“I hope when people hear this record they feel the soul of it—like they’re sitting in the studio with us,” says Eddie 9V about his album, DOWN HERE.
Drawing on soul, blues, country, gospel, and folk, DOWN HERE sits in a distinguished Southern lineage alongside The Allman Brothers, Al Green, and Freddie King. For Eddie 9V, the record represents a lifetime of experience. After picking up a guitar at age six and surfing through metal and indie-rock, a clip of Howlin’ Wolf at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival redirected his path. Cutting his teeth on the Atlanta club scene, he adopted the stage name Eddie 9V, toured heavily, and released his 2019 self-produced debut, Left My Soul In Memphis. Subsequent releases—Little Black Flies (2021), Capricorn (2023), and Saratoga (2024)—earned him a global audience and critical acclaim.
Marking his first release for Easy Eye Sound, DOWN HERE shows a seasoned artist stepping into a new collaborative era. Producer Dan Auerbach shepherded intense songwriting sessions in Nashville, bringing in heavyweights Marcus King, Pat McLaughlin, and Daniel Tashian. "It was the first time I’ve ever done a writing session in Nashville," Eddie notes. "I learnt to focus solely on the writing."
Tracked in just a week, the album captures a raw, live energy. "Dan really knows how to push me," Eddie says. "It was the first time I was able to be an artist rather than have to act like a producer, too." Auerbach echoes the sentiment: "It was all about capturing that magic moment... We were all feeding off his energy."
Ultimately, the process taught Eddie to let his guard down. “Making this record taught me to just have fun rather than worrying,” he says. “I think that’s what you can feel—a sense of freedom.”
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