Eduardo Colón on His Solo Journey, Creative Inspiration, and the Future of DC’s Music Scene
Written by: Danielle Azu
Recently, I had the pleasure to interview Eduardo Colón Aponte! He's made himself know in the D.C music scene for curating events, as well as performing throughout the city. He has this raw and exciting post-punk vibe that caught the attention of Orlando Jones' record label Gangstir Rock Records. We got a chance to talk about the exciting update as well as learn about his creative process and what he wants to bring in his new era!
GRRRL Music: In a few words, tell the people who you are. What’s your elevator speech?
Eduardo Colón: I’m a Puerto Rican-born musician and creative of all sorts, but music has always been my forte. I’ve been working in music since I was about 16 years old in Puerto Rico, building a career that spanned roughly a decade and a half before I moved to DC.
Currently, I’m taking my first steps into my own solo project, which is something new for me. I’ve always been the guy working behind the scenes or performing as a live musician, but I’d never really managed to do something entirely on my own.
Recently, I signed with Gangstir Rock Records, Orlando Jones’ label, and we’re preparing to release some music, hopefully sometime next month, as long as I meet my deadline!
GM: You’ve had an extensive career in music. What inspires you most these days? Is it a person, an experience, or something else in your life?
E: That’s an interesting question because inspiration usually comes spontaneously from different sources.
When I first started making music, a lot of my motivation came from proving people wrong. Whenever somebody told me I couldn’t do something, that made me want to prove them wrong, and I tended to excel.
Kids can be mean sometimes, but I’ve learned that sometimes people see something in you that they don’t understand themselves. I didn’t understand that at first, but eventually, I started using that same motivation in different areas of my life. Every time you experience pain, you have to make something beautiful out of it.
GM: You mentioned that proving people wrong helped motivate you. Does that same motivation drive your creative process, or is the process more about digging into yourself?
E: My creative process is very different from what initially inspires me. Getting motivated is one thing, but getting into a creative mindset and making something from scratch is another.
The pain that inspires an idea might be the seed, but you still have to create the right conditions for that idea to grow. I strongly believe that your environment affects everything, so the first thing I usually do is make sure my space is clean and organized. That’s when the ideas really start flowing.
This is literally my living room, but I have everything set up and ready to go. The moment an idea comes to me, I can turn on my little spaceship and start creating. Some days, the ideas come naturally, and other days, they don’t. But sometimes, when you least expect it, something really good comes along, and you realize you’re onto something. Once I have that basic idea, I approach it like painting a canvas. I keep adding layers and refining things until I get the feeling I want. I tend to overthink, so I’m constantly thinking about how I can take an idea to another level. Songwriting can take a week, or it can take years. It’s all about building those layers and finding the right feel.
GM: Creative slumps are real, especially for artists. When you experience one, do you try to push through it, take a break, or use that time to reflect? How do you get out of a creative rut?
E: I used to get really caught up in creative slumps, but I realized that approach caused me to burn out. It’s like being a horse with blinders on: you can’t see the bigger picture.
A friend of mine in Puerto Rico once told me about an experiment involving two groups tasked with making the best clay cup. One group was allowed to make only one cup, while the other group had to make as many cups as possible. The group that made multiple cups ended up producing the best one because they learned from their mistakes and adapted along the way.
That really stuck with me. Sometimes, if you get stuck on one part of the process, you have to let it go for a while and work on something else. When you return to it, everything can suddenly become clearer. That’s how I’ve written most of the songs I have coming out now.
GM: You recently signed with Gangstir Rock Records, which is a huge milestone. What does this opportunity mean for you personally, creatively, and spiritually?
E: Honestly, I’m still surprised that people are interested in working with my solo project, especially at the stage I was at when they found me. Despite all the achievements I’ve had in music since I was a kid, people always told me I couldn’t sing. Because of that, I never really tried singing until I moved out here to DC and didn’t have anyone to collaborate with.
So, first and foremost, it’s still a shock that they wanted to work with me, especially when the project was still developing. After I signed, I already had a few songs finished, but I was trying to hold off on releasing them because I wanted everything else in place. I wanted my social media ready and everything planned out in advance. The label basically told me I was waiting too long to pull the trigger and that they wanted to help me get started. I don’t think I would have released any music at this point if they hadn’t pushed me. It’s a mixture of a pleasant surprise and that little bit of pressure you sometimes need to finally take the leap and get things moving.
GM: As someone contributing to the DC music scene, what do you feel you can bring to the DMV? DC has so many different artists and sounds, but it can sometimes feel like the city lacks one clearly defined musical identity. What would you like to contribute?
E: That connects to an observation I’ve made since moving here. There are so many active artists and musicians in DC, but compared with Puerto Rico, where I came from, there seem to be fewer clearly defined scenes that consistently bring people together.
In Puerto Rico, there were different niche communities that organized their own events. One example was a festival that started with kids from the punk scene painting murals in what is now San Juan’s art district. I remember going to the festival in its early days, around 2010 or 2011. It started small and was very community-oriented, but the organizers kept developing it year after year. Eventually, it grew into something much bigger. They closed off streets, featured murals, added a main stage, and brought together local bars, artists, and musicians. The festival became a platform for major artists, too.
That experience really stayed with me. I have a bachelor’s degree in event production, so I naturally think about how to build something like that. One of the things I’ve been wanting to do in DC is establish events that happen consistently enough for people to recognize them and look forward to them. I’ve also thought about creating something like a podcast or digital channel where we record live performances, interview artists, and broadcast the content. That could help generate word of mouth, introduce people to new musicians, and build excitement around the local scene. The first few events might be small, but if you keep doing them consistently, the growth can become exponential. Promotion before an event is important, but getting people talking about what happened afterward is just as valuable.
That’s the next big step I want to take once I figure out how to build the infrastructure. It’s not something I can do entirely on my own, so I’ll need the right people and support to make it.
GM: If you met someone for the first time and they asked you to describe your music using three adjectives, what would you say?
E: The first word would be intense.
I’m very aware that my emotions can be intense, and that intensity carries over into my music and pretty much everything I do.
The second word would be energetic, especially when it comes to my live shows.
The third would be relatable.
When I write, I tend to think in terms of storylines and characters. I also write a lot of love songs because I think everybody can relate to love being one of the greatest feelings of all.
Even when I’m writing from a character’s perspective, I want the song to have a story. Just like writing a book, you need a beginning, a middle, a climax, and a resolution. Otherwise, you won’t really draw people into the story.
GM: What can we expect from you in the future? Are there any upcoming collaborations with Todos Animales?
E: I don’t think there are any upcoming collaborations with Todos Animales specifically, but I do have a collaboration coming up with someone I made some of my best collaborative tracks with during that time.
His name is Victor Blue, and he was also one of the founding members of Chuwi. If you’ve heard Bad Bunny’s latest album, you might recognize them from their feature on it.
Victor heard my singles and reached out, so we have a collaboration in the works.
Aside from that, I’ve been in touch with a label that wants me to release at least one or two new singles before the end of the year. I’m pushing to finish the production by the end of this month so we can stay on schedule.
I also have a live show in the works for November 21 at a nightclub called 12 After 12. I’m hoping to collaborate with one of the DJs there who runs a group called Salvaje City Invaders. They’ve been putting on live shows over the past few months and want to feature me at their next event.
GM: Eddie, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story, your journey, and everything you have coming up. I can’t wait to see what’s next for you. People are going to be excited about your music, and you deserve every great thing that’s coming your way!
E: It’s been a pleasure. Thank you so much.
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