Eric & Happie: Warm Folk Harmonies and Indie Sensibilities

Meet music duo, Eric & Happie

Hi, we’re Eric & Happie! We are made up of Eric Hunker and Happie Hoffman and have recently begun writing and recording music as a duo. Our first project, coming out this year, is a five song EP called It’s Yours. This debut is made up of five original duets co-written by us. We’ve been working on this music for two years and are so excited to bring it to the world! We like to describe our sound as being made up of warm folk harmonies with indie sensibilities. We love and are inspired by the vocal and lyrical depth of the folk movement and the creative melodies and meters of modern indie music. Our music has been compared to the Civil Wars and She & Him. Both of us have come to this duo through our own solo songwriting careers and our music is heavily influenced by our unique Jewish Journeys.

Throughout the year, we travel North American communities, leading music and training teen musicians with BBYO. Having met in this organization, we both find working with BBYO to be extremely fulfilling work. BBYO is putting a huge emphasis in their teen songleading programs and we love being a part of shaping the next generation of teen songleaders and Jewish musicians. Every community we visit gives us a new perspective on the importance of music to peoples’ Jewish identity. That mission is what keeps us motivated and inspired to bring new music into the world. Every song you write has the chance to make someone’s life, someone’s day, just a little bit better.

We spend about two-thirds of our calendar year on the road. People ask us all the time, “Isn’t that exhausting? Don’t you ever get tired of it?” The truth is, the more communities we travel to, the more people we meet, the more energy we have. We consistently find ourselves in awe of the people we meet in our travels. This world is overflowing with beautiful minds and personalities. Our music has provided us with an avenue to connect with many of them. We feel so lucky to be able to do what we do and are so excited to see where our debut EP, It’s Yours, will take us next.

If you’re a young artist, just starting in the Jewish music world, the biggest piece of advice we could give you is to get out there. With the ease of home recording and the prevalence of online streaming, it can be tempting to be a stay-at-home musician. Know that ‘likes’ and ‘subscriptions’ are only a small piece of the puzzle. You may minimize your risk of failure by staying behind a computer screen but you also minimize your opportunity for success! Your music is a gift, and you owe it to yourself and the rest of us to share that in person. There is no substitute for a live performance or a live conversation. Get out there and share your gift.

-Eric & Happie

Check out Eric & Happie’s website for news and updates!