Eric Dwight writes songs from his heart. His life, however, has not been as smooth as his music. He has been through great heartache in the past decade. That pain – and his subsequent recovery from it – is the focus of his new album titled “Born into Addiction,” a collection of songs chronicling Eric’s grief and the process of his recovery after the loss of his brother from opioid addiction. It is Eric’s hope that this album serves as an inspiration to people who experienced similar trauma in their lives.
“Born in Addiction’s” 13 tracks each represent chapters in the narrative of Eric’s journey into and out of the trauma he endured. He leaves no emotional stone unturned here; his music cuts right to the bone. It is a perfect amalgamation of soulful, relatable lyrics and subtle yet hard-hitting music.
Interviewer: Who/ What has been your musical inspiration?
Eric Dwight: I enjoy combining the different skill sets of music and poetry into one creation. Those abilities are very different from one another but also belong together. I also saw Stevie Wonder on Sesame Street when I was very young, which had a huge impact (you can YouTube this by the way). My favorite band is Parliament/Funkadelic (God-like musicianship and sense of humor), and my favorite singer is Lana Del Rey (fearless and deeply personal vocals/lyrics).
Interviewer: How would you describe your music style to our readers?
Eric Dwight: Musically, I am a throwback to 90s rock and the singer/songwriters of the 70s. Lyrically, I aspire to be authentic and brutally honest, and open, but I try to make people laugh as well. Finally, I like creating albums, not just singles. I want to hold someone’s attention for one side of an album at least.
Interviewer: How did music help you in dealing with the tragedy of losing your loving brother?
Eric Dwight: Losing my brother was the worst tragedy I have ever endured, but writing and recording the music I created about that tragedy healed me. It was the last step I needed to take to feel better. I went from 75% of myself at the start of Born Into Addiction to 95% at the end. I’ll never be 100% though – no one ever is.
Interviewer: Tell us about your latest album “Born in Addiction” and the story behind it.
Eric Dwight: So the first side, Born Into Addiction is a cathartic expression of the trauma I went through dealing with my brother’s substance abuse death. From the initial shock of hearing my mom tell me over the phone, to the anger towards the drug use itself, to the raw grief, and finally putting it behind me. Each song has its place. The second side is filled with the joy of feeling better again and taps into my sense of humor and desire to reconnect with my other loved ones. The last track is a love song for my wife. It’s a big jump from the first to the last song, but that is what life is: lots of change.
Interviewer: What message would you like to give to our readers out there?
Eric Dwight: Born Into Addiction is – and I hate to say this because it is so damn pretentious – a concept album. I was inspired to write and record it to heal from the great loss I endured; I remember very well the desperation and anguish I went through every day for years after losing my brother. You can hear me working through the grief in the singing itself in some places. If anyone else is in that hole I was in, I think my music will at least help them feel like they are not alone and that there IS hope to get out of it.
