Eric Gilliom to perform at Seed to Cup Coffee Festival on Saturday
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Performing Saturday at the 2026 Seed to Cup Coffee Festival in Waikapu, Eric Gilliom recently collaborated with former Maui resident and filmmaker Susan Kucera on the score for her latest documentary, "In the Company of Wolves: An American Journey."
Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May, the doc features Jeff Bridges narrating the journey of wolves and other animals as co-travelers through American history, with commentary from members of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and the Crow Nation.
Collaborating with musician Michael Ruff, Gilliom previously composed music for three other films with Kucera: "Breath of Life," "Wild Genius," and "Hot Money."
"Susan will find a piece of music that she likes," Gilliom explained. "Then she'll say, 'I want something that feels like this.' Then we'll create something that has the feel, the vibe, whatever it is."
As the music in her films is stylistically varied, "it goes from something that sounds very classical to a Michael Jackson feel to 'Down on the Bayou.' It presents a challenge sometimes, but it makes it a lot of fun, because you're not just doing a one-trick pony thing. It's a lot of different flavors and sounds and feels, from jazz and pop and rock to classical."
One example, Kucera wanted something that sounded like Dave Brubeck's jazz classic "Take Five."
"You can't create anything that's too close, because you'll get a copyright infringement, so you have to write something completely new," he said. "We worked on that one for a while, and eventually came up with something that she really liked called 'Fake Five.' When you first start listening to it, you go, oh, this is, and then about 10 seconds later, you go, no, it kind of sounds like 'Take Five,' but it's not."
Gilliom first worked with Kucera on "Breath of Life," which featured Maui's "Vene" Chun. Kucera previously reported that Gilliom, "did all the music for a film that came out on Apple TV called 'Wild Genius,' and he did all the music for 'Hot Money,' which was named one of the top 10 films about money, the economy and climate change. He's just an amazing, versatile friend and artist."
"She had heard my music over the years when she was living in Kula," Gilliom said of how the two began working together. "She wanted to work with somebody in person. For 'Hot Money,' we did 52 tracks in less than two months. We just kept working with her because we have a really good workflow and she likes that we're really fast."
A Nā Hōkū Hanohano-winning artist, Gilliom's career has included performing with Willie K in the Barefoot Natives, starring in Brian Kohne's film "Get a Job," singing with Mick Fleetwood's Island Rumours Band, and teaming with HAPA's Barry Flanagan.
Currently working on a new project called "Gilliom's Island," it will feature him "shooting music videos with musicians and jamming," he said. Among the artists in the series, Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx has agreed to take part.
While he has closed his innovative "Mele: The Hawaiian Music Experience" show at the Maui Ocean Center, he plans to bring back his hit solo show "White Hawaiian," which will open at Oahu's Manoa Valley Theatre in October and return to Maui in January 2027.
As a solo artist, he performs weekly at the Kula Lodge on Sunday evenings, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea on Mondays and the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa on Thursdays.
Gilliom will play solo at the coffee festival at 11:15 a.m. Saturday. The music lineup also includes Dr. Nat and John Zangrando at 9:15 a.m., Namaka Pauole and Chase Tancayo at 10:10 a.m., The House Shakers at 12:30 p.m., Zenshin Daiko drummers at 1:15, Kanekoa with Vince Esquire at 1:45, and rocking blues with Hawaii Island's Larry Dupio at 3.
The Maui Coffee Association will present the Seed to Cup Coffee Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Maui Tropical Plantation, featuring coffee experts, farmers, roasters, cooking demonstrations, and educational workshops. Admission is free.