Richard Tyler Epperson's Wandering Mind 

• Courtesy Photo

Sometimes life gets in the way of what we love doing. The everyday minutiae set in, and before we know it, it's been months or years since we picked up a favorite hobby or activity that was once essential to who we are, and makes life great. After a seven year hiatus, singer/songwriter Richard Tyler Epperson has returned to the music scene, leading up to his 2023 release A Wandering Mind, his most ambitious and powerful album to date.

Hearing an artist describe their work as their most ambitious, vivid and vibrant is exciting, and this is how Epperson details his 2023 release. Listening through, it's obvious he put his heart and soul into the album. "I think just the songs are more vivid, they're more colorful," he said. "There's a lot of energy, and layers, and color in these songs that bring out more emotions."

The album is indeed full of the brightness and colorfulness Epperson describes, but it also dives into some difficult topics. Opening track "Sunrise" addresses dealing with depression through a hopeful lens. "The inspiration behind 'Sunrise' comes from that feeling you get when you're caught in between the sadness/numbness faze of depression," Epperson said. "When you're stuck in that dark place, you hope the new day will bring light, but if or when it doesn't, it can feel unbearable."

Following the same theme of hopefulness paired with despair, "2AM" addresses heartbreak that comes with a relationship ending, and being left in the aftermath. His bluesy track "We All Need Some Love" shines as a beacon for those feeling as if they need support. "I wanted it to be a positive song for people that are afraid to ask for help," Epperson said. "It's okay to have help, we're all humans, no matter how strong you think you are, you still need that emotional support to get through those tough times. There is no reason to face it alone."

Listening through the album brings together a concise feeling of the idea that it's okay to not be okay, and to have hope looking forward. During the creation of the album, however, Epperson felt like his mind wasn't focused, hence the title. "It started as mindfulness, is what I was going for, and it went into A Wandering Mind because I kept kind of wandering," he said. "I wanted to do something with the brain because that's kind of living within my thoughts."

Talking about struggles with mental illness can be difficult, but they do need to be talked about. Bringing awareness to these issues can help others, but sitting down to talk is just plain hard. When these ideas are addressed in music, however, they can become more palatable.

"To talk about any type of mental health is terrible, and sucks, and not fun," Epperson said. "To write about it in music's super simple, because it's writing about it, you're doing it."

Putting this vulnerability into his music is easy for Epperson because many can relate to similar problems. "'A Beautiful Day' is all about knowing someone close to you and everyone thinks they're happy," he said, "but you know them and you can tell they're sad, and trying to get them out. Telling them, 'Hey, this life's beautiful. I know it's stormy, let's get through this.'"

Throughout the years, Epperson faced many difficult storms of his own. He lost his dad in September of 2022, and knowing that his dad loved music but never really got around to creating it was a huge catalyst for Epperson to get back to recording. On a happier note, Epperson also became a father, but as most parents will tell you, there's not much time for hobbies once kids are in the picture. While family life was fulfilling, something else was still missing.

Riding on the highs and lows of creating this album, Epperson felt nothing but excitement the entire time. Tucked away in his office/recording studio, Epperson did everything DIY in between the chaos of everyday life. He'd sneak away at night when the house was quiet to record the album bit by bit, adding to the intimacy