From Engineering to Authentic Rock: Eric Colville on Songwriting, Harmony, and The Low Stakes' New Single "Five Days Over"

Phillip Lanos sits down with Eric Colville, the driving force behind the acoustic duo The Low Stakes (with harmony singer Ann Holbrook). Eric shares his unconventional path from structural engineering studies to becoming a lifelong guitar player and songwriter, starting as a "human rhythm machine" in college and gigging in wedding and blues bands before committing to originals.

The conversation dives deep into songwriting philosophy—speaking lyrics naturally like everyday talk (inspired by Paul Simon), getting straight to the point, and capturing spontaneous moments—along with Eric's eclectic influences (from Ry Cooder and Buena Vista Social Club to Duran Duran chord tricks). They explore the challenges of keeping bands together (prioritizing reliability and vocal harmony over raw talent), the irreplaceable joy of live, imperfect human music-making in an AI-dominated era, and why live performance remains the ultimate expression.

The spotlight shines on The Low Stakes' latest single "Five Days Over"—a quick-born, upbeat track written in five minutes about impatiently counting down days until a loved one returns ("five days over, one day down"). Eric recounts its origin story and how it embodies trusting artistic instinct. With the duo building toward a fuller band sound (recent drummer addition and more music on the way), this episode celebrates honest, defiant songcraft with folk-rock roots and punk spirit.