Indie and alt music artist JD Eicher has delivered an upbeat twist on a break up song with ‘The Will To Live’ – which is about escaping from a toxic relationship. Having toured the US and appeared on bills alongside Coldplay, Train and The Zombies. Eicher has successfully written tunes for tv soundtracks and ad campaigns and is working on a new album.
You’ve built an impressive career in the music industry touring across the US and abroad. How did your musical journey begin and what were some key moments that shaped you as an artist?
Thank you!! Music started for me as a sort of ‘place’ I could go to escape and process and clear my head. In addition to being a creative outlet, it was a sort of soothing/therapeutic way to face whatever I was going through.
I was in awe of people who could write and play their own music, and my uncle and a longtime boyfriend of my sister were both able to do this. Watching them bring their songs to life lit a spark in me, and I began to chase the idea of learning how to do it too. After writing a few songs myself (much later), I fell in love with the process, and it became front and center in my life.
Growing up, what artists or musical influences played a role in developing your unique sound and approach to songwriting?
It’s all over the place, but my parents playing music from songwriters like Paul Simon and James Taylor was definitely a core influence when it comes to my singer-songwriter slant. Music from artists like Damien Rice, David Gray, Feist, John Mayer, and Death Cab for Cutie was in heavy rotation during my formative years as well. I discovered classic acts like Jimi Hendrix, Queen, and The Beatles along the way, and these sorts of sonically iconic artists helped push me to look for new and different approaches to songwriting.
‘The Will To Live’ offers a unique take on breakups by focusing on the liberation that comes with leaving a toxic relationship. What inspired you to approach the topic from this angle?
I had recently removed myself from such a relationship, and while there is always pain in that, I was curious about this feeling of joy and freedom that had appeared as well. It was a deep kind of relief that I hadn’t expected to feel, and it got me thinking about the great things that can come from reclaiming yourself and your value. A breakup isn’t always a loss.
You mentioned that “The Will To Live” is the third single leading up to a full-length album. Can you give us a sneak peek into the themes and sounds we can expect from the upcoming project?
Sure. Sonically, the band and I are enjoying using live bass and drums as a sort of organic foundation for most of the songs, and then we add in unique sounds and samples and synths and allow ourselves to experiment from there. Thematically, it will be a continuation of and conclusion of many of the themes I’ve written about and developed over the course of the project’s lifespan. It will certainly be the most ambitious effort to date. I’m hoping people will come along for it!
Your music has been featured in national ad campaigns and popular TV shows. Do you approach songwriting differently when you know it could be used in a commercial or show context?
Great question! Sometimes an existing song will get picked up for something, and in that case, it’s just a lucky thing that you have something that works with the show, commercial, etc. But there are times when you might get a request for a custom song or have a project that is aimed toward a specific type of use. In those cases, I do consider the use and try to tailor the music to its purpose. If it’s a song that will also be under my artist name (a JD Eicher song), that can sometimes be more of a dance because it involves finding the place where your artist voice can authentically overlap with the goals of the project.
As you continue to evolve as an artist, what are some of your personal and professional goals in music? Is there a specific direction or project you’re excited to explore next?
In the immediate future, I’m really focused on being the strongest possible songwriter and producer I can be, which means extra obsession over lyrics and melody and arrangement. I’m really policing my own work and pushing myself to avoid shortcuts and any potential laziness in the process.
Down the line, I hope to spend more time developing some of my side projects, which include some instrumental projects and another indie project.
You’ve already achieved so much in your career, from touring to working on soundtracks and TV placements. What’s the next big milestone you’re aiming for in your artistic journey?
I think the thing that has best served me along the way is the desire to improve and a commitment to consistency. Being able to be full-time at this has been and continues to be the main career goal. That alone is an ongoing battle haha.
So much of the rest of it is luck and lucky timing along the way, so I try to see those moments of achievement more like moments of affirmation and reasons to be grateful, rather than goals to aim toward. Hard to chase them, but so wonderful when one shows up on your path 🙂 So I’m just trying to keep going and keep pushing to make better and better art. Hopefully more good comes of it
Listen here:
