Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Eric Stevenson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Eric, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

My partner (Elizabeth Jancewicz) and I have been full time artists for about 12 years now, since we decided to try to tour full time behind our band Pocket Vinyl in the summer of 2011. Our show primarily consists of myself slamming a piano and singing while Elizabeth creates a painting on stage, which we auction off afterwards. Without a doubt, the painting sales are what have kept us afloat financially over the years. We sell shirts, records, stickers, and all that stuff, but the paintings are the biggest advantage we have. Sometimes they sell for very little, but often they sell high enough for us to make a decent profit. I always recommend all other bands to get a painter.

When we started, we played anywhere and everywhere that would let us. We just wanted to get out there in any way we could. We’d plan tours playing 6 or 7 days a week for a month or two straight, then rest for a couple months, and do it again. We still more or less keep to a similar kind of plan today. It’s exciting and exhausting and horrible and wonderful, and we were our own bosses. It’s been the hardest and more rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

Often, people will ask us how we have the stamina to keep going at such a pace. Frankly, in this business, we haven’t had a choice, not only because we needed to play the shows to earn money to live, but also because something deep inside us won’t let us stop. Maybe it’s “passion” or “drive” or whatever, but during the lowest moments on the road, something deep inside keeps us going through all the existential crisis’s and emotional breakdowns. I don’t even know if it’s something you can learn, or something you’re just born with. A mental condition, maybe? No idea, but both Elizabeth and I have it, and that’s kept us going far beyond when our bodies would have stopped years ago.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Pocket Vinyl is a musical/art duo consisting of Eric Stevenson on piano/vocals and Elizabeth Jancewicz on live painting. Elizabeth creates a full 2’x2′ painting on stage during the show which is auctioned off afterwards. Every painting and show is unique. We’ve released 10 albums, played over 1000 shows, and have been full time artists for over a decade.

We made a feature length documentary called “Drive. Play. Sleep.” (now on Youtube) about small time, working class touring musicians and what the lifestyle is like.

Elizabeth has a comic called “The Touring Test” (Instagram: @thetouringtest) which is a semi-autobiographical series about our lives as touring artists and our cats.

In 2019, we broke the world record for “Fastest to Play a Show in Each of the 50 States”. The record was 50 days. We did it in 44 days, 13 hours, and 50 minutes. We’re coming out with a graphic novel about the experience in late 2023 through Mango Publishing.

All that is to say, we have a lot of stuff under the umbrella of “Pocket Vinyl”. We try our best to be an interesting band that is worth keep track of, and you never know what will come next.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I don’t know where I saw it, but I think of this quote all the time:

“Failure is a part of success, not the opposite.”

I still feel like I fail a lot, but at my best, I can understand that “failing” isn’t really a thing. It’s just another step in the road that leads you to the next thing. It is not an ending. Getting that lesson through my skull fundamentally changed the way I viewed my own success and failures for the better.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

For most creative people, making something is a need, not a want. Something inside us won’t rest until that thing is made. I have no idea what that is, but it’s there, and it always puzzles me when people don’t have it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pocketvinyl.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/pocketvinyl
• Facebook: facebook.com/pocketvinyl
• Youtube: youtube.com/pocketvinyl
• Other: pocketvinyl.bandcamp.com Spotify – just search “Pocket Vinyl”

Image Credits
The painting images are pieces that Elizabeth has done on stage in roughly 45 to 90 minutes.