Eric Val, a musician of Williamsport, is releasing his new single, “Tragedy,” which will be available everywhere digitally on March 30. “Tragedy” is a blended mix of rock, country and classical music.

The music video was created by Steve Gibson of Creature Feature Designs, a design, fabrication and film company in Lewisburg. All the proceeds from the single will be donated to Recovery Community Connection. The single will be available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, Spotify and on Val’s personal website.

“Tragedy” was inspired by one of Val’s best friends, who passed away from a methamphetamine overdose, he said. He re-wrote the song afterwards due to the ongoing opioid epidemic and suicides happening throughout the States.

Tragedy “is dedicated to the ones we’ve lost, the ones left behind and the effect it has on us,” said Val. “Hopefully, it will inspire those who are thinking of taking drugs or committing suicide to think twice and think of the loved ones they will leave behind.”

Recovery Community Connection provides a peer-to-peer support system and and educates communities about recovery and resources.

“They are a great organization,” said Val, and “they focus on the years of recovery after getting sober and preventing a relapse, which I believe hasn’t been looked into enough”

When Val turned eleven, his mother got him his first guitar, after begging for one, sparking his passion for music. As he got older, Val “started taking classical vocal lessons from Suzanne Fedeli, which led to the voice I have today,” he said.

Eventually Val picked up the drums, bass and keyboards. When it came to recording “Tragedy,” though, Val is on vocals and guitar, and the musicians that played on the track are Richard Rupert, fiddler, guitarist and bassist; Joseph Hauserman, drummer and keyboardist; and Mark Tomeo, lap steel guitarist.

Val has always been inspired by music and artists that grab his attention. Growing up, he was interested in bands like Seether, Marvin Gaye and Shinedown, he said. He is also inspired by artists like Guns and Roses, Garth Brooks and Bad Company, which he found in his parents’ record collection.

Val describes his sound as “diverse music with a hard rock edge,” he said, or “diverse rock, for short.”

As an artist, he does not limit himself and is inspired by life experiences, both the good and the bad, and music of all genres, concepts and sounds.

“I see no limits, no lines and I go with what fuels my fire and soul at that particular time and place,” he said. “Whichever emotion I am feeling at the time inspires me, whatever genre of music I am listening to, I go with it and hold nothing back.”

At the end of summer, Val will be releasing his second album, “My Gift, My Curse,” which is the “most diverse rock album ever,” he said. The new album features 14 local musicians and more than 20 instruments.

For more information about Recovery Community Connection, visit them on Facebook at Recover Community Connection.

For more information about Eric Val, visit www.ericvalmusic.com or Eric Val on Facebook.