While Nashville singer Erin Alvey is known for her song "Easy To Love," it's really Predators' ice hockey left winger Filip Forsberg who knows the song's true heartfelt sentiment. Filip and Erin, both 28 years old, married each other last July at Dunderry Castle, the château of Erin's family in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France.
That song is actually about Filip, reveals Erin.
"Easy To Love practically wrote itself. I told my co-writers that Filip not only made me feel loved, but he made me feel 'easy to love,' and there was a big difference. I could write a novel about how appreciative I am to Filip for loving me as completely as he does. Anyone who knows Filip knows he's actually the one who's 'easy to love,'" Erin adds.
The two met in Nashville through mutual, local friends at the Dave & Busters in Opry Mills Mall. "He asked me there on a date two days after he'd gotten my phone number," recalls Erin.
However, Erin is a Southern Belle originally from Georgia, and Filip is a Swedish hockey player who became the leading goal scorer in the Predators' history on March 19, 2022.
Before they met, Erin says she wasn't completely familiar with hockey. "I'd never been to, or even watched, a Predators game before. Being from Georgia, we didn't have much exposure to hockey," admits Erin. "I'd say he wasn't much of a country music fan, either. I'd been transitioning my music style before we met, so he never got to know too much of my country genre side."
Filip says he appreciates Nashville's varied dimensions and many positives and hopes to finish his career in the Music City; during 2022, he signed an eight-year contract extension with the Predators worth $68 million.
Erin tours the country playing shows and has shared the stage with national acts, such as Thomas Rhett, Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, Lady A and Rascal Flatts. Along with her music career, she also recently starred in a movie titled, Shark Island, where she lived on set for a month in Thailand. She was recognized as NBC Channel 8's Rising Star, and was featured in Golf Digest and ESPN, among other TV segments/online news outlets. She also represents international brands, ranging from Harley Davidson Motorcycles to Revolve Clothing.
Other notable Erin songs include "Wish He Were You," "Sending Love From Yesterday" and "Any Other Heart."
With both of them having demanding careers, Erin agrees it's a bit challenging to carve out private time. "At first, it was very difficult. I was touring after we met and he never actually got to see me perform until after COVID," she says.
"I've been mainly focusing on writing and recording in the studio in Nashville for my new releases, so he sees a lot of my 'behind the scenes' work now. I've also loved this season of life of getting the chance to be there for almost all of his home games while continuing an important aspect of my career as well: the beauty of living in Nashville."
She says Filip is considerate and intentional when it comes to spending time together. "I'm beyond thankful for that. I think people would be surprised how little time we get to spend together even when we're both home in Nashville. We love going to dinner, or ordering in and watching a movie, or playing a video game together. Off-season is usually when we get to spend the most interrupted, quality time."
Regarding love for Nashville, Erin says they love the community, restaurants, their careers and the multitude of opportunities that Nashville constantly presents.
She adds, "We both fell in love with this city separately from each other before we met, and we've really enjoyed growing that love for Nashville together. We both think it's the most wonderful place to live, work, and soon hopefully raise a family."
Filip is a major "foodie" and he's turned Erin into one as well. "We eat out fairly regularly and particularly enjoy Bourbon Steakhouse, Jeff Ruby's, the Twelve Thirty Club, Virago and Bartaco. Honestly, the list goes on and we're constantly trying new restaurants," she says.
Filip started a hockey clinic four years ago, with Erin assisting with its organization. "For the first few years, I helped with off-ice elements, but this past year, I got on the ice with Filip and the kids, and it was so fun," she says.
They've separately worked with various charities, such as Make-A-Wish Georgia and Make-A-Wish Tennessee over the years, and are currently in the process of organizing a few charity events to come in the future. "We love how much this city gives back to its community, and we're always happy for the opportunity to be a part of something bigger," assures Erin, who also works with Enduring Hearts, Potential Me Foundation and The Georgia Cancer Research Center.
