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BIO:
Out of Los Angeles, the land of sun, rises the pop-rock
quartet, SOL GIANT with vocalist, songwriter and
guitarist, Eric Nicolau, bassist Alana Chirino, a
Miami-raised musician born to two Grammy-winning Latin pop
stars, Elliot Schwartzman, a keyboardist adept in funk,
Americana and blues, and lifelong drummer Rob Humphreys, a
classically trained percussionist with a heart for rock ‘n
roll.
SOL GIANT is the fusion of creative sparks from all across
the nation, working to shine new creative light on the
pop-rock genre. Eric has already released two EPs prior to
the formation of Sol Giant; first Dead, Awake, &
Dreaming, followed by Are You Listening. The
latest EP, STRANGERS, was recorded, mixed, and
mastered at Sound Central Recorders and Romulus Studios in
Los Angeles, and is due for release on December 8.
Nicolau’s vocals may be familiar to some astute rock fans;
he has performed throughout the Midwest with his previous
band, Which Way is Home, even rating a stage at the 2007
Warped Tour. With the idea for a new band in mind, he
moved to Los Angeles from Detroit, Michigan, and,
according to Nicolau, did what any other musical artist
seeking other passionate music artists would do, and
posted ads within local newspapers and websites. “I got
lots of responses and ended up with a blend of musicians
originally from all over the place. With a little bit of
luck on my side, I found a jazz drummer from New Mexico, a
Latin-pop prodigy from Miami, and a New York piano man.
Somehow it’s all worked out considering the diverse and
varied places we've all come from musically. We are all
teaching each other something when we are playing. The
songs I start with end up morphing into something I'd
never expected. It's exciting.”
The work that has gone into the latest release for SOL
GIANT makes this EP well worth the listen. The
instrumentals and vocals are rock-solid and the lyrics are
full of authentic emotion, not the genre’s typical pap.
Tracks like “Wide Eyed” speak to the truth of our
relationships that can remain hidden behind our own
self-imposed blinders. Nicolau explains that the lyrics,
“sum up the reflection on parting ways with people you’ve
found are not the kind you want to have in your life
anymore.” Other tracks such as “Where I’m Supposed to Be”
involve the battle within our own skin, asking where we,
as individuals, and especially as musicians, fit in the
world around us.
The bass play of Alana Chirino sets a mood, one that you
think you can pinpoint at first listen, but then just as
fast, she can change it for you and set a new tone. Alana
was raised in Florida by a Grammy-award winning salsa
singer father, nurtured by a Latin pop-singer mother, and
harmonized with her four siblings as The Chirino Sisters.
Yet, with all signs pointing toward Miami for her musical
career, she went her own way: west. She states, “Even
though my parents were in the Miami Latin scene, they
always played all kinds of music around the house, which
helped expand my musical palette to draw from as a
musician.” With her mind firmly set on her own music
career, and her own life, Chirino made the move to Los
Angeles in ’07.
Elliot Schwartzman has been playing piano and keyboard
since he was five years old. His musical hands found other
outlets in violin and guitar as well, but nothing drew his
interest as much his fingertips brushing ivory keys (or
plastic in the keyboard era). Before SOL GIANT,
Schwartzman toured with a funk band and honed other sonic
stylings, including country, Americana and Blues.
Originally from Rochester, NY, Elliot joined SOL GIANT
after moving to L.A. in August ‘08.
Drummer Rob Humphrey is originally from Roswell, New
Mexico, but like the rest, made his way to Los Angeles.
His parents often encouraged him to listen to classical
music and jazz. “I'm not sure why I went with was drums
and percussion,” he says,” but it all started in my garage
playing along to Beatles and Tom Petty records.” However,
almost all of Rob’s experience performing, touring and
recording was done either in a symphonic orchestra or a
jazz/big band. Later, Rob went to school at New Mexico
State University as an electrical engineering major and
two years of digesting math and computers only assured him
that he was meant to play music. He moved to L.A. in the
fall of 2008, found SOL GIANT in August of 2009 and fell
in love with the writing and sound of his new band.
Together these four talented artists make up the pop-rock
bad, SOL GIANT. Arranging for future show dates and
promoting the new EP STRANGERS still leaves time
for looking even further forward. About growing older in
the industry, Bassist Chirino offers up, “I hope to have
had a very successful musical career and to have
contributed something that is still relevant to young
aspiring musicians of the future.” On the same note, lead
singer Nicolau sums up his future in music, “I would
simply love to be writing, touring and playing at a higher
rate and pace than ever. It’s my dream to be able to have
enough success from the music, that I can dedicate 100
percent of my living moments to playing.”
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