Erik Hassle: Writing to Be Free

by Malana Battle

A combination of soul and pop completes Swedish singer/songwriter Erik Hassle. Hassle is on a North American tour with his label mate MØ. On the tour Hassle will travel to twelve different cities in a short period of time. One of his stops on the trip was none other than our city, Philly. He graced the stage at Johnny Brenda’s last week, but before the show I talked to Hassle to get the scoop on his new EP.

Hassle tells me that he wrote countless songs over the past two years. He knew that all of the songs wouldn’t make the cut for his album so he chose to do an EP. “I decided to do the EP as a taste for the album,” says Hassle. The EP is packed with six songs including his latest single, “Pathetic”. You can also listen to “Ready For You”, “Talk About It (Featuring Vic Mensa)”, “What Is He Like”, “Somebody’s Party”, and “Innocence Lost (Featuring Tinashe)” on the EP.

Hassle’s favorite song off the EP is “Somebody’s Party”. “I really think we managed to do nice lyrical tweaks in the chorus that you can hear,” states Hassle.  “I like that one because it has depth to it!”

Hassle says there hasn’t been much of a recipe to creating the EP. He is very involved in the production process and writes all of his songs. “I’ve done most of my part like the vocals and stuff in the moment when you’re writing. It’s like building a story in your head,” Hassle expresses. “I haven’t come that much back to things and re-done it because it’s hard. I have a writing partner that I’m emotionally open with when we write and then you’re there and it’s hard to find that thing again.”

Hassle uses writing music as a therapeutic outlet to express himself. “That’s what I do, I write songs!” Hassle exclaims. He recently wrote “Can’t Remember to Forget You” for pop icons Rihanna and Shakira. “I think there is a lot of me in there as a person and trying to understand myself as a person in my music,” says Hassle. “Anything I’m trying to get out of me, I try to put into songs so I can be free. It’s not about being past something it’s about being free.”

Hassle does see a shift in his music from his early in career verses now. He describes it as “a mentor project” because he was signed at the age of seventeen. At the time he didn’t know much about writing songs, studio life, or some of the opportunities he would have in the future. “I’m very proud of the artist I am today,” he says.

Hassle is currently in the process of working on his full length studio album. After the tour, Hassle is considering taking a summer vacation back to his home of Sweden to visit family and friends. He hasn’t been to Sweden in over a year since he made Los Angeles his home. Then it’s right back to the studio to finish the album. Learn more about Erik Hassle at www.erikhassle.com.