The music industry is full of polymaths, though none have a story quite like Eric Hirshberg.
From pioneering and building Deutsch LA, to being the CEO of Activision, Hirshberg has delivered his wide-array of talents in support of some of the world’s biggest pop culture franchises, from Call of Duty to Twin Peaks.
Hirshberg retired from Activision in 2018, and since then, he has been giving extra time to his first love — writing songs and making music. He has been savoring a return to it, having pursued music before he ever engaged in his remarkable business career. His songwriting is as perceptive as it is poignant, as he writes on his relationships, the passage of time, and even teetotalism (his first collaboration with Aloe Blacc, his collaborator for his new single). It has resulted in two album releases, with a third record on the way in 2026.
On October 30th, Hirshberg released his new single, “For Real.” Overwhelmed by the onslaught of negative news and discourse in the world, he and Aloe Blacc attempt to reach listeners with a message of hope. It’s a track that asks us to “break free,” and appeals to our common humanity, creating a marriage between his folk influences and Blacc’s soulful delivery.
We had the opportunity to chat with Hirshberg about the new single, his collaboration with Aloe Blacc, and much more.
You’ve had quite the journey career-wise from being the CEO at Activision, to being CEO and chief creative officer at Deutsch LA. Can you tell us a little about what inspired you to switch gears and pursue music making?
It wasn’t really a gear shift so much as it was an emphasis shift. I have been writing songs really since I was 15 years old. It is my life’s greatest passion– and certainly the longest lasting one.
Obviously, I’ve had a whole other career, but I never stopped writing and recording. I would come home after a long day of work and write songs until all hours. But as I became more and more public as a business leader, I became more and more private as an artist. Maybe it was all in my head, but I just wasn’t comfortable putting out my music while I was responsible for leading companies. So the first thing I wanted to do after stepping down as the CEO of Activision was put out an album. It was actually quite scary.
Once you’re known publicly for one thing, it’s really hard to put yourself out there for a completely different thing. At first, I had a plan where I was going to put my music out under a band name. But my wife kind of called me out and said, if you’re not comfortable being your whole self in public right now, you’re never going to be. She was right. So I took the leap and I’m glad I did.
Do you find that your skills and knowledge gained working in the video game industry translate to your career as a musician in any way, and if so, how?
Both of the companies I’ve led are in creative industries and I think the creative process is pretty universal. The tools are different, of course. But the process–whether you’re making video games, making Super Bowl ads or writing songs–is really similar. At the end of the day, you’re making something that you hope people connect with. That requires insight—into yourself, others, and the world. And of course, it eventually involves taking a deep breath and putting something you’ve created out there to be judged. I had a lot of experience with all of that before putting out my first album, and I think that gave me a lot of tools.
Your new single with Aloe Blacc, “For Real,” addresses themes of societal divide. In the polarization of today’s society, what role can musicians play?
I always just try to write about things that I’m feeling and observing, and trust that I’m not the only one. I think any time you can take something you’re feeling as an individual and capture it in a way that’s more universal, it brings people together. That’s why love songs and breakup songs never go out of style, because almost everyone can relate to them. Unfortunately, right now, a lot of people can relate to the feeling of being divided. So, writing a song about it lets anyone who can relate know they’re not alone, and maybe it gets a few people talking, which is really the point of the song.
Can you talk about how your collaboration with Aloe Blacc came to be, and what made him the right person for this specific song?
Well, I think he’s the right person to sing just about any song. But as for how we met, we were introduced by a common friend, Zem Joaquin, who puts on a great conference every year called the Near Future Summit where we were both slated to perform on the same day. I was singing my song, “I Love Not Drinking.” Aloe heard it and liked it, so I asked him if he wanted to sing it with me. Then we went on stage and got the whole audience singing it with us. That’s a pretty great way to start a friendship. Eventually we decided we wanted to write something together. “For Real” is the result. Aloe’s voice brings an almost gospel level scale to the chorus that I would not have been able to achieve otherwise.
You’ve mentioned that “For Real” is a song that is both personal and meant to be a song many can relate to. Do you find that more collective experiences work their way into your songs on their own, or do you have to work intentionally to make your personal experience speak to a larger phenomenon?
I think almost all personal experiences have the potential to also be universal ones. We all have a tendency to think that whatever we’re going through is unique to us–until we talk about it. Then we quickly find out that many other people have been through something similar. So, it starts with just being really honest with yourself. What are you feeling, thinking, observing, and going through? If you dig deep enough through the personal, you usually end up landing on something universal.
Can you touch on how “For Real” fits into the grand scheme of your upcoming third album? How might this song be connected to the other songs on the album?
The album is called “More Is Not The Answer.” I think that’s true about a lot of things in life. Particularly these days. We have more news but we’re less informed. We have more entertainment but we’re more bored. We have more ways to communicate but we’re more alone. I’ve gotten happier and happier lately by the things I’m doing less of. Addition by subtraction. This album is about all of those discoveries.
Speaking of the new album, are there any other special collaborations or notable songs you’re particularly excited about?
They’re all special collaborations. Aloe is obviously a much bigger artist than I am, and a special talent. But I am so lucky to have a great community of collaborators on every one of these songs: Blair Sinta on the drums, Michael Chaves on the guitar, Will Hensley mixing and recording, Neara Russell, Maiya Sykes, Kristi Lee, Mai Bloomfield, and Matt Rubano. Other musicians make every one of these songs better.
What are one or two things you hope people will take away from listening to your new album?
As a fan, I always like music that makes me feel connected—both to the artist and to other listeners—through some shared experience. I would love it if this album delivers that to other people. What a lot of people have in common right now is a feeling of disconnection. But what we also all have in common is a desire for more connection.
What excites you the most about being a musician in 2025? Can you recall a moment where you felt most proud to be doing what you are doing today?
I’ve been making music just for the love of it—and sharing it with a tiny community of family and friends—for a long time. So, after doing it pretty anonymously all of this time, to get feedback from someone in a comment or a message or at a show who I don’t know and never would have known otherwise, who the music has touched or meant something to, that’s just unbelievably gratifying.
