by In Eric Lilavois’ new documentary The Journey: Making of Salt, Sea & Smoke, we are taken on the journey through the process of making an album. The film demonstrates that Lilavois is talented in a multifaceted way. He is a vocalist, songwriter, musician, music producer, engineer and now with his impressive new documentary, he can add film-maker to that list.
Journey: Making of Salt, Sea & Smoke was shot in spectacular black and white and mixed with Eric’s own footage from his super 8 video which gives the movie a nostalgic quality and a personal touch. There is plenty of stunning video of Seattle, family, and the community. Blended together, this imagery allows us a glimpse of inspiration from a personal look at the creation of music, from the beginning of the songwriting process and the ideas that inspire them. At times we see how he captures the world with his dad’s old 35mm Sears camera and it is a way for him to capture the moment and the simple things we sometimes tend to overlook in our busy lives.
We then journey to the recording process, which includes interviews with many talented individuals including Ben Smith of Heart, Andrew Joslyn (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis), David Moyer (Snoopdog, U2, Broken Bells), Danny T. Levin (Julian Casablancas and Vampire Weekend) and Geoff Ott (NW Grammy Chapter President, Music Producer and co-owner of London Bridge Studios). The movie mixes humor and hard work showing us what producing, engineering and mixing an album is really all about. The film incorporates all of these things and in the end, emerges a beautiful body of work, which is the music.
Eric’s music appeals to our softer side and while it’s really hard to categorize definitively, there are hints of alternative, combined with folk and possibly a splash of blues. It’s definitely a sound and style that grabs you and pulls you in. “Gods In Our Glass” was one of the songs that really stood out. Written as a remarkable personal tribute to a friend taken to soon. Another favorite is the song “Waikiki” which makes you feel like you can almost hear the waves washing ashore.
Along with the brilliant production, great music and interviews, the documentary also plays on the emotional process an artist and producer use to bring everything together in a way that is true to an artist’s vision of their work. The personal interaction and the practical input that is needed to make things flow, as well as the level of trust between the two it takes to make the best music possible are other subjects the film lays out for the viewer.
The movie is available now on iTunes and Starting today pre-orders for your vinyl copy are available at ericlilavois.com (orders ship 1st week of August) or digital copies of the album can be purchased at Bandcamp.com
Watch the excerpt below and check out the music from ‘Salt’ the first of three EP’s that are connected to the film. Check out ‘Salt’ on SoundCloud HERE
Eric Lilavois “Waikiki” – Documentary Excerpt from A.M. Bushe on Vimeo.
