Erinn Peet Lukes is a singer, songwriter,and guitarist. Originally from the sunny shores of Redondo Beach, CA, her musical journey has taken her through Seattle, New York City, Denver, and, most recently, Nashville. Her lilting vocals, vivid songwriting, bluegrass-style flatpick guitar playing, and singable hooks have enchanted listeners in the US and abroad.
As a beach kid, Erinn did not grow up with the bluegrass music that would launch her career later in life. When she first picked up a guitar as a teenager, pop acts like Jack Johnson, John Mayer, and Michelle Branch inspired her to put her love for writing into song form.She got accepted to University of Washington and left California for the cloudy skies of Seattle where she began to busk.
While studying abroad in Italy in 2010, her roommate played her a bit of Crooked Still’s song, “New Railroad,” and a new world opened up. Before hearing the progressive string band, Erinn never quite knew what genre her music fit. “I always loved writing catchy hooks and pop structured songs, but never thought about instrumentation,” she said. She went back to Seattle to finish college and became obsessed with the old sound stylings of Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, and Alison Krauss.
The pandemic saw the demise of her band Thunder and Rain — shortly after Erinn recovered from vocal surgery. So she decided to strike out on her own, heading to Nashville and enlisting Adobe & Teardrops favorite Rachel Baiman as producer. Her new EP, EPL, proves that there is a place for thoughtful, carefully crafted pop music within the country music pantheon. “Stung” gets us out of the gate with a rocker reminiscent of Lucy Dacus or Phoebe Bridgers, while “Country Music Breaks My Heart” is a sly revisionist view of commercial country pop. Conversely, “Piece of Land” is a powerful pandemic-era protest anthem.
EPL will be released on March 4th, but you can listen to it now exclusively on Adobe & Teadrops.
Your EP is really special. Tell us how you came to gather this collection of songs together.
Like a lot of my fellow songwriters, I wrote a lot during the first part of the pandemic. I was dog-sitting in a house all by myself from March to April 2020 and spent most of that time learning line dances on YouTube, talking to the pugs I was caring for, and writing songs. I did a song challenge with a few friends, and it really expanded my songwriting to different subjects. One thing I really like about this collection of songs is that each one is about something totally different.
What was the recording process like? Did it go the way you expected? What was your favorite moment or moments in the studio?
The recording process was a dream! It was March in Tennessee and raining every day. We gathered in a small studio outside of Nashville called the Tractor Shed. My producer, Rachel Baiman, was so fun to work with. I felt really comfortable with her at the helm, even though it was intimidating to make my first Nashville record. My favorite part was when Rachel’s husband, George, transported homemade pizzas to us in his van. My song, “Piece of Land,” got a new name that day — “I got me a gun and a pizza van.”
This record calls upon two genres you love – bluegrass and indie-pop – and mashes them up in a really cool way. What made you want to do that and how do you feel about the result? Does this feel like your most “genuine” musical self?
The only studio records I’ve made in my career have been acoustic records, so it was hard for me to completely leave bluegrass behind with this recording. My references for this record were songs from the late ’90s and early 2000s that really captured me when I was first starting to love music. I feel like we combined those ideas and let each of those musical elements fit with the story and vibe of each song.
What’s coming up next for you once the EP comes out this week?
I’m hosting an album release show on March 4th at a venue called Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge here in Nashville. Then I’m taking off on a tour to North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania and more starting March 18th to promote the EP!
EPL will be out on March 4th
Wow, these songs sound great!