Brian Eaton

After many years of tweaking knobs for other bands in his studio, Chicago-based musician/producer, Brian Eaton, has mixed up a new solo project. Originally recorded several years ago, Brian decided now was the right time to release his new single, "Kari" – a song that layers clean guitar hooks with lush vocal harmonies in a rock/pop format – as a preview to his upcoming new solo album. This is quite a radical departure from Eaton’s previous efforts which includes his hard hitting industrial r...

After many years of tweaking knobs for other bands in his studio, Chicago-based musician/producer, Brian Eaton, has mixed up a new solo project. Originally recorded several years ago, Brian decided now was the right time to release his new single, "Kari" – a song that layers clean guitar hooks with lush vocal harmonies in a rock/pop format – as a preview to his upcoming new solo album. This is quite a radical departure from Eaton’s previous efforts which includes his hard hitting industrial rock band, North, and his other solo release, The Switch, a jazz EP. Brian’s new solo effort is just that, a solo effort. All instruments and vocals were written, performed, and recorded by him at his Eatin’ Records studio. However, working solo is not a new concept for Brian, his debut release, The Switch, was a near-solo effort except for the guitars. “The biggest advantage of working solo is having total creative control over your songs,” Eaton explains. Born and raised in Los Angeles until age eleven, Brian was surrounded by music during early childhood. If it wasn’t his older brother Bill introducing him to rock bands like Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Yes, and Deep Purple, it was his father (who sings on occasion with the Mel Brown Quartet) exposing him to the world of jazz. “It seemed like my brother was constantly bringing home new music,” Eaton recalls, “he would show me the cover of some new album and say, ‘you’ve got to hear this!’” When his brother picked up the guitar, Brian, at the age of nine, was persuaded to learn the drums. “It was pure expedience,” Brian confesses, “my brother needed a drummer to jam with, so he persuaded me to get a drum kit and learn. I remember one time after building a repertoire, my brother and I set up a stage in the living room, invited all our friends over and performed a concert complete with homemade pyrotechnics. It was way cool.” At eleven, his mother and stepfather moved him to Chicago while his brother stayed in L.A. with their father and formed the band Exodus with his friend Gilby Clarke (best known as the replacement guitarist for Guns ‘N Roses). A year later, Bill moved to Chicago and recruited Brian to play drums for his bands. In highschool, Brian started dabbling in keyboards and guitar, and drummed for a progressive rock cover band. And in college, he majored in music theory and composition while studying jazz piano with Skip Green – one of Chicago’s finest jazz instructors. After college, Brian built his own recording studio and independent label, Eatin’ Records. In 1992, he released his debut solo project, The Switch, and in ‘94 he released the debut album, Genocidal World, by his band North. Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, Eaton played in several original bands while working with a multitude of local artists. He earned the reputation as a premier sound engineer and producer who turns demos into commercial recordings. He’s also released 11 bands on his Eatin’ Records label including T.D. Clark, who toured with Bad Company and Ted Nuggent. Recently, Eaton remastered and released the previously unreleased North demos as a new single, "Murder Of The Minds," which continues to receive industry praise. Of course, Brian’s new single, "Kari," is far from his early adventures in music. This new slant shows a different side to him – a rock/pop side that incorporates intoxicating guitar hooks with ethereal harmonies, pop vocals, and passionate lyrics. “This is just a new beginning,” states Eaton, “I have a lot more material to offer and I’m in the process of recording it. This new album is definitely taking me in a brand new direction.” For more info, visit myspace.com/brianeaton1