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A singer, songwriter, and musician, Eric Dwight is a multifaceted artist gaining a reputation for pouring his heart out into every note he creates.  Eric has enjoyed making music since he was a teenager but he happily gave it up almost a decade and a half ago after the birth of her daughter Emily.  During those years he indulged himself in other activities like writing children’s novels and programming football games. He only reconnected with song-writing again after he was hard-hit by a terrible tragedy.

About 6 years ago Eric lost his brother to opioid addiction.  “He had struggled with substance abuse issues for decades at that point,” Eric recalls, “so I knew what was coming.  Still, no one prepares enough to hear the actual words that your loved-one is gone forever.  I knew right at that instant that I would never be the same again.”  The raw grief took its toll on Eric – every day became a struggle just to get through.  “I used to count the hours until I could go to bed,” he remembers. “I used to wonder if I’d ever feel better.  But music became the key to regaining my confidence; creating songs about my grief helped end the sorrow of it.”

The story of Eric’s journey through anguish and recovery can be found on the his recently released album Born into Addiction.  Consisting of 13 tracks, Born Into Addiction chronicles Eric’s difficult journey through his loss with emotionally honest lyrics and sonically gorgeous melodies. Songs include the title track, She Stood Her Ground Today, Time Out, Mailbox Messiah, and others.

Describing his album, Eric says: “The first side Born Into Addiction is a cathartic expression of the trauma I went through dealing with my brother’s death from substance abuse. 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 the relief of putting it behind me.” He adds, “The second side is filled with the joy of feeling better again, and taps into my sense of humour and desire to reconnect with my loved ones.”  Eric points out the track “Money, Please…” as the tone setting song for the second side.  “I had fun writing that one, and my daughter plays a tuba solo on it!”

Spotify has been kind to Eric as of late; his single Baby, These Are Dark Days has been streamed over 12,000 times and counting.  “I’d like to attract fans who listen to not just singles, but entire albums.  That’s hard to do in today’s environment but not impossible.”  He continues, “I’ll keep stressing until the day that I die that the album is the best way to enjoy music.”

Each song on the album has a special significance; from the first gut-wrenching expression of helplessness Grief is Doing Time to a rocker written for Eric’s wife titled Lovely – the last song on the album. “It’s quite a journey from start to end.  There’s a lot of pain expressed initially and then there’s freedom and happiness regained.  That’s a crazy ride that most of us have experienced.”

Eric’s song writing is influenced by a variety of genres including 90s alt rock, folk rock, and the 70s singer/songwriter movement.  The melodies are strong here, as are Eric’s vocal talents as he deftly navigates through various genres.  What all of his songs share, however, is emotional intensity and authenticity.  Listen to this album to see for yourself.  Eric believes that his music can help anyone who has experienced loss like he did.

Listen to “Born Into Addiction” now through this link.

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