Interview by Juan Marco Torres
Eric Burton is the captivating frontman of Black Pumas, the American soul sensation hailing from Austin, Texas. Black Pumas are nominees for Best Rock Performance for their song “More Than a Love Song” for the 66th annual Grammy Awards.
Known for their Grammy-nominated debut and a sound that seamlessly blends vintage soul with psychedelic rock, Burton shares insights into the inspiration behind their latest album, Chronicles of a Diamond. From the sonic exploration in Amsterdam to the evolution of their distinctive sound, Burton reflects on the band’s growth and the liberation felt in creating the album. The recording artist opens up about personal favorites, the stories behind them, and the unapologetic nature of his songwriting for ContentsCulture.
I read this album was inspired, in part, by your recent travels around the world. What are some of the most memorable places you’ve visited recently and why?
Amsterdam is the most memorable place we’ve re-visited recently for the simple fact that we got to record two of our most prominent songs on the record – ‘Gemini Sun’ and ‘Rock & Roll.’
What kind of reception are you expecting?
I feel like people will embrace the new chapter we’ve embarked on as a unit as returning guests. They must have had a really good time at the first party, and now they’re coming back so it’s got to mean they really dig the music and the band.
At what point do you feel happy with what you’ve written?
Either while i’m writing it or when it’s out there and i have forgotten about it to then rediscover it.
Black Pumas is known for its distinctive psychedelic soul sound. How has it evolved from your first album?
The sound evolution from the first album feels a little more liberated in that we were more of a unit in its creation. You should feel different ideas, you should feel us stretching our capacity to make music and come up with ideas. ‘Chronicles of A Diamond’ is the purest form of a modern take on retro soul music in our eyes.
Tell us about some of your favorite tracks from Chronicles of a Diamond.
My favorite track changes. They are all my babies, so it’s really hard to choose one. They all mean something different to me and the band. They all kind of shuffle in and out of that “favorite song” seed . I think the first one is ‘Angel.’ That one means a lot to me. I wrote it maybe 12 years ago or so during a time when I couldn’t have imagined being here. That was a song that really gave me the fuel to be where we are today. So that’s definitely one of my favorite songs on the album.
I really like ‘Chronicles of A Diamond’. It’s the first time I play piano on our record. I think it might be the first song I’ve ever written on a piano, maybe? I really like that song for its sonic quality as well for how we were able to kind of program the drums to be reflective of hip hop. I love how the piano feels like a looped sample of the situation in my unorthodox nature towards playing. And I love how the delivery of the lyrics in the song is pretty poignant and expressive and unapologetically who I am.
There’s a lot of references to vintage sound and film in your work. What draws you from these aesthetics?
As a songwriter and a music maker and recording artist, we strive to get to the source of what is undeniable. And from analogue to digital, there is a through line that is reflective of source. So we are always listening for that. In our search for an intimate conversation with source, our choosing of instruments, choosing the way that we inflect, choosing gear, is reflective of vintage quality. i dont think we do it on purpose all the time, it just kind of happens that way.
What are you usually wearing to your shows? How do you prepare for a performance?
One of our favorite things to do as a band on the road is go shopping. I feel like on the first few runs, we were always at the buffalo exchanges, and the thrift stores, and so we would buy clothes before the shows to add to our outfits and our presentation. and now, I don’t really think about what I’m going to wear until maybe a few hours before the show because I just have so many clothes. My closet is kind of insane, so I guess it just depends on how I feel.
Where do you see Black Pumas fitting in the current musical landscape?
Black Pumas fit in the current musical landscape as artists who were able to be themselves and yet remain relevant, all in a lane of their own.
