Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Grooms.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in South Carolina with a loving family, reasonable intelligence, and passable charm, which, by local standards, was considered above average. In grade school, I excelled in the arts, problem-solving, and creative writing. They called me “gifted.” I was put on ADHD medication before the age of ten. Middle school was as awkward and confusing for me as it is for everyone, and high school brought an emo phase I never quite grew out of. It wasn’t until I was 16 that I found something that I was truly passionate about: acting.
As of my sophomore year in high school, the most acting I had ever done was in church skits. I didn’t even consider acting a hobby, much less a potential career. However, after losing a coin toss with my best friend, I reluctantly agreed to audition for my school’s Talented and Gifted theatre program. To my surprise, I not only made it into the program, but I actually had the chance to play a few lead roles, including Troy Bolton in High School Musical. (Yes, there is photographic evidence and yes, it haunts me to this day.)
After discovering a passion for acting, I signed with an acting agency that I met through a wonderful program called AMTC (Actors Models and Talent for Christ) and moved to Los Angeles in 2018. I have spent the past two years working in the industry, honing my craft and growing as a creative.
That is only the beginning of my creative journey. I started seriously making music about a year ago. Since then, I have released four singles and I am currently working on many more. I cannot express how much the music I make means to me. With every song I create, I place a piece of my heart into the melody and a piece of my consciousness into the words. I found passion in acting; I found love in music. The support I’ve seen so far only makes me want to take it farther.
So, what makes my story any different from that of the next 5’8 white guy in LA? The answer is simple: Jesus. In fact, He is the reason why I even have a story to tell. As a Christian, my intentions in moving to LA were not only to have an artistic career but to use that career to spread the Gospel. I want to show people God’s love in a way they’ve never seen. At the end of my story, I don’t want people to have read about the glory of Eric Grooms, but instead about the glory of God.
Sadly, this is all I can tell you about my story so far. I don’t know what happens from here. However, there is good news. From this point on, we’re in it together. So, welcome to the show. Please silence your cellphones, keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle and don’t tap the glass because it scares the fish.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Yes and no. In an objective sense, I have been very fortunate to be financially and physically stable which I believe does help smooth out the road. However, these past few years have presented me with a number of challenges I never expected, most of them being mental and emotional. One struggle I speak about frequently in my music has been coming to terms with my pride. On one side of the coin, I struggle to keep my ego in check. I’m still learning the line between competition and jealousy and how crossing that line can hurt both me and the people around me. On the other side of the coin, I struggle to feel like I’m good enough. I find myself feeling both fearful of success and undeserving of the success I already have. One of the most important things I’ve begun to understand is that there is a distinct difference between being confident and being prideful. It is okay to have faith in your abilities and to own the things that you do well, but it is not okay to let them consume you. At the end of the day, your craft is not who you are. It is what you do. Humility and love will always be more important than success.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a Musician and an Actor. Truthfully, the root of my work is that I share myself with others in a vulnerable way in hopes to make them feel understood. My music has been described as a “genre-bending quest to self-discovery that uses vivid lyricism and unique vocal delivery to hook its audience after just one listen.” It has also been described as “pretty good” by my father. Both of these can be considered raving reviews. Don’t let that fool you, however. I am still far from perfect. In fact, my imperfections are something I value deeply and love to include in my work. I believe it allows for a sort of beauty that you can’t recreate and tears down the wall between artist and consumer.
After all, we all share one central relatable fact: we all suck just a little bit. And personally, giving my audience something to relate to is one of the most important parts of what I do. Another thing that sets me apart is my message. There is a love and understanding I have found in God that I truly just want to be able to share with the world. I will continue to speak about it both in my music and in interviews like this one. In my new song Seven, I speak about my relationship with God through the lens of self-discovery and self-acceptance. My hope is that songs like this one provide my audience with an avenue to explore their own relationships with God as they move towards self-discovery as well.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I believe that one of the qualities that is most important to my success is my relationship to my audience. I want people who listen to my music to feel as though they know me. I am very intentionally vulnerable and honest in my music and I believe that this establishes a sort of trust with my listeners. Something else that I value is uniqueness. I give my listeners an experience that they can’t get anywhere else, at least not in the same way they can get it from me. This, I truly think, is what brings people back.
Contact Info:
- Website: ericgroomsmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericlaniergrooms/
Image Credit:
Danny Irizarry, Isaac Swink
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