You like smooth R&B? ERA has you covered. Come check her out!
Bio: ERA, also known as Dee Lor, is an artist from Sacramento, California. ERA, the youngest of six children and began singing at a young age; she even composed her first song at age fourteen. ERA continues to pursue her passion for self-expression through music and writing. ERA is a self-taught musician who taught herself how to play the piano, acoustic guitar, and ukulele. She collaborated with Unique Recording Studio and released her first single “Paranoid” in August 2018. She continued her work with Unique Recording Studio and released “Wading” in October 2019, and “You Like What You Like” in December 2019.
First off, tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
I used to sing a lot when I was a child. I dance and sing to music that my family members had on the TV or radio. Growing up, I didn’t take any music or singing lessons. I started to develop an interest in writing poetry around the age of 8. I remember my grandmother and I used to go over to visit my auntie. She was staying with a friend at the time so we go over to their house every weekend. They had a piano and one day I sat down and started to press certain keys and something just clicked from thereon. I added words to each music key and later on, I found myself developing a passion for self-expression through words and music. I don’t come from a musical upbringing. My family were more concerned with practical every day living but the different kind of music they listened to did have a huge influence on my writing style, in the sense that I like to experiment and write for various genres like Folk, RnB, Country, Alternative Rock, Alternative Music, and a little bit of Rap. When it comes to singing, I didn’t take any singing lessons when I was younger because my parents were always busy with work. I learned to sing on my own from listening closely and imitating singers who helped me stay on key. Later on, I taught myself how to play the acoustic guitar and wrote my first song, “Planted On My Soul,” at the age of 14. It’s funny because I taught myself how to play various instruments but I don’t know how to read notes or how to tell what key I’m playing in.
How would you describe your sound?
My sound started with the types of instruments I taught myself how to play at the time and gradually evolve from there. My sound started as a melodic piano ballad to a soft acoustic folk to an electronic pop sound. At the moment, I’d say that my sound is a mellow alternative cross between RnB and Indie Folk. At the same time, I’m aware that as a person, I’m constantly learning, growing, and changing and so will my music. So I try to keep an open mind about that.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
Some of the artists that influence my sound are artists like Ed Sheeran, Birdy, James Arthur, SYML, ZAYN, Hayley Kiyoko, The Weeknd, and Phora. Now I know these artists are all different in terms of brand and sound. These artists influenced me in different ways besides music. Some of them influence me to be myself. Some of them influence how I present myself to the world. And some of them influence me to keep putting in effort and work into shaping my sound as an individual artist.
What’s the last song you listened to?
The last song I recently listened to is “Strong” by Christian Paul.
What’s your source for hearing new music?
Definitely Youtube. I’ve come across so many amazing artists that are unheard of that deserves a lot more recognition for their craft.
Who is your dream producer?
Hmmm…honestly I don’t really have a dream producer. I think every producer is different in their own way so it would be fun to experiment and work with different producers.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
There’s a handful I’d like to collaborate with! But if I had an opportunity with only one. Definitely ED SHEERAN! For sure.
ERA Also collaborated with Neef! Check it out!
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
Writing helps me cope with my reality. I started off writing poems. I wrote about love a lot when I was younger, like a lot. As I discovered music by putting words and instrumental sounds together, it helped me express myself in a way that words alone couldn’t have done. I believe what motivates me to keep pursuing my passion for music is that if I am fortunate enough to make it someday, I can use that platform to give back to the world in some way that’s bigger than my passion for music and myself.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
Haha! This is difficult for me to explain to others as well when they ask me how the writing process works for me. It depends on where the inspiration comes from before I write a song. It can come from watching a movie, reading a book, watching people, experiencing intense emotions, anything that pulls on my emotion strings can get my creativity flowing. Usually, I play with an instrument or make a beat then write lyrics to it by feeling out the mood of the sound. I ask questions like: How does the music make me feel? What do I feel like saying? What mood am I in? Sometimes words can come first and I can try to fit it into the music but if it doesn’t feel right, I try not to force it. Overall if it flows, it’s right. If it doesn’t, then I’m just trying too hard.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
I’m still learning how to connect with my audience. So far, I use social media like Facebook and Instagram to share and promote my music. I hope to connect with my audience more as I release more music in the future. I also try to share my experiences through poetry and quotes and other interests that would appeal to my audience’s beliefs and values besides just surface-level posts like what I eat, wear, or who I hang out with.
