By Kristi Ahlers, Independent Music Review

Born and raised in Lincoln, NE, Erich had always been fascinated with music.  It must have been destiny.  On the night Erich was born, his father, who played pedal steel guitar for a local country act called "The Rhythm Masters", was scheduled to play.  Erich's father was present upon his birth then, once all was declared fine, left to play the show.

Erich's father bought him his first set of drums on his fifth birthday.  Red sparkle to be exact.  A three piece set with one cymbal.  For the next five years, it became a decision Erich's parents would come to regret.

"I spent every minute I could in the basement pounding on those things," Erich recalls.  "There was a moment that I was playing along to a song and I just knew that I wanted to be a musician.  I remember it very clearly.  From that moment on I decided to learn everything I could on every instrument I had access to."

Erich made his live debut at age 13 playing drums for the "Whiskey River Boys".  He started writing his own songs shortly thereafter.

"My parents were mostly supportive.  My mother was a little apprehensive because of the stereotypical life a musician lives.  But overall, they did what they could to guide me."

Erich would go on to play in the "Whiskey River Boys" for four years.  Two on drums and then the final two years Erich played bass guitar.  While in college, Erich hooked up with a band called "The Board of Directors" to form "Lost & Found" a classic party rock group that Erich continues to play lead guitar with from time to time.

In 2005, Erich released a solo cd titled "the long road home" (read review).  The disc contained music he had written and recorded over the previous four years.

"I was recording because it was fun.  I really didn't think about releasing a cd until I already had eight to ten songs finished.  The cd kind of came together very quickly after I decided to put it out.  But my first goal was to have fun."

The release of "the long road home" inspired Erich to keep recording and he's currently working on a follow-up cd that he hopes to release in the fall of 2008.