Tim Eriksen

Tim Eriksen

Tim Eriksen, born in Northampton, Massachusetts, is an American musician, musicologist, and professor with a career active since 1987. He is widely recognized as the leader of the band Cordelia's Dad and also as a solo artist. Eriksen's extensive work includes his role as a performer and consultant for the acclaimed soundtrack of the film Cold Mountain.

Early Life and Musical Influences

Eriksen's upbringing was shaped by a diverse range of sounds. Growing up surrounded by his parents' singing and what he describes as "natural sounds" like "bugs and wind and water," he developed an early appreciation for auditory experiences. While his New England environment fostered a love for American history and early music, his musical landscape was also populated by the sounds of The Beatles, Kiss, and Motorhead. A move to Long Island introduced him to the energetic punk-rock scene, notably the Ramones. This period saw him involved in hardcore, punk, and garage bands, including The Lobster Men, which eventually evolved into Cordelia's Dad.

Cordelia's Dad and Folk Noise

Cordelia's Dad emerged as an acoustic/electric "folk noise" band that garnered a significant following, particularly in Europe. The band released several albums, including Spine in 1998, and was praised by England's Mojo magazine for their "startling conviction" in exploring the "full, rich depth of the American folk tradition." Though the band is currently on hiatus, its impact on the folk music scene remains notable.

Exploration of Diverse Musical Traditions

Even during his teenage years as a bass-playing rocker, Eriksen was simultaneously drawn to other musical forms. He immersed himself in Indian classical music, studying the seven-string vina for ten years. His interests also extended to 20th-century composers such as Edgar Varèse, George Crumb, Harry Partch, and Krzysztof Penderecki, as well as the blues of Mississippi Fred McDowell. These diverse enthusiasms were fueled by his parents, concert experiences, and a circle of "weird friends."

Shape Note Singing and Archival Recordings

During his four years studying the vina at Amherst College, Eriksen and his friends began singing together, frequently in the traditional "shape note" style. This method, codified in the 1844 "Sacred Harp" songbook, uses geometric shapes to aid untrained vocalists in performing choral hymns. Eriksen's musical journey also led him to discover a cassette of archival recordings of traditional American songs collected by Frank and Anne Warner along the U.S. eastern seaboard between 1940 and 1966. These recordings, featuring bedrock Americana like "Tom Dooley" and "Deep Elm Blues," were instrumental in triggering the folk revival of the late 1950s. Eriksen played a key role in the first commercial release of two volumes of these recordings in 2000, titled Her Bright Smile Haunts Me Still and Nothing Seems Better to Me, on Appleseed Recordings.

Collaborations and Academic Pursuits

Upon returning to the U.S. after his studies abroad, Eriksen became a member of the Northampton Harmony quartet, revived Cordelia's Dad, and continued his Indian music studies at Wesleyan University. There, he met his future wife and fellow ethnomusicology student, Minja Lausevic, with whom he formed the Bosnian/Balkan band Zabe I Babe. Throughout the early 1990s, Eriksen balanced graduate studies with touring and recording with these various groups across the U.S., England, and Europe. His bands appeared on notable media outlets including MTV, the BBC, CBC, Belgian National Television, All India Radio, and the syndicated radio program "Mountain Stage."

Recent Work and "Cold Mountain" Soundtrack

In the most recent decade of his career, Eriksen has focused on his diverse musical projects, serving as a visiting professor of American Music at Dartmouth College and the University of Minnesota, conducting ethnomusicological research with Minja Lausevic both domestically and internationally, and performing and recording as a solo artist. He has also become deeply involved in the Sacred Harp community. His significant contribution to the Cold Mountain soundtrack involved not only performing as the offscreen singing voice for Brendan Gleeson's character but also coaching stars Nicole Kidman, Jude Law, and fifty Romanian extras in the shape note style for the film's two Sacred Harp songs. He also organized and participated in the chorus that backed Allison Krauss during her performance of the Oscar-nominated song "The Crimson Tide" at the 2004 Academy Awards.

Recognition and Critical Acclaim

Tim Eriksen's extensive musical explorations have garnered international recognition. His collaborators and admirers include T Bone Burnett, Billy Bob Thornton, producers Joe Boyd and Steve Albini, South Indian vina virtuoso K. S. Subramanian, bluegrass banjo virtuoso Tony Trischka, classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and English singer/guitarist Martin Carthy. Martin Carthy describes Eriksen's approach with the watchword "Passion." FRoots magazine echoed this sentiment, characterizing Tim's music as "dangerously sparing and utterly compelling" and proclaiming him "a balladeer of the best kind."