Known for his honest and captivating lyrics, Eric Hunker is a Tulsa, Oklahoma based singer-songwriter whose first solo album, All These Little Loves, debuted at #9 on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter Top 20 chart. Eric toured as one-half of the indie-folk duo Eric & Happie for six years, with another album – It’s Yours – reaching #11 on the same chart. Eric has performed at prestigious events like SXSW, Sundance Film Festival, and even the United Nations.
With that context, I’m happy to say that in this interview spotlight, I chat with Eric about the latest music, stories from the road, choosing a favorite song of all time, and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Congratulations on the release of “Get Better” and “When it All Ends”! Both come off your October 20th release ‘Beautiful Endings’ but what can you tell us about the singles and the albums, for those that are new to your music?
Thank you! I chose these two as singles because I think they capture two two sides of the album – lyrically and musically. “Get Better” is as close to Pop as this album gets. “When It All Ends,” on the other hand, is closer to Indie-Folk/Americana. The album dances between the worlds of Indie-Folk, Pop, and Americana throughout the track list. It breaks down into two halves: Beautiful and Endings. Beautiful is a collection of songs about love, joy, and adventure. Endings moves through loss, pain, and trying to find beauty in both.
“When It All Ends” talks a lot about travel, particularly your experiences as a traveling musician, and the beauty and sacrifices that has involved. Talk to me a little bit about that.
I’ve spent the vast majority of my adult life on the road. If I were to run the numbers, I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say I’ve spent 75% of the last 10 years of my life away from home. That’s the life I chose. I feel immensely grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given in life. Still, it comes at a cost. I miss milestones in the lives of my friends and family. Dating is nearly impossible. This song came from a place of weighing that tension and reaffirming the fact that I choose this life every day. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The chorus ends with the words “Write your life like it’s a screenplay. What will the words say when it all ends?” I really try to live by that. I imagine myself on my death bed, reading the story of my life. I’m not going to want to read pages about me saying no to dreams and adventures because it was the more “sensible thing to do.” I just don’t have that in me.
Can you tell me one of your favorite stories from the road, one of those “this has all been worth it” moments?
I’ll give you a recent one. I’m in the middle of a tour across the U.S., 3 or 4 shows at a time. So far, we’ve played a few shows in Alaska, then Baltimore, Philly, and New Jersey. Recently we played Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Asheville. In Baltimore we were playing this packed house concert. It was an old row home with 20 foot ceilings in the living room. The whole band was jammed into this bay window space and the energy was great. At the end of the night, we played this this song on the album – “So Live It.” It’s kind of a barroom anthem to take the hand you’ve been dealt and live the hell out of life. By the end of the song, the whole house was singing along and dancing. It was electric. It’s one thing to record these songs and sing them in the studio. There’s just nothing like feeling a room full of voices singing the song back at you. Those are the moments I feel like I have to pinch myself.
Can you share some specific examples of moments in your music career where you felt you truly connected with your audience on a deeper level? What do you think contributed to those special moments?
Yeah, of course. I feel lucky that I’ve gotten to experience a lot of those moments over the years. I just played this Singer Songwriter’s Circle in Asheville, North Carolina. These might be my favorite kinds of nights. Where there are lots of musicians and everyone is going back and forth playing “performer” and “audience.” I was sharing a song and really getting into it, when I noticed everyone in the room was singing along. Even people who hadn’t caught the words yet were just singing whole notes under the chorus, in harmony. It was so rich and beautiful being a part of this co-created symphony of voices. Some songs just open people up to that kind of participation.
On this recent string of shows in Alaska, we played a great little bookstore/community center called Writer’s Block. I had just written this song (which isn’t recorded quite yet) called “Everything, All of the Time.” It’s basically about wanting to live multiple lives but only having time for one. After the show, someone came up to me and told me how they felt like the song was written about them. The message of the song resonated with them. We had this great conversation and exchanged information. It still blows my mind that a song can bring people together like that. I think any moment of connection – whether it stems from the music or the message – comes from people seeing themselves in others. Music is a great equalizer in that way. It helps us see ourselves reflected in the art people create.
You mentioned your goal is to make people feel happier and more loved after experiencing your music. How do you choose the themes and messages in your songs to achieve this emotional impact? Can you share a song that particularly embodies this?
I create the kind of music I love to listen to. It’s certainly not all happy and joyful, but I like to think it’s relatable and honest. If you’re writing something honest, there’s a good chance other people are going to connect with it because we’re all going through 80% of the same things in life: love, heartbreak, stress, grief, joy. This album is a result of capturing all those emotions when they were at their most intense. I wrote the saddest songs on this album when I was struggling the most. I wrote the love songs when I was lost in the throes of deep love. A great example is the song “Beautiful Endings.” It’s the title track of the album and I wrote it maybe two months after the end of a six year relationship. I started writing the song at midnight and finished it around two in the morning. All the feelings in that song are so raw and real and present. I still struggle to sing it live sometimes. But that’s the beauty of music like this. You can’t fake it.
In your experience, how does music, especially in the genres you work in like indie-folk and Americana, foster a sense of community and connection among listeners?
Life can be a lonely ride. Even though everyone is going through similar things, most of the time it feels like we’re on our own. Music – especially the music I love to listen to and write – makes people feel seen. The themes are relatable, the lyrics are front and center, and experiencing it live feels intimate and personal. There are few feelings in this world like going to a concert and singing along with a crowd of people. Singing at the top of your lungs but hearing your voice melt away into dozens or hundreds of others. It’s the closest thing to magic I’ve encountered in my life.
What role do live performances play in creating these connections, and do you have any memorable stories to illustrate this?
Like I said, live performance is where the magic happens. I can listen to an album on repeat for months. But when I actually go to the concert to see the music performed live, it’s like seeing a meteor shower. It will never happen again just the way it did that night. It’s unpredictable and mesmerizing. We still crave the live experience because it isn’t manicured. It isn’t smoothed by the studio process. It’s just people creating art in real time. What could be better? I recently played a show in Philadelphia at this awesome place called the Fallser Club. Unbeknownst to me, the owners had this machine installed that drops bubbles filled with smoke from above the stage at the press of a button. We were in the middle of a big energetic climax in the show and these bubbles started falling in front of the stage! A little girl came running up and started popping the bubbles. It was this perfect moment of chaotic good. Everyone was smiling and you could just feel this wave of happiness move around the room. You won’t find that listening to the studio recording. And it will probably never happen again just like that.
What’s one way fans can really help their favorite artists?
I know that streaming is the name of the game these days, but I don’t think there’s anything more valuable to an artist than fans who will come out and see them live. Even better – fans who will come out and bring friends to see them live! We’ve covered it here, but the live experience is where all the magic happens. In my experience, it’s where people go from being casual listeners of your music to real fans of what you’re creating. That’s all you can really ask for.
Can you choose a favorite song of all time? Or is this an impossible task? If yes, what’s the song? If no, what’s your current Top 3?
I think it’s a pretty impossible task as songs mean different things to us as we grow and change. I can give you three songs that really shaped who I am as a musician and person: 1) True Believers – Bouncing Souls. The Bouncing souls were the first band that really stole my whole heart as a fan of music. This song felt like the anthem of my youth. It made me want to write music for the rest of my life. 2) Close Your Eyes – James Taylor. Pretty much all of JT’s music could be on this list for me. Specifically though, I heard him sing this song as a duet with Carly Simon when I was in college. It blew my mind and made me want to find that magic with someone. I ended up starting a duo with a girlfriend a few years later and singing this song along with a thousand others. I wouldn’t trade those days for anything. 3) A Little Bit of Everything – Dawes. I had to include something from my more recent inspirations. I think Taylor Goldsmith is a remarkable songwriter. And I think this song is everything I love about the art of songwriting. Storytelling at it’s finest.
What about this project makes you most proud? Was there a specific goal you were trying to accomplish with this release?
This project is the culmination of 10 years of songwriting. It’s not just the result of writing enough songs to string them together on an album. I chose each song because it tells a part of this story of love and loss and finding beauty in the whole journey. Not just the beginning but the ending too. We’re so obsessed with this idea that love has to last forever for it to have been worthwhile. I think that’s a bizarre way to look at love. We change all the time. The person I was at 25 won’t be the person I’ll be at 35. Thank God for that. It’s wild to think people can’t love eachother for a time and then grow apart in healthy and loving ways. I feel so grateful for the people I’ve loved in my life. And I don’t need to hold onto them forever for that love to have been real and beautiful. I’m proud that I feel like I was able to capture that in this collection of songs. If people see their loves and losses in these songs – then I’ll be all the prouder.
What inspires you to create music? What motivates you to keep going?
Honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else. If I never made a dollar in music for the rest of my life I’d still want to write songs every day. It’s where I find my joy and peace and truth. It’s where I work out my thoughts and bring my ideas to life. I feel unbelievably lucky to have made a career of this thing. Every show I play – to hundreds or to ten – I can’t believe that I get to do this for a living.
If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? If it’s an indie/DIY artist, please include a link so readers can check them out.
That’s a great question. There are tons of people I’d love to collaborate with but I’ll go with my heart – The Bouncing Souls made me want to pursue music in a real way. It would be so awesome to sit and play with them. Just hear their thoughts on music and life.
What was the last song you listened to? Favorite all-time bands/artists?
I’ve been running through Zach Bryan’s new album. I’ve lived in Oklahoma for 7 years now, so seeing Zach blow up has been a joy. Favorite all time bands and artists? Bouncing Souls, Catch 22, Bad Religion, Kingston Trio, Jim Croce, Elliot Smith, William Fitzsimmons, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Dawes, Flaming Lips, Ben Folds. My taste is all over the place.
Where is the best place to find you and stay connected?
www.erichunker.com or find me on socials at @erichunkermusic
What can fans expect from ‘Beautiful Endings’ out October 20th?
You can expect songs you’ll be able to sing along with by the last chorus. You can expect an emotional journey. And you can expect top of the line production. These songs feel like an ocean of sound in headphones.
I appreciate Your time. Want to say or plug any other projects before we part ways?
Check out upcoming tour dates at www.erichunker.com/tour and thanks for reading!
