New Jersey singer-songwriter Eddie Skuller is set to release his ‘Blind Love’ EP, a four-track personal tribute to Waits’ songwriting that revisits a storyteller with a rare ability to capture human character, emotion and melody, as well as his ability to find beauty and humanity in unexpected places.
With a unique vocal style, Skuller brings a raw, analog intimacy to these compositions, exploring the space between homage and reinvention. Performed with reverence, restraint and emotional intelligence, he allows the songs' emotional complexity to emerge, his delivery favoring intimacy over imitation.
Based in Jersey City, Eddie Skuller went to the opposite edge of the state to record this EP - namely, the upstate New York studio The Chicken Shack with producer-proprietor Nick Kinsey, known for his work with Kevin Morby, Waxahatchee and Scott McMickey. Fun fact: Waits himself is said to have made his Mule Variations album in another converted chicken shack on the opposite coast.
Bringing forth sheer raw joy and honed instincts, Skuller is joined on this EP by Ryder Cooley of Dust Bowl Faeries on accordion, Kinsey on drums and keyboards, Jack Skuller on guitars, and Jeremy Chatzky (Springsteen, Steve Earle, Ronnie Spector)on bass.
Centered around narrative and feeling, Skuller's performance reveals layers of tenderness, nostalgia, and quiet hope. Captured without edits or vocal overdubs, the recording preserves the spontaneity of the recording and the imperfections of analog production, the vocals captured live with the band.
"These four songs share a dark melancholy of lost love and desire, but all resolve with a sense of hope for a positive future outcome. That’s what draws me in to these songs and what connects them. In my live show it’s the spirit of hope that people take with them," says Eddie Skuller.
“What makes this experience unique for me is that it was recorded live in studio to tape. I wanted Nick Kinsey to produce because I was familiar with his aesthetic sensibilities and the warmth that analog recording can provide. The songs became meditative dirges and the lyrics read as pure poetry."
Nick Kinsey notes, “Producing a cover of any Tom Waits song is a daunting proposition, but I think we did a great job paying homage to one of America’s musical heroes, while giving it our own authentic touch. Eddie’s vocal performance and approach give an emotional immediacy that’s inarguable.”
Skuller earlier shared fine renditions of ‘Downtown Train’ and ‘You Can Never Hold Back Spring’, two of Tom Waits’ most quietly affecting songs, revealing a gentler side of Waits’ catalog, where grit gives way to tenderness and reflection. Blending collage, illustration, photography, typography and animation, the music video is a collaboration with French collective SPX ETC (artists Sandrine Pagnoux and Sophie Etchart), sparked through Sandrine’s Tom Waits editorial for 46pgs magazine.
In addition to his solo work, Skuller is a perennial guest vocalist with The Losers Lounge, the acclaimed tribute series curated by The Psychedelic Furs’ Joe McGintyand regularly held at Joe’s Pub and City Winery in NYC. His live performances have drawn praise for their authenticity, emotional clarity, and musical integrity.
As of August 26th, the 'Blind Love' EP is available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp, where the first two singles can also be found.
CREDITS
Produced & Mixed by Nick Kinsey at the Chicken Shack Studio, New York
Mastered by Christopher Colbert at National Freedom Studio, Oregon
Eddie Skuller - vocals
Jeremy Chatzky - bass
Jack Skuller - guitar
Nick Kinsey - drums, percussion, keyboards
Ryder Cooley - accordion
EP cover photo and design by Eddie Skuller
‘You Can Never Hold Back Spring’ video produced for SPX ETC
by Sophie Etchart & Sandrine Pagnoux
Single cover photo & design by SPX ETC
Original artist photos by Eddie Skuller
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR
