The Yorktown grad talks music, his childhood in Arlington and Saturday morning cartoons.
By MacKenzie Reagan
Updated: November 14, 2019
Eddy Faulkner answers the phone on the first ring. He just worked out and returned to his parents’ house in Arlington—traffic was crazy. Over the course of an hour, he talks at length about his music, family and aspirations. As for the latter, he wants to be like Paul McCartney, or maybe Taylor Swift, or perhaps Katy Perry.
Faulkner’s show May 8 at Iota Club & Cafe is an album release party for his new EP, Unbreakable, which was recorded in the span of four days with Downtown Fiction bassist and fellow Yorktown High grad David Pavluk. It’s difficult to pin down his exact sound; he has the voice of an indie-pop singer, but his debut single, “I Won’t Give Up,” is as radio-friendly as that of any mainstream pop artist. He has the energy of an early Fueled By Ramen-era pop-punk band with the lyrical sensibilities of an acoustic singer-songwriter.
An only child, Faulkner grew up with his adoptive parents not far from Nottingham Elementary School where he first began to play music, taking up the trumpet in the fourth grade. But it wasn’t until his senior year of high school that he began to seriously consider music as a career, posting cover videos on YouTube. Before that, he played baseball and got involved in the community through the Boy Scouts and as a volunteer with Food for Others.
Faulkner is self-assured and speaks with the confidence of a seasoned professional. He has the keen marketing savvy one might expect from a business major. He employs the same DIY ethos as so many D.C.-area musicians before him, filling USB drives with his music for distribution at his shows. While he had a record deal for his debut single, he’s now entirely independent and has gained a sizable following among students at Yorktown and Lynchburg College, his alma mater.
In addition to working on his EP, Faulkner has been pitching original songs to various labels. He has also been in touch with a handful of Hollywood types in hopes of breaking into acting.
“There’s no really wrong way because, you know, in this stage of my career you … just want to get the most exposure you can,” he says.
For now, he works part time as a host at Taqueria El Poblano, but Faulkner hopes to one day be a full-time musician in some capacity.
“I don’t really see myself doing anything else. I see myself writing for other people to fuel my artist career. I see myself even managing other artists one day,” Faulkner says.
QUICK HITS
Q: Who gets to play you in your biopic?
A: I don’t know … Hopefully, me?
Q: Item you’d save in a fire:
A : Probably my phone. Unless my parents are in the house, then I’d save them.
Q: Favorite cartoon as a kid:
A: Courage the Cowardly Dog, but also Ed, Edd n Eddy.
Q: Lastly, and the most important: [Arlington’s] Five Guys or [Falls Church’s] Elevation Burger?
A: Elevation Burger. There’s always pretty girls when I go there.
