For Eddie Eberle, frontman of Eddie & the Getaway, heartbreak became the healing bedrock of his unmistakably raw songwriting. His two loves, music and sports, came to an early crossroads while growing up in Arizona. Eddie, a high school basketball point guard, became caught between the world of sports and music when an arm-wrestling match—all to impress a girl—left him with a broken arm. “I broke my arm, snapped it, trying to impress a girl at a party. Then it was like, I gotta pick music or sports, so I picked music,” he recalls.
With a talent for guitar, the injury could’ve been catastrophic. Instead, he and his father rigged a guitar stand so Eddie could play while still a cast. It was a daring move, but the never give up attitude helped he and his band to at Alice Cooper’s “Proof is in the Pudding” battle of the bands more than a decade ago.
However, Eddie says his true emotional edge emerged after another breakup with his second girlfriend—hit hard enough that it emotionally kickstarted some of his most honest lyrics. “My second real girlfriend, we broke up, and that wrecked me,” he says. “So I wrote those kind of songs. It wasn’t about her necessarily, but it was about the emotion that I just wanted to write something so extremely raw and that I felt.” Industry mentors—and country songwriters he met in Nashville—reinforced this honesty, urging him to “get your heart broken” and always dig deep for authenticity.
Now touring across the country, life on the road presents a host of new challenges, including the battle to maintain proper nutrition levels. At one point Eddie admits to gaining nearly 50 pounds, which he worked hard at losing in a short time. “I was eating a bunch of food, and I was having a blast, and I got kind of fat,” Eddie admits. “I was hitting it hard, and then lost it all pretty much in like two or three months.”
Today, Eddie’s music and performances express the lessons learned from heartbreak, discipline, and receiving key advice. It’s traits he hopes he can share with some of his audience who may be going similar situations. “You’re not the only one dealing with anxiety or depression or a bad breakup or anything like that. I think that’s the coolest thing about what I get to do.”
You can check out all of this Eddie & the Getaway interview—as well as every other episode of the Country Muscle Podcast—on the Country Muscle YouTube Channel.
5 Takeaways from the Eddie & the Getaway ‘CMP’ Appearance
1 Eddie’s High-Energy Stage Presence Is all Natural: Eddie’s electrifying shows are so intense that fans often jokingly suspect him of using performance enhancers. “The biggest compliment I ever get is when, after the show, someone comes up to one of the guys in my band and asks, ‘How much cocaine does Eddie do?’ I don’t do cocaine.”
2.The Realities and Risks of Life on the Road: Eddie says, that the constant grind of touring as an independent musician, as opposed to well-established industry veterans, means oftentimes encountering the unpredictable, sometimes dangerous situations at local budget hotels the band checks in to. “We were in Baltimore and we got there at one in the morning. There was a pimp with an ankle monitor on, we heard him screaming inside the hotel, punching the doors trying to break into a door. That was not a good one.”
3. Using His Platform to Help Others Struggling with Mental Health: A good portion of Eddie’s songwriting is straight up honest dealing with struggles and eventual healing. He assures fans that they’re not alone when it comes to handling challenges. “You’re not the only one dealing with anxiety or depression or a bad breakup or anything like that. I think that’s the coolest thing about what I get to do.”
4. Entrepreneurial Mindset Guides His Indie Career: Eddie earned a degree in business entrepreneurship with a focus in finance from Arizona State University. He says, as an indie artist, the education has come in handy, relying on his business education to protect himself and navigate the music industry. “It’s very beneficial. It’s good to have a basic understanding of contracts and law.”
5. Social Media’s Power for Connection and Success: Harnessing social media has allowed Eddie to both build a loyal fanbase and connect with new listeners. “That’s the only reason why I’m talking to you right now. It’s because of social media.”