Connect with ERA via her Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud!
You’ve collaborated with Unique Recording Studio for several of your releases. You want to tell us what that process is like? Any reason why you keep coming back to them?
Yes! The guys I worked with, Shane Anderson and Collin Jacka, are awesome. They’re super chill to work with, and they’re very hard-working people. It was my very first time working in a music studio. Every time URS got done laying down instrument tracks, they would call me and I’d go in and cut vocals. If I messed up, we have to cut vocals again and again. We would do a handful of takes and do the process of elimination to narrow it down to the vocal track that we all go “Oh yeah! This is the one.” I’ve learned that it’s definitely a process and not one that can be rushed. Many people aren’t aware of the amount of time, energy, and effort being put into creating music. Like Shane, the producer of URS, said to me is that you put all those hours into three minutes. I worked with URS because I didn’t have to pay for studio time at all. I’m deeply grateful to URS for that. At the moment, I’m branching off to do my own thing but I hope to repay URS back in the future for what they’ve done for me.
Connect with Unique Recording Studio through their Instagram!
Your music video for “Wading” looks very professional. What was the production and recording like? Where was it filmed? Who edited the video?
Thank you! It was filmed at Muir Beach, California. Shane Anderson, the producer from Unique Recording Studio, directed and edited the video. I really got out of my comfort zone to shoot this music video but overall, it was a growing experience!
Just like the writing process and music production, it took time and energy to shoot “Wading.” It took us about three days to shoot the music video. It took us a few weeks to edit and piece the video together. When it came to which scene to pick for each part of the song, Shane and I both worked together on that. Because of everyone’s chill vibe, the process flowed pretty smoothly.
Your song “Paranoid” is interesting. What’s it about? What were you portraying to your listeners?
Paranoid came from a pretty dark place. I wrote it at a time when I felt like everyone around me wasn’t supportive of what I was doing. I felt alone and isolated. Once you get the ball rolling, you also start thinking about other things in general, like the meaning of life and existence. But “Paranoid” wasn’t just about thinking that people are out to get you or that they don’t care. It came from a deeper place of feeling out of touch with yourself. Because sometimes, when we feel out of touch with ourselves, we can become distrustful of others and that can create the feeling of being paranoid of others.
“Wading” is about two people sticking together through it all and your ideal person. Would you tell us more about that? What lines from your lyrics truly exemplifies your ideal person?
Good question. Wading was written from a place of desire. One of my favorite lines from “Wading” would be “…heard they call it intuition/I got it too but hers is sharpen like a sharp eye/I guess that kind of power’s divine.” I know telepathy isn’t a real thing but I’d like to believe that it is. Haha! I like a girl who’s empathetic and intuitive. Usually, someone with these qualities would be more sensitive to how I feel or what I may be thinking based on subtle changes in my body language or my tone of voice.
What is your newest single, “Like What You Like” about?
It’s about the fluidity in human sexuality. Basically people should be free to like what they like and not pay too much attention to what people might think of them.
What’s next for you?
I’m planning to drop an EP album next year. Hopefully, I get more opportunities to collaborate with more artists and producers. We’ll see how 2020 goes!
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
Thanks for the interview! I deeply appreciate it. 🙂
Review: ERA’s singles are a prime example of chill R&B that causes you to sway with the beat. You’ll get her melodies stuck in your head, and you’ll need to listen again and again to get your ERA fix. “Paranoid” has lyrics that we all could relate to, “Maybe I’m paranoid of all these voices, maybe I’m paranoid of all my demons.” Who hasn’t been afraid of what people would say? Maybe people notice your problems? “Wading” is about finding that one person who you could have a meaningful relationship with. Who can’t relate to that? Her latest release, “You Like What You Like” is about its namesake. You like what you like, who can change it? ERA’s latest singles could comfortably be played on the radio along with R&B’s top-40 and in a low-key club. If you dig low-key R&B than ERA needs to be on your playlist now.
