There is not a single time in my life when music, especially the pop-rock variety made with guitars, didn’t play a vital role. I was seemingly born humming Beatles tunes, and I’ve gone through life in the same way.
I’ve played in many bands, gigged, recorded hundreds of singles, and plan to do much more. Here’s a quick look at my music career (Eduard Banulescu).
By the way, this is my newest single. I tend to release one every three weeks or so. I’m happy to say that I write hundreds of songs every year. Most of them get recorded and released through 100% DIY methods.
Speaking of which, here’s my latest single, “We’re Still Here,” a song about the not-quite-decline of the Aztec Empire.
Studying
Yeah, it’s not easy to admit this, but I took guitar lessons as a pre-teen. If there’s any consolation, however, I wasn’t very good to begin with.
I did stick with it for years. Eventually, I found my way into bands. But I continue studying every other day. I just try to never get too good, or it might all start sounding like Frank Zappa.
Playing in Punk and Goth-Rock Bands
There’s a feeling of exhilaration when you realise that you can’t quite play “Little Wing,” yet, but you can certainly play in a punk band. I’ve played in countless ones. Some made it to the stage, and others never left the rehearsal space. I loved them all.
More recently, I’ve played lead guitar with Bucharest punk-rock band Anomalii. I now play bass guitar for goth-rock duo Tapetum Lucidum XIX, and I sing and play guitar for electro/power-pop combo LSD @ Disneyland, both hailing from the same city of Bucharest, Romania.
Songwriting and Solo Work
Most of my energy, however, is devoted to my solo pursuits. I’ve recorded and self-released dozens upon dozens of songs. I do this, firstly, because I enjoy the creative challenge.
But I also know that in my case, creativity doesn’t simply occur. I know that I have to work at it every day. I now know that I have to embrace the routine of it all, the discipline and the need to wrestle with vast amounts of music and lyrics that need to be edited.
This approach, if nothing else, has helped me be somewhat prolific. My Bandcamp page tells me that I released my first EP there in 2018. Before that, I just made tapes, or stuck songs on Soundcloud. I’ve 49 songs released on Bandcamp and Spotify and around 100 songs digitally available as a whole.
I’ve about 100-200 more songs stuck in notepads and on various electronic devices. Sometimes I’m reminded of them, and I’ll play one of them in a live session and find that I don’t dislike the way they sound. I promise myself to get back to them and finish recording them. One day…
I feel that my songwriting has improved with each new composition. I would expect that after another 100-200 songs written, I will have finally unlocked my authentic songwriting voice. That’s how things are supposed to work. And, “work” is the word that needs to be emphasised here.
I’ve not always had this discipline. It’s only been instilled in me over the last decade or so, when I became a professional content writer, blogger and quasi-permanent traveller. These things involved deadlines, working at odd hours and wrestling with poor internet connections. I learned to make do and to appreciate the role of routine in creative pursuits.
What Do Critics Say
Feedback’s been crucial in helping me improve as a songwriter and musician. First, it breaks your heart, naturally. But then, with a stronger heart, you learn that you need to get better if anyone’s going to hear your music.
Some of the things that have been said about my music are that:
“Eduard Banulescu has built a solo proposal where retro psychedelia, folk punk and garage rock come together. Influenced by figures such as Syd Barrett and Bob Dylan, the Romanian artist uses his songs to reflect on peace, memory and human experience. “
“This song (“Give Us a Sample”) is distinguished by being an alternative rock with touches of blues.
It is characterised by sounding classic while being somewhat modern (for the kids). Eduard is not afraid to be direct and launches a direct attack on the weeds, in addition to using his sarcasm to reinforce that humour and transmit it to his listeners.”
“There is something deliciously ironic about seeing a music critic pick up a guitar to tell others to stop commenting. Eduard Banulescu doesn’t hide behind the pose; he embraces it, then blows it apart.”
The music has been shared on playlists by Life Science Records, Rádio Armazém, EXTRAVAFRENCH, Ze Rock Porto, Pop Punkers, Kev Rowe, etc.
My Music and Its Impact on Alt77
I wouldn’t like my music to exist in a vacuum. I don’t mean to keep it a secret. That’s why the songs influence all my other work. What is that work exactly? Writing is how I spend my days.
In fact, my day job is that of a sports writer. The bombast of Gibson-born electric guitar riffs feels like an apt accompaniment to all the football games that I must watch. I’ve written for countless publications.
I’ve also written a book about Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” one about “Pixies.”
In 2025, I began work on my first novel. It’s about Hamburg, Big Tech and, of course, The Beatles. I finished it in 2026, and it’s been shortlisted for several competitions, with publication soon to follow. It is called “The Reeperbahn is Anything You Want it to Be.”
What Does It All Mean
As I write these words, it is morning, and I am sitting in the Cairngorms, a mountain range in Scotland. We’ve got great weather and miles and miles of paths that are begging for my partner, my dog, and me to walk them.
Since arriving in the Cairngorms, memories of childhood and adolescence have come flooding back. They’ve helped some of the more important questions make better sense. They make me comfortable knowing that I’ll be writing songs and playing music for the rest of my life.
It’s not a sentence; it’s a blessing. I’m meant to do it; I now know, regardless of rewards. And, after all, life has been kind to me.
Since coming here, I’ve written a few songs inspired by my past and by the near permanence of the landscape. When I walked on the Pembrokeshire beaches in Wales last month, I got a bunch of gorgeous melodies that just fell in my lap. I promise myself that all these ideas will be part of recorded and released songs.
There’s a war that never ends, and the inner conflict can only be hushed by creativity. That’s, at least, my story. That’s why I keep writing songs, singing them, playing in bands with friends, travelling the world for as much as I’m able.
I’m releasing a new EP about the fall of Montezuma. Several singles have already been released, like “In Spaceships They Come,” and they got a good response.
I’m excited to start gigging locally in the Autumn with LSD @ Disneyland and Tapetum Lucidum XIX. We dream of playing our favourite German and British festivals soon.
I will start working on another novel and will aim to finish and publish it this year.
And I’ll be writing songs. There will be songs about the truth and flat-out lies. Some of them will be 10 minutes long and will feature intricate guitar work; others will be short, dumb and fun.
Is anyone listening? What a silly question to ask. The world’s always listening.