After a seven year hiatus from music, Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter Richard Epperson will release “Beautiful Day,” the lead single from his forthcoming EP, Another Day. Out on Friday,August 20, the new song — which Epperson wrote to help promote a positive mindset — will arrive alongside an animated lyric video.
A gradual ascent is bittersweet at times, but the rewards of fortitude are fruitful. Salt Lake City-based singer-songwriter Richard Tyler Epperson embraces the ups and downs of the creative process as he continues to climb his artistic mountain. His third project, the six-song Another Day EP, is set for an October 15 release.
“Music can be a hard and painful journey, as with any passion that someone might have,” expresses Epperson, who has been fascinated with music since he was a child. “There’s a lot of rejection and doubt. But what if thedream could be a reality? The dream of being able to play music for a living and write music in the middle of the day–not at 1am when you’re exhausted and have to work the next morning. To know that the only constant feeling in your soul is true. That’s the dream and that’s what’s driven Another Day.”
Even at a young age, Epperson had the gut feeling that music was his purpose. So driven to explore this art, at the age of twelve he pawned his Star Wars figures to buy a bass guitar. “I’m a big Star Wars fan and those figures were important to me, but not as much as music,” says Epperson. “I had to make a choice.”
Following that choice, he spent his formative years through early adulthood sharpening his skills and writing chops, subsequently releasing, Falling Between The Stars (2013) and Hourglass (2014).
After taking a seven-year hiatus from recording and releasing music, Epperson built an in-home studio to tackle Another Day. The hiatus years provided much inspiration in the forms of family and fatherhood, which added more colors to his artistic pallet.
Epperson leans into his inner singer-songwriter with Another Day opener, “When I Build My World.” Placing a spin on the love ballad, his smooth vocals sing of the beginning of two lives coming together. “I think it’s a grow-with-me type of love song. There’ll be good and bad things in life and you just need a strong foundation to keep you strong,” says Epperson. Switching styles, the versatile musician experimented with a DAW machine to produce “Tonight (Wicked Lies).” The resulting track is a standout with dynamic percussion and electronic elements showcasing Epperson’s ability to musically stretch out into new sonic territories.
The album’s title track, “Another Day,” riffs together a symphonic undertone with Epperson displaying guitar work reminiscent of U2’s The Edge. Composed as an inspirational piece, Epperson highlights the necessity to keep pushing through. “The line ‘another day’ has a bit of a double meaning,” explains Epperson. Through most of the song, it reflects how you just can’t take another day while being stuck in a bad place with depression and anxiety. However, the song ends with how you fight through these types of days for a chance at another day, in hopes it will be better.”
Continuing the theme of pushing through, Epperson’s “What Should I Do” emanates the chaos and confusion the world is facing, and he delivers it in a relatable singer-songwriter package. Another Day’s closer, “Beautiful Day,”calms that chaos by providing relatable lyrics and an optimistic message to focus on the beauty.
“I wanted it to be a positive song for people stuck in that dark place,” says Epperson. “I wrote it for anyone dealing with depression. There’s a lot of people that you come across each day and you would never guess that anything was wrong. When talking to them they seem perfectly fine. That’s because for the most part, they’ve learned how to pull themselves together and hide it so well,” states Epperson. “The song is me telling them I understand and letting them know they’re not alone. Really just trying to get them out and help them see some beauty in the day, no matter how dark it might feel. After this past year, I think everyone is needing some happiness.”
