Eric Hirshberg discusses new album 'More Is Not The Answer'

While Eric Hirshberg is also known for his time as the CEO of Activision Publishing and overseeing Deutsch LA, he's been making his music career take center stage. This week, he's set to release his third studio album titled More Is Not The Answer. We had a chance to talk with Hirshberg about their new album and forthcoming album release show at The Peppermint Club.

MP3s and NPCs: Before starting a music career, you were the CEO of Activision Publishing. What was that experience like?

Eric Hirshberg: I would reverse the premise of your question. I'm not a CEO who became a musician; I'm a musician who became a CEO. I've been making music and writing songs since my teens. Obviously, a whole different, wonderful career--first in advertising at Deutsch LA and then in video games at Activision--took off and took over my life. What was that experience like? It was amazing. I got to lead two incredible companies and oversee some of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world. I surrounded myself with incredible, smart, creative people, and together we achieved a lot of success. But I became a CEO through a very unusual path. I went to art school, not business school. I have always been a creative person first. Of course, I had to learn the more traditional parts of being a business leader to be a successful CEO. But I always led by focusing on the creative excellence of the products we were putting out first and foremost. So, in that way, my business career was not that different from my music career. Whether you're making epic Super Bowl commercials or epic video games, if you're putting a creative product into the market, the most important thing is always the quality of the work. And the same is true of the music.

MP3s and NPCs: At what point did you decide to take a dive into making music?

Hirshberg: As I said, it's always been with me. I was writing and recording songs in the background the entire time. As I became more public as an executive, I became more private as an artist. Maybe it was all in my head, but once I was an officer at a public company and had an earnings call every 12 weeks, I just figured no one wanted to hear my love songs. But the songs just kept coming. So, when I stepped down as a CEO and decided to re-balance my life, the first thing I wanted to do was start putting out my music.

MP3s and NPCs: Your new album is titled More Is Not The Answer. What is the meaning behind the title?

Hirshberg: A lot of the album is about the tug-of-war we all find ourselves in with technology. Algorithms, smartphones, constant distractions, and all the division those things seem to bring into our lives. Before you can get to the things in life you want more of, you have to figure out the things you want less of. The issues explored in these songs all have a common solution: Us. Each other. More human connection. Listening to one another, even when—maybe especially when—we disagree. So it's not an anti-technology album so much as it's a pro-humanity album. I want less of the things that divide us. That's what the title means.

MP3s and NPCs: This record features a collaboration with Aloe Blacc. How did that come to fruition?

Hirshberg: I was lucky enough to meet Aloe through a common friend, and we hit it off creatively right away. He sang on one of the songs from my last album and our friendship grew from there. Eventually we decided we wanted to try writing a song together. "For Real" was the result. It was a great experience for me because while we see the world similarly, our musical styles are pretty different. His work is mostly larger-than-life, pop R&B anthems, and mine is more human-scale, Americana, folk rock. We had to find the common ground, and that pulled me into a whole new production style. More cinematic and expansive in scale, while still retaining the intimate, lyric-first storytelling. I think the combination worked great for our song and also influenced the sound of the entire album.

MP3s and NPCs: Have any of your old gaming industry colleagues complemented you on your music?

Hirshberg: Of course. Gaming is a creative industry, and it attracts people who are either highly creative themselves, or care deeply about creativity. So, while it was a bit scary to put myself out there artistically when I was pretty well known in a different lane, everyone has been very supportive.

MP3s and NPCs: You're holding the record release show at The Peppermint Club. What made that place stand out as a great spot for the gig?

Hirshberg: Well, first of all, it's a beautiful club. You feel like you've stepped into a secret Frank Sinatra concert in the 1940s. Secondly, I love the artists that play there. They seem to have great curatorial taste. So, I really wanted to play there, and I'm honored they're having me.

MP3s and NPCs: Do you have plans to do more shows in 2027?

Hirshberg: Nothing to announce yet, but I'm working on it.

Tickets for Hirshberg’s show at The Peppermint Club (8713 Beverly Blvd.) this Saturday are on sale to the general public right now here. This is a 21+ show. Pre-save the new album here.