much time to listen. I’ve been recording and producing our new album, and all those videos so sometimes they play classic rock stations on the phone or Alexa.
So, what do you think you’ve learnt the most from being a band through COVID-19?
I think that Covid-19 has completely leveled the playing field. You had a box that was filled to the top with national and international tours happening worldwide. Suddenly it all ceased and none of these bands were playing. All of the sudden that box got empty and left a lot of room for other bands. Most of the gigs that we played were packed to the rim. Probably because there simply wasn’t as many live acts out there to go see. Even though all of our shows were canceled suddenly we just kept getting calls for new shows.
What kind of effect do you think that it’s had on the music industry all together, and how excited are you to see it return to normal?
Well I think it’s very Exponential in terms of The effects it snowball through the entire music industry. Every tour has staff and every venue has staff and all of these people were instantly put out of work. Bands that were working really hard to get where they were suddenly all of their dreams were put on hold. I Feel bad because some of these bands will break up Inevitably. It’s going to be a long cold winter here in New England USA. I sincerely hope that things come back and maybe spawn a new generation of musicians. Will it Go back to normal? One can only hope and pray.
What tips/advice would you like to give to other bands who are also going through this?
Envision a better future. Keep Writing, keep recording and obviously keep practicing. It’s a time to really hone in to your craft.
https://leavingeden.com/