Funk the Patriarchy! Erica Shafer Makes the Space.

Jun 4

Erica Shafer had worked for the man long enough. Now it’s all about music and fostering community.

Erica first picked up the bass guitar when she was 11 years old. Her love for bands like Parliament and Funkadelic was instilled in her from an even younger age. She remembers listening to Eddie Hazel as a kid and being blown away. When she was 16, she saw an iteration of Parliament and “was just in heaven” when the 25-minute guitar solo would happen. Her passion stuck, and the rest of Erica’s story is history in the making as she has become fully committed to pursuing that passion and sharing it with fellow artists and creatives.

At the start of May 2021, Erica left her job of almost eight years with a coffee company. She was supported in her decision by her peers—two years prior, Erica had requested a demotion from a managerial position to make more time for her music. She says the job afforded her many “beautiful opportunities” but the time had come for a major shift in priority.

“Music is my number one priority,” has become a sort of mantra for Erica.

When the pandemic hit, Erica had plans to tour with a group she was playing in, Pearl and the Oysters, whose SXSW appearance was among the first canceled gigs of 2020. But that was then. Now, as Los Angeles crawls back to some sense of normalcy, Erica emerges from her quarantine with two singles and an album on the way.

The latest single by Erica, “Turn Around,” was released May 1, 2021 and will be featured on her upcoming album, which Erica says will be heavy with bass and groove. Erica’s voice is also a main player in the music, her lyrics dancing between psychedelic synth lines, drawing the listener in with each beautifully melodic phrase.

“I’m letting the music tell me what it needs,” said Erica. “I just want to make music I would want to listen to.”

Erica has worked with her partner, Riley Geare, in bringing her music to life—Riley plays drums and other instruments on Erica’s music and they work together to mix and master the tunes in Riley’s studio. The two share a home together along with a passion for creating and writing original music. They make a good team.

“I feel comfortable [with Riley] in sharing exactly how I’m feeling,” said Erica. “I admire him, he’s a really well-rounded musician and someone who’s really tapped in, and I trust what he has to say.”

In terms of collaboration, Erica has been expressive in her openness to working with other artists in her community as well. She’s made an effort to foster community with a group she created called Action In Music which works to “Amplify voices, stories, and skills of Women, POC, and LGBTQUI+ people in the music industry.” As a woman identifying artist trying to make her way in the industry, Erica has experienced her fair share of being overlooked and mistreated simply based on her gender. Part of Erica’s mission as an artist is to make space for women, or any marginalized person, in music and to celebrate them whenever possible.

“When I see someone doing something that they love with their art that relates to what I love doing in my world, it can be easy to make a connection,” says Erica. “I just want to lift them up so badly. Especially other ladies in the rhythm section—it’s so cool. I’ve definitely gone through my own experiences of just being forgotten, or expected to be mediocre as a player, or saying ‘it’s so cute you play bass’ … It’s not fucking cute.”

Recently Erica linked up with Los Angeles-based artist Beth Goodfellow, and the two hit it off.

“Beth just blows my mind,” Erica said. “I’ve only played with her a couple of times. She’s so good. I want to be surrounded by that energy, and by folks who have really made space for themselves when the space wasn’t really there for them in the first place.”

Erica has recently performed alongside Beth and artist Sheila Govindarajan in locations around Los Angeles and Seattle. The music they make together is part improvisational, part poetic, but mostly just really unique, expressive sound that any listener would recognize as something special.

While playing in live settings with fellow artists will forever be something Erica cherishes being a part of, she’s also working on becoming more established in the studio. She says that eventually she’d love to start wearing the producer/engineer hat on a more consistent basis—

“Helping somebody with putting a song together, and experiencing the open heartedness you have to have in order to work with somebody in a really genuine way—that really is calling to me more so than I ever thought.”

If patience is a virtue, Erica seems to fully possess it. She’s made it known that she’s open to teaching beginners, whether they’re picking up a bass for the first time, or if they’re seeking assistance with recording themselves.

“For anyone who is new to it, or scared to do it, I hope to provide a safe environment and to help where I can,” Erica says. “Of course, it’s terrifying to record your music, especially if you’ve never tried before.”

In Erica’s perfect world, she’d be preforming several nights a week playing in a band that she loves, and working in the studio when she’s not onstage. She aspires to be among the first people called within her community for any recording or production needs. In the meantime, as she continues to work on getting herself there, she has the release of her first ever full-length album to focus on. The working title: Microwave Meatloaf.

“There were a lot of things that were just ‘okay’ in my household growing up,” said Erica. “One of those things was having really horrible food. Just nasty food. … It’s just so sad, as a country it’s so unregulated—the poison that goes into our food especially for people who don’t have a lot of money. I hope the album’s concept can bring humor and awareness [surrounding the issue of food inequality.]”

You can stream Erica’s singles HERE. And be sure to follow her on IG to keep up to date about all the excellent things she’s cooking up. When asked if she had any advice for her peers, she said this:

“If anyone is ever thinking about trying to make a song, just do it! I think this quote from Chick Corea sums it up:”

"...It is my hope that those who have an inkling to play, write, perform, or otherwise, do so. If not for yourself then for the rest of us. It's not only that the world needs more artists, it's also just a lot of fun."