Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Anderson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Some of my earliest memories are centered on music. I remember staying up at night singing, keeping everyone awake, even at 4 years old. My dad always had an impressive guitar collection, and I grew up watching him play and sing really old-school country, the likes of Jimmie Rodgers, George Jones, and Conway Twitty, to name a few. He encouraged me to learn guitar as soon as my hands were big enough. He had this 1960’s semi-hollow body Hagstrom that did the trick. The neck was skinny, the strings were light, I was off to the races. The look on his face when I asked if he knew what distortion was was priceless. Sort of like, alright, here we go; this is out of my control now. I auditioned for our school choir with an oddly deep bass voice around 12 years old and despite some pretty thick bullying, shined as a young singer. Fast forward through chamber choir, theater, and years of classical voice training in college, a young 22-year-old me was faced with a career decision. I was fully prepared to moved to Nashville and to continue writing songs, a love I found and fostered throughout undergrad (biology/music performance degrees). At the same time, I had been wait-listed at the premier Brewing school in the US. Turns out I had also caught the beer-brewing bug and wasn’t half bad at it. Flavor, ingredients, and unique combinations have always been my thing, and I’ll give my mother credit here for the countless hours of Food Network our family consumed. By the end of summer, I had been accepted at Siebel Institute and with my parents’ guidance headed off to Chicago to pursue beer.
Though always there in some way, writing and playing music came in and out of my life. It felt like there were times I would push it away like I could only focus on one thing at a time, but the urge was always there and at times all-consuming.
Brewing took center stage for the better part of 15 years as I helped open Butcher & the Brewer in downtown Cleveland and, ultimately, Saucy Brew Works, where I’m currently Co-Founder and Chief Brewing Officer. Much like music, there is an unlimited creative well with beer that allows for new ideas, combinations, and inspiration to keep coming.
After being misdiagnosed with epilepsy a few years ago, I began to take a proactive approach to my health both mentally and spiritually. Daily mindfulness meditation, ice plunges, journaling, work with an incredible therapist that has fostered the reprocessing of trauma, and continual personal development have brought me to a new place in my life. I never knew how aware I could be and how much these practices would change me.
Two years ago, I hit 3 months of daily meditation, and it felt like an anchor dropped. The notes tab on my phone went from 100 to 500 in a matter of days. Clarity and calm became much more frequent. I realized that there had been a disconnect in my life with music and that it was aching to come out. So, I started writing anything that came to me. Without criticism or judgment, the words and music just seem to flow. Oftentimes an entire song will come out in minutes, and I have no idea what it is about until I go back and read through it. It’s almost like I’m receiving the information and translating it or that there’s a sense that it exists already, and I’m lucky enough to capture it. I’m grateful for whatever energy is, and it leaves me hopeful that others will find solace and enjoyment in the music that comes out.
None of this would be possible without my wife, Carolyn, my everything, my greatest joy. She is kind, thoughtful, selfless, hilarious, and we have this uncanny ESP between each other. Our mutual encouragement and support in all aspects of our lives has been freeing. Our love knows no bounds, and I’m forever grateful for her.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Self-doubt is a real thing. Seeking approval from others is a real thing. Realizing that I get to decide how I feel and that I’m writing for me has been transformative. It took a year on anti-seizure medication and the feeling that I was an empty shell walking around to really turn the tides. I woke up one day, oddly enough, with a desert rose selenite crystal in my hand that I picked up on our wedding trip to Sedona. This crystal is known for its ability to stabilize epileptic conditions, and for me, it made me realize something had to change. I went to work trying to figure out what the seizure-like events could be. I was frustrated, felt like garbage, and knew something was wrong. I forced my way to the Epilepsy Monitoring unit of the Cleveland Clinic, where I was able to get undiagnosed and get off the medications. I felt so free. I felt and feel so grateful. Through all of this, I had started this self-care program that seemed to be working. And it was freeing my mind. I was aware of my thoughts able to engage or let them go as they came. It felt unreal. Today, my meditation streak is nearing 900 days, and the anchor keeps getting lower. Like I’m resting in awareness at any given point. This state is where the music that comes through me really flows.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
American Darling is new to the Cleveland music scene, debuting the summer of 2023. Jeremy and I have been working together for just over a year and have found a great synergy with each other. Call us Americana, folk, indie; we’re soulful lyrics and harmonies on top of driving guitar and keys. We’ve got a lot of heart to share with the world and more studio time booked. Look for our EP on all major music outlets by the end of the year and our first full-length album in 2024.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
The music that American Darling creates comes from seemingly nowhere, from silence. The emotions, stories, and themes that come through the lyrics have helped me process my life, and I hope that others will find the same happiness, pain, love, and joy in our songs as we do. Jeremy (keys, harmonica, and harmony) and I are grateful for the opportunities we’ve had and those to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.americandarlingmusic.com/
- Instagram: @american__darling
- Facebook:@americandarlingmusic
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/HR3VX32wXVCiyJLK6
