Collin Erie never saw himself shooting bands for a living, it just sort of happened — his first time was Rogue Wave, and he was both nervous and over prepared. But Collin’s uncanny ability to put musicians at ease has garnered him an eclectic client roster, including the likes of MGMT, Datarock, N.E.R.D., Tokyo Police Club, Of Montreal and the Kooks. Over lunch, he enlightened Flavorwire contributor Bess Devenow on what it takes to pursue his interesting career path; find his three requirements for all aspiring Mick Rocks after the jump.
VIEW A GALLERY OF HIS FAVORITE SHOTS HERE.
REQUIREMENT 1: BE PREPARED TO PARTY AS HARD AS YOU WORK Collin dubs MGMT the “life of the party” and the band he’d like to tour with — if he had better endurance. “They invited my assistant and me to a Grammy party that they were playing at. We aren’t typical Hollywood people so we walked in and felt awkward. We saw the guys in the band walking around in a similar manner. We wound up hanging out with them before and after their set. They are the most humble, down to earth, ‘normal dudes’, and reminded me a lot of my friends. But after two nights of partying with them I couldn’t hang. They do it every night for months on end. They said vitamins were the key.”
REQUIREMENT 2: YOU MUST LOVE.TO.LAUGH.A.LOT. When asked to describe working with Datarock, Collin immediately called these ’80s-inspired Norwegian hipsters class clowns. “They didn’t require much direction because they were so fun and funny,” he explains. “They wanted to have a good time, and they were hilarious.”
REQUIREMENT 3 **MAJOR SPOILER**: YOU MUST BE PREPARED TO DEAL WITH “NORMAL FOLKS” When asked to sum up his diverse subjects, Collin was quick to classify them as “normal people making music and doing what they love.” In fact, in most cases the more well-known the band, the more down to earth they were. Specifically, he sweetly described Of Montreal as a close-knit “insanely talented” group who seem in the dark about how gifted they truly are. Aw.