We’re looking forward to introducing you to Eric Dash Friedman. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Eric, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
I’m proud of my perseverance and determination. As artists we all live on this little rollercoaster and sometimes the dips are bigger than you’d ever expect. For instance, you don’t ever expect to fall on your face. I’ve done that quite a bit, but I never give up.
However, the stress and anxiety I put myself through greatly impacted my quality of life. I developed hyperacusis due to it apparently which I’m still currently battling. So I’ve changed my lifestyle and have become very healthy. I minimize my stress the best I can, drink very little and focus on work and my music. I just built my new studio in Philadelphia and finishing a new album.
Back on the horse.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure. My name is Eric Dash, or Eric Dash Friedman depending on how you know me. I’m a music artist but I also produce and mix engineer. I had a little success with a song called “One More Love Song” back in 2014, I toured a little bit, and have been chasing that dragon ever since. Back then, I was working with a great producer and mixer named Jack Joseph Puig and had no desire to produce, but when I moved to the next chapter of my life, I found myself in the midst of producing and mixing and fell in love with it. I’m obsessed.
For 7 years I became quite crazy trying to figure out how to make the best records possible. I did plenty of songs for myself and plenty for other artists like Kaatii, Miss Machina, Jessy Fury, FREDDY, Redrow, and more. I ran live events in my house and invited all of LA for free – I hated the politics of certain singer/songwriter venues at the time and the pay to play mentality. If you were good, I built you an audience… I hosted production and writing camps and we had over 150 participants. It was amazing… Everyone was amazing. And in the midst of all of this, I’ve made friends with so many talented players, producers, mixers and creators in general. LA is wild.
After all of that, I started I ran into those stress and health issues. Music is tough. I took a job in Philadelphia that could keep me afloat with a little less emotional pain, while I make my way back to music again. I cut a new album over the past 6 months and I’m starting the mixing process. There’s also a side project I started and I’m starting to produce a couple artists this fall. And looking to help manage. Whatever I can do to help others and create.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was always a dreamer. I still am but it’s harder now. I used to follow dreams with reckless abandon. I think I lost that a little when I started listening to other people and practical viewpoints. I like logic – it’s logical. But being a musician isn’t logical in the first place. It’s a labor of love. Listening to what people have to say isn’t bad, I just let it sway me too much away from my heart.
I’ll leave this advice – the sentence “you don’t know unless you try”…. In some cases, like a guitar part in a production or acupuncture, sure. Try it. But there are plenty of things in this world that I or you don’t need to try to know it’s going to suck. So feel free to tell those people thank you for the advice, and then completely ignore them.
I’m a dreamer again and these are achievable dreams.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Never. I take breaks. It’s painful. But never give up.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I don’t even know. But I would hope they know I deeply care about all of them and that they respect my incessant need to build community, love hard, and make sick records. What else is there?
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
When I finish a song or an album and I mean the master is complete and you listen back and have true belief in it – that’s my bliss. It’s been a second since I’ve felt that.
But when that happens, all the pain I’ve ever endured seems to vanish and what I’m left in is a new chance at redemption. “So you’re saying there’s a chance.” Peace.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ericdash.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericdash
- Other: I’m on tiktok too.
Image Credits
The initial promotional photo was shot by Catie Laffoon.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
