Ewreckage: BSU’s Very Own Up-And-Coming Artist
Were you aware that a celebrity walks among us? If you saw him on the sidewalk, you probably wouldn’t know him for his music, but for his cool style and friendly personality. Eric Santos, more popularly known as Ewreckage, is an up-and-coming songwriter, with his first album having recently hit #1 on the iTunes charts in Portugal. In the past, his first song “Ocean” had also topped the charts, grabbing the second slot on Portugal’s charts, right below Ed Sheeran’s “I Don’t Care.”
Santos is twenty years old and a junior at BSU, completing a double major in English and Secondary Education. Growing up, he always knew that he wanted to become a teacher, but he enjoys writing and producing music as a hobby.
His music industry name, Ewreckage, was designed to be a play on words, as English majors often enjoy creating. It combines his name with the ‘edge’ sound at the end, which gives him a unique name, but one that Santos can still easily refer to himself as.
When asked where the name for his album Saudade came from he said, “I chose the name as a reference. In New Bedford most of the population is Portuguese, I’m Portuguese myself, so I wanted to give homage to my ancestral culture. I feel like the name Saudade, which in Portugese means nostalgia, of a deep meaning, fits greatly with the EP.”
His main inspiration is Benny Blanco, who has written songs for famous singers such as Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry. When Blanco began writing and singing his own songs, however, Santos found an even deeper admiration for the artist. “I thought that was inspirational for people who aren’t necessarily singers, but people who want to actually take credit for their songs” said Santos.
For Santos, the inspiration for his first album and stylistic choices came from a couple of different places and people. As for most of his song lyrics, they come from his own experiences.
“A lot of my songs are based off of life events and I like to use them for inspiration. So, basically what I do is, I don’t worry too much about the beats and the music. First, I want to get all my lyrics down. Once the lyrics are good I want to make sure I find a beat that fits the song well, so that I get the vibe I want” Santos explained.
Once the lyrics are all set, he draws from the styles of singers/songwriters like Ed Sheeran and Twenty One Pilots. Some of his song styles are based off of specific songs, such as Night Sky by Maroon 5.
Although Santos does not sing his songs, he does have a three second chorus cameo in “Figure It Out.” For his EP, Santos hired Australian singer Anthony Donato. For one of the songs he also commissioned a rapper from Bosnia, known as Alpha.
“I would say ‘Shivers’ is my favorite. It’s like a typically seldom breakup song, and I really enjoyed putting all of that emotion into the lyrics. Secondarily I also like “Figure It Out,” because I feel like there’s a lot of deep meaning behind it” Said Santos.
So, next time you’re walking to class, driving, or just chilling out and doing homework, give Ewreckage’s Saudade a listen. Not only is the album fantastic, but you’d also be supporting a fellow BSU student!
