Acoustic-music duo Joy and Eric have made music together for years; just how many years is up for debate.
“We keep arguing whether it’s been five years or seven years or something along those lines,” said singer Joy Tlou. “Part of the confusion lies in the fact that we didn’t start playing in front of people until after many months of us playing for people at my house.”
Before that the two men were in a band called Soul Patrol.
“Just as that was coming to an end, I asked Eric (Sopanen) to come over to grill up a couple of steaks,” Tlou said. “I also asked him to bring his guitar.”
Those sessions became a regular thing the two did for friends, he said.
“At one point we realized we might have enough material that would allow us to at least invite some people over for a bowl of chili and a beer and hear some songs,” Tlou said. “After a few weeks, the next thing we knew, the house was full and the food was gone.”
Through friends, Tlou and Sopanen started getting gigs.
“We actually were booked without having enough material to play an entire evening,” Tlou laughed.
During those gigs, when their repertoire dwindled, the two discovered they knew more songs than they thought.
“One show we had 20 minutes left to fill or we wouldn’t get paid,” Tlou said. “I was like ‘Quick, quick, do you know ‘Dust in the Wind?’ and Eric said ‘Yeah.’
“There is a family of songs we found we knew on the spot during moments like that,” he said. “They usually came toward the end of one of our shows.”
News of the duo’s intimate, acoustic takes on various pop songs spread, which led to bigger gigs including opening for bands such as Colorado’s folk-rock band the Samples and electric-guitar master Eric Johnson.
“Without a doubt, opening for the Samples was a huge thing for me,” Tlou said. “I absolutely love those guys and always have.
“I know a big show for Eric was warming up for Eric Johnson,” he said.
Other opening-slot highlights for Joy and Eric include the Neville Brothers, the Dave Matthews Band and the Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre for Chicago.
“Chicago was colossal,” Tlou said. “I can’t begin to describe to you what that felt like to be asked to do it, and to get such a response from the audience.”
The audience wasn’t the only people who liked what they heard, Tlou said.
“When we got done, there was a bunch of guys standing backstage,” he said. “We asked if they were Chicago’s crew and they said, ‘No. We’re the band. We walked down from the tent because we wanted to find out what all the excitement was.'”
Most recently, Tlou and Sopanen caught the ear of James Taylor, who was on vacation in Park City with his family a couple of weeks ago.
“We were playing the Riverhorse on Main and he was in the audience,” Tlou said. “I shook his hand and he used the word ‘amazing’ when he talked to me. I was so taken by that.”
After hearing Tlou and Sopanen play, it’s easy to understand why their music touches people such as Taylor and Chicago. Sopanen’s acoustic technicality and Tlou’s soulful tenor interpret otherwise over-produced songs and turn them into intimate soundscapes.
“That’s something we don’t necessarily try for, but we definitely want to make sure people know that when they hear us, there is no processing going on,” Tlou said. “It’s just my voice and all his fingers.”
Sopanen’s musicality is an inspiration for Tlou.
“I think his job is a whole lot more difficult than what I do, in the sense that he has to be the whole band,” Tlou said with a laugh. “It’s an amazing thing and process to watch, because he’s playing the lead guitar part and the rhythm guitar part and then throwing a couple of bass notes in there, and singing harmony at the same time.
“The stuff we choose to play is stuff that is both vocally appealing or challenging as far as arrangements are concerned,” he said. “We want people to hear elements of the original song, even thought it’s being played by just two guys.”
While Tlou and Sopanen have made names for themselves in the local music scene, they are a challenge to track down.
“We have the craziest business model ever.” Tlou said. “The only bona fide infrastructure we use in promoting and getting hired is a business card. We don’t have a website. We don’t have downloads. I know it’s pretty counterintuitive, but in truth, we’re the laziest band out there.”
The laziness comes from the fact that the duo never wants to take their job too seriously, Tlou said.
“This is about having a good time and enjoying music,” he said. “I think when people see us having a great time, they get it. It’s not about business or money. It’s about people loving live music, and Park City loves its live music.”
Joy and Eric will perform at the 350 Main Brasserie on Saturday, April 9, beginning at 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.parkcitylivemusic.com .