Eric Lindell

Eric Lindell

In the two years since he joined Alligator, Eric Lindell has blossomed from regional cult artist to rising star with a burgeoning national fan base. His two critically acclaimed releases have won him loads of AAA and Americana radio airplay, national television exposure, a crowded tour schedule and over 28,000 units scanned. Gulf Coast Highway shows Eric reaching new songwriting and performing peaks in an album sure to boost his popularity.

Eric’s soul-drenched mix of blues, roots rock, and New Orleans R&B is fast becoming a radio staple. “Lay Back Down,” the single from last year’s Low On Cash, Rich In Love, spent 10 weeks on R&R’s AAA Indicator Chart (peaking at #20) and 11 weeks on FMQB’s Top 50 AAA Tracks (peaking at #26). Meanwhile, the album racked up 9 weeks on FMQB’s Public Breakout Chart and 10 weeks on R&R’s Americana Chart. Add that to appearances on Late Night With Conan O’Brien and Mountain Stage, plus reviews and features in USA Today, Relix, Down Beat, Harp, Blues Revue, Living Blues and more and you’ve got an artist building strong impressions on music buyers all over the U.S.

On Gulf Coast Highway, Eric Lindell takes his songwriting to new heights on a set of soul-infused, instantly memorable roots music anthems in the tradition of Van Morrison and Delbert McClinton. It’s full of righteous grooves and punchy guitar fueled R&B rave-ups, heartfelt ballads and funky second-line rhythms. Lindell throws some honky-tonk spice into play as well, with frisky versions of songs by Buck Owens (“Crying Time”), Delbert McClinton (“Here Come The Blues Again”) and Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson (“I Can Get Off On You”).

Additionally, Stanton Moore and Robert Mercurio, the drummer and bass player from Galactic, guest on 8 of the 15 tracks.

And one of the tracks, “This Love Is Gonna Last,” will be featured on the Relix April/May CD Sampler.