B Sides for the Long Drive

In between homework and sewing skateboard clothes, my high school pal Alex would dub his eccentric music onto Memorex cassette tapes. The likes of Pixies, Fugazi, NOFX, Hüsker Dü, Violent Femmes, and The Vandals all opened my mind to a whole other world of sonic satiation. (And made for rad skateboarding sessions at the local TG&Y) This generosity carried over through the years as cassette tapes were carefully crafted and compiled to send to other friends. A social network of underground music long before Spotify, Pandora, etc. These mix tapes were like secret messages to your pals and loved ones. Each was made specifically for that person with careful thought and time. Oh the time it took. REAL time (until Hi-Speed dubbing).

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Originally from Kings Mountain, North Carolina, Will Eskridge attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Visual Arts/Savannah and earned his B.F.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts from San Francisco Art Institute in 1999. With a father as a veterinarian and an artist mother, Will’s affinity for animals and art began when he was in pre-school. Eskridge’s work is in both private and public collections in Athens, Atlanta, Raleigh, Nashville, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, China, Germany, Italy, Ireland, and Switzerland.

Will has roamed the southeast, setting up shop in Charleston, SC, Kings Mountain, NC and Nashville, TN settling on Athens, GA in 2006. He works as a full-time artist and muralist specializing in outcast animals like bats, coyotes, and snakes in fun, bright colored party atmospheres. Eskridge resides in Athens, GA with his wife, their son, and their gang of dogs and cats. Along with art, Will also drums and plays guitar in various musical projects.