Music that breathes. That's really the most fitting description for the essence of Erick Baker's songs. Since releasing his debut EP, It's Getting Too Late To Say It's Early, in 2008, Erick's unique voice and very personal songwriting style have led listeners through music rich with themes that connect us all – hopes, fears, love, and loss. A skillful blend of widely divergent influences -- rock, pop, soul, blues, country, folk – has resulted in a distinctive genre he calls "American Music".

Erick grew up in a small town in Tennessee and, after graduating from college, saw the blank canvas of his future impulsively begin to fill with music. A lyrical path that began in Knoxville's pubs and bars led to an offer to open for musical icon John Legend. Since then Erick has toured with a variety of artists, including James Blunt, Gavin Degraw, Edwin McCain, Goo Goo Dolls, Grace Potter, Brandi Carlisle and Heart.

Erick's musical journey has been forged largely with the haunting lyrical honesty that pervades his songwriting. "These are songs from real places," he says. "To me, a song has to mean something. It can't just sound good." The authenticity of Erick's songs, simply put, are an honest, reflective window on themes central to the emotional cornerstones of our lives. It is music that has proven universally appealing, uniting fans and cutting seamlessly across lines of age, lifestyle and musical taste. It's music that, once heard, can't be ignored.

As a result, Erick's live performances set him apart in his genre. "That's when my songs are at their best," he declares. "I want people to feel the songs, the words, not just hear them." That philosophy is borne out when Erick is onstage; his aching intensity and deeply soulful delivery connect him to his audience in a way that is at once genuine and memorable.

Erick just finished recording his second full length album, produced by Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo), which is set to release in early 2012.