Eric Hagen is a singer-songwriter from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, whose raw and powerful vocal style has turned heads along with his ability to tell a good story through his stripped-back, Americana/folk songs. Hagen released his debut EP, Crossroads Motel, back in 2021, and now returns with single, Dying Alone, which will feature on his upcoming full-length album.
Hagen states that Dying Alone is “about how a lot of people find themselves in relationships that they feel stuck in… Some people find that even if it’s not a healthy relationship, they think it’s better than dying alone.” He is joined on the track by Marja Hansen who takes lead vocal duties for the second verse and harmonizes with Hagen during the song’s chorus. The combination of a male and female voice gives the lyric a fitting duality.
The song is set to a slow waltz groove and features a typical rock band accompaniment. Patrick Lyons plays a gorgeous slide guitar solo before the final chorus, echoing the bittersweet sentiment of the song that is most prominent in lyrics like “I thought we had love yet between us / You know it’s something to tend like a rose / But just ‘cos the bloom is unseen doesn’t mean that / The flower it ain’t gonna grow”.
With Dying Alone, Hagen continues to prove himself as a great lyricist, and despite the song’s heavy-hearted narrative, its delivery exudes a great deal of hopefulness, emphasizing the fact that love, sometimes, is a very complicated beast. All eyes will be on Hagen as he returns with his full-length album in the not-too-distant future.
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BELOW: Listen to Dying Alone and connect with his website and social media platforms. Please support Eric Hagen by visiting him online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing his music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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