Eric Hirshberg Releases The Sober Lifestyle Anthem “I Love Not Drinking (Feat. Aloe Blacc)” In Time For Dry January
HIRSHBERG’S ALBUM SECOND HAND SMOKE OUT MARCH 8th
WATCH THEM PERFORM THE TRACK LIVE IN THE STUDIO
HIRSHBERG AND BLACC PERFORMING LIVE IN LA ON JANUARY 20TH AT LEGENDARY RECORDING STUDIO, THE VILLAGE
(Friday, December 29th) – Today, the creative polymath and Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Eric Hirshberg releases the raucous sing-along “I Love Not Drinking” featuring the Grammy-nominated artist Aloe Blacc.
“I Love Not Drinking” celebrates the joys of life without alcohol — but rather than focusing on addiction, or hitting rock bottom like so many songs before it, it is instead a declaration of non-dependence and an inspired toast to the power and the joys of clean living. Out just in time for Dry January, the song features a beat constructed entirely of bartender sounds, from glasses clinking to cocktail shakers to ice-cubes stirring — it’s the perfect motivational anthem for the entire year.
Listen here:
ffm.to/EricHirshbergILoveNotDrinking
And watch the two perform “I Love Not Drinking” live in the studio in Los Angeles here:
Eric Hirshberg, Aloe Blacc - I Love Not Drinking
“There are plenty of great songs about drinking and partying. But for those of us who just like life better without alcohol in it, well, now there's an anthem for us,” says Eric Hirshberg on his inspiration for writing the song.
“I'm all about inspiring positive change through music and Eric’s song really delivers on that front,” says Aloe Blacc on his desire to lend his voice to the project.
Hirshberg adds, “I was thrilled that Aloe wanted to be involved with this song. He has a voice that is somehow both intimate and larger than life at the same time. This song is both highly personal, and also a bit of a sing-along anthem for the sober lifestyle. Aloe helps on both counts.”
“I Love Not Drinking” is the third single from Hirshbeg’s second full-length album Second Hand Smoke due out March 8th. Already, he’s released two tracks “Good Morning” and “Half Way Home'' off the record which follow his debut album, Spare Room (released in 2021), which spawned the viral hit “I Want America Back,” viewed over a million times on YouTube.
Second Hand Smoke is an album about removing the toxicity from one’s life through an optimistic lens. From embracing sobriety, to ending toxic relationships, to the search for spirituality in a secular world, and maintaining optimism and hope as we age, the songwriting confronts its themes with a positive and productive lyricsal outlook. “I am someone who needed to live a lot of life before I had something to sing,“ says Hirshberg.
Elsewhere on Second Hand Smoke there’s profound inward reflection. “Half Way Home,” for example, is a mid-life dialogue between the singer and the younger and older versions of himself. There’s “It’s Hard To Be A Human Being,” which was inspired by a conversation between the artist and his longtime friend, mentor and inspiration, Norman Lear. The simple, inarguable wisdom captured in the title is in and of itself an idea that frees us from the illusion (or delusion) that life is supposed to be easy. There’s the ode to the universal human need to believe in something bigger than ourselves, “Everyone Believes.” And “Day One” explores both the death and rebirth we experience when we finally let go of those relationships that aren’t serving us. Hirshberg has found his voice through the lessons of his life.
Hirshberg, who has been writing songs non-stop since the age of 14, took an unusual path to music. He spent his college days and most of his 20s playing Los Angeles clubs with his band and trying to build a music career. And while he wasn't looking, a whole other career took over; Hirshberg had a remarkably successful run as a creative executive first in advertising, where he built and ran the agency, Deutsch LA, then in video games, ultimately becoming the CEO of Activision (Call of Duty, Skylanders, Destiny, Guitar Hero), a post he held for almost a decade delivering record breaking results. (He is one of the only people ever to become a CEO of a company of that scale to have an art degree.) As he became more public as an executive, he became more private as an artist, until his musical life was almost completely hidden from public view, but his passion and output as a songwriter never diminished.
And on January 20th at 8 PM, Hirshberg and his band along with Blacc as his special guest, will take the stage at the Village Studios (1616 Butler Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90025), the birthplace of Fleetwood Mac's Tusk (1979), Janet Jackson's Damita Jo (2004), Dr. Dre's The Chronic and many more to showcase SECOND HAND SMOKE in its entirety for the first time. To attend the show RSVP here.
Tour Dates:
January 20th - Village Studios - Los Angeles, CA
More on Eric Hirshberg:
Eric Hirshberg is a creative polymath, business leader and singer/songwriter. He has built and run companies with record-breaking and award-winning results. He was the CEO/Chief Creative Officer of the advertising agency Deutsch LA, winning Agency of the Year six times. He was also the CEO of video game giant Activision where he led some of the biggest entertainment launches and franchises in history. He is a lifelong singer/songwriter whose music has been streamed over three million times. He has also created pro-bono ad campaigns for non-profit organizations from The Holocaust Museum to Presidential campaigns. He lives in Santa Monica where he is happily married and is raising two teenage sons.
More on Aloe Blacc:
Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, Aloe Blacc, who is known for major hits such as “I Need A Dollar”, “The Man”, and “Wake Me Up”, pledged early in his career to use his music for positive social transformation. Aloe refers to his style of music as thematic, calling it "A.I.M." which stands for affirmation, inspiration, and motivation. A recipient of RIAA diamond certification, his song “WAKE ME UP” with Avicii, has reached over 2 Billion streams on Spotify and YouTube respectively. Aloe is currently working on his next musical projects with a focus on amplifying the mission of non-profit organizations. In addition to music, Aloe is the founder of Major Inc, a biotech company focused on preventing future pandemics and infection from disease. With the help of accomplished PhD scientists, the company has conducted promising research to identify medicinal candidates that block viruses from cellular binding, entry, and replication.
Eric Hirshberg Online: