Lucas Gambit Records

As a part of the many generations that have lived in the post Phonographic world of music, Hadwynn ventures to do things differently.

Before the invention and rapid spread of recorded sound, music was a more personal experience based around community, personal stories, and fun. Friends and family would gather ’round to clap and sing and play songs for each other. They were physically a part of the music through their playing, and the song became a part of them.

Now however, music has become structured more like a lecture, with very little room for substantial participation from the listeners. With a desire for writing deeply intimate music and putting on heartfelt performances, Hadwynn is a band that invites you to come be a part of the song.

I think sometimes we can all be victims of the belief that our present realities aren’t as good as what we find in movies or what we find in books and stories. For a lot of us, the people we write about and sing about are the people we wish existed, people we hoped we’d meet, people we dream to dream about. We write sometimes to get away, to escape from something or someone to hopefully find something or someone else better. We believe because of certain life circumstances that real people, real life, will never be that great. But deep down I think it’s so much more than that. In the end we don’t want the person from the dream. In the end we don’t want the person we go to sleep to find but in fact, we want the person that we eagerly wake up to see. We want someone that we stay awake as long as we can to keep thinking about because in the end we know we found someone so much greater than anything or anyone we’d end up finding during the night. It’s then in that moment we realize and understand we haven’t found someone that we’ve always dreamed about. Not at all. We’ve found someone so far beyond any possible dream we’ve ever had. They aren’t the person from our dreams, they’re undoubtedly the person that’s better than all our dreams.

Erik Smallwood — a “rough around the edges” artist with a heart for people and, more importantly, God — is always asking questions about life and love and faith. Smallwood has crafted songs that will resonate deeply with listeners and make this journey seem a little more worth traveling. Erik is energetic, passionate, and raw, three things that nobody takes lightly.

Erik is a very talented Singer/songwriter from Muscle Shoals, Alabama. He grew up playing drums and guitar in his church, and gradually began writing songs for his church, and to express the various events going on his life. Erik moved to North Carolina in 2006, and has developed a strong following of fans, because of his very unique performance style. Erik has worked with a wide variety of well known artists. Will McFarlane (former guitarist for Bonnie Raitt), Donna Jean (formerly of The Grateful Dead), and Jason Isbell (formerly of the Drive-by Truckers), just to name a few.

His debut offering You Love set for a January 24, 2012 release is a proper introduction to an artist with soul roots, a country croon and a story to tell.

Erik Smallwood is sure to win over fans of Keith Urban and John Mayer alike with this well crafted set.