Ryan Weber was a part of such seminal Milwaukee outfits as The Promise Ring, Camden, and Decibully. After making marks in local music, Weber’s thirst for adventure and desire to help others led him to Armenia and, eventually, to remote Kenya, where he spent a number of years serving in the Peace Corps. All the while, his artistic drive never waned. While away, he started Eric & Magill—a cross-continental collaboration—with Eric Osterman, a former Camden counterpart living in Brooklyn. Relying on a spotty Internet connection and tight self-imposed deadlines, the displaced duo has put out two full length albums, an EP, and a pair of releases featuring covers from friend’s bands. Oh yeah, and Weber released two albums of his solo project REW, which he recorded in hotel rooms and train cars in Kenya, India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
While home from Washington D.C. (where he now lives following a brief time living in L.A.) to play with Decibully in our Local Coverage benefit, Weber came to Milwaukee Record‘s studio where he and Decibully bandmate Andrew Menchal spoke to host Tyler Maas about their time in the band, what prompted Weber’s Milwaukee exodus, how he and Osterman wrote with an ocean between them, and experiences from his journeys that will stick with him forever.
As always, this episode is brought to you by our friends at Ale Asylum. Music in this episode comes courtesy of Eric & Magill (“You Make It So Good” and “Baggage And Clothes”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher (for free!).