Daily Inspiration: Meet Eric Swanson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Swanson.

Hi Eric, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I grew up in Dallas, TX and was always interested in music and technology from a young age. My parents encouraged me and gave me ample space to explore these things. Music was a big part of my life in my teens. I played in several bands throughout high school, playing some of my first real gigs in Deep Ellum by the age of 17. In 2001, I graduated from Southern Methodist University with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics. Throughout my 20s, I bounced around several jobs but always kept a foot in the local scene playing with several bands and going on short regional tours. In 2008, I moved to Brooklyn, NY to pursue music opportunities in earnest. I soon met Israel Nash and have been recording and touring with him on pedal steel, guitar, bass, and vocals for the last 13 years. I met my wife, Erin, in 2015 and we moved to Denver in 2017. It’s here where I started to dedicate more time to working on and developing amplifiers and effects.

After touring the US and Europe since 2006, I realized that I have a unique perspective in the music equipment industry both using the gear on a professional level and understanding the technology from an engineering perspective. I joined the Henriksen Amplifiers team in 2018 and am still with them as an engineer and amp tech. During the pandemic, I also started Swantronics, offering my amp tech services to the Front Range musicians. The response was overwhelmingly positive and I’m grateful to be able to help Denver’s musicians. I’m lucky enough to be able to still gig and tour while staying grounded in the engineering and amplifier world while I’m at home. It’s a dream I’ve been pursuing for a very long time and I’m grateful to be where I am.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There have been a lot of challenges on the way. Pursuing a career as a musician is never easy and can frequently be very difficult. I’ve relocated several times chasing opportunities. From Texas to NYC, back to Texas, I’ve had to take on several jobs at a time to make ends meet. It’s difficult to find steady work that allows you to tour or cut out in the middle of the day for a recording session or gig. It’s a path I chose willingly, though.

My wife and I have also had many setbacks. The summer of 2017 was particularly difficult with job loss and health issues. Ultimately, these challenges pushed us towards Denver which was an incredibly positive transition.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I really exist in two parts of the same universe so this answer might be a bit long-winded! The first part is as a musician. I’ve played music since I was 11 years old and picked up a guitar, bass, mandolin, piano, and pedal steel along the way. These days, I’m most visible as a pedal steel player and have been fortunate enough to record on many projects including several albums from Israel Nash and a few songs with Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats amongst many others. My approach to pedal steel is really what sets me apart. I look at it as a really under-explored instrument. Most people associate it with country music but it’s capable of so much more. Its ability to create complex harmony and express delicate emotions is really unlike any other instrument. I’m really most proud of my work with Israel. He’s given me a platform to really express myself and grow as a musician. It’s taken me places I would’ve never dreamed of as a younger man.

The other side of my mind is in the engineering world. I feel like I’m just getting started on that journey despite having graduated university over 20 years ago. I approach my engineering work with a technical mind that is informed by years of experience using the equipment that I’m tasked with designing or repairing. I think that is really what sets me apart. I’m really focused on high-quality work that is reliable and has a sound true to the design goal. A lot of people in this industry get lost in superstitious trends and “mojo” and end up chasing their tail because their guiding principle is based on nebulous ideas grounded in hype, sentimentality, and nostalgia. I let the science and my ears guide me toward high-quality results.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I have a hard time with the idea of luck. I’m lucky enough to have been born to loving parents in a time and place where I was able to be myself and pursue my passions. So many people in this world aren’t as lucky. But so many other things are really in your control. How you deal with setbacks and hard times is just as important as how you handle great opportunities. It’s a balancing act and the best advice that I can give is to know what you’re good at and what you want and to try to come up with the best way get that. It’s not going to come to you tomorrow or in a dream, and honestly, I’m still figuring it out. But if you can keep your eye on the prize, you’ll feel lucky more often than not. And don’t forget to spread the luck around when you can.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.swantronics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swantronics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shampoomohawk
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/swannysteel
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5skM4jc4QoEpHiWWl6OoW7?si=YbBnufSJQ3iqT23iHQyu2A