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J.D. Eicher and the Goodnights offer downloads
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
Things have been shaping up nicely for J.D. Eicher and the Goodnights since the band released its debut album, “The Shape of Things,” last year.
The Youngstown-based band has been playing all over Ohio and Pennsylvania and parts of New York — but not so much in Youngstown.
That changes Friday when JD and Co. play at Jillian’s in Southern Park Mall.
In a recent interview, Eicher shed some light on what’s new with his very tuneful pop-rock band.
Q. What’s been going on since the release of the first album?
A. We’ve been averaging about eight shows a month, and we play a variety of venues, including colleges, festivals and fairs. I’ve also been playing acoustic sets at the quieter venues, or when schedules keep the full band from playing. The success of the first album has really helped us keep things going.
Q. The band is offering some free music downloads. What are the songs, and why did you do it?
A. We’ve recently made three of our songs (“Level Out,” “This is Something” and “I’ll Be Your Calm”) available for a free download on our Facebook (www.facebook.com/jdeicherandthegoodnights) and Myspace (www.myspace.com/jdeicher) pages.
This time a year ago, we were in the studio recording the album. We wanted to celebrate that by making a few of the songs available for everyone, even if they don’t have the money to spend on them. Also, we really want to reach more people, and this makes it easy for everyone to give us a try. I would be so excited if everyone reading this article went and downloaded the songs. We wouldn’t feel like we were losing a sale — we’d feel like we were making a connection. That’s worth more than a few bucks to us.
Q. When was the last local show? What can people expect who go to the Jillian’s show?
A. The last full band show was in March at the Lemon Grove. The Jillian’s show should be a lot of fun. We have a long set that night, and a great band, Magma (which is comprised of three middle-school students) will be opening for us. It should be laid-back and fun, and the atmosphere at Jillian’s is great. Not to mention the video games.
Q. What does the summer schedule look like?
A. Lots of festivals and concert series, a few wineries, a couple colleges in August — should be a fun mix. We love the variety of venues that we play. One night I’m a singer-songwriter at a winery, the next night we’re a rock band at a festival. It really keeps things interesting. We have also begun discussing the next record, and we’re planning to start on it soon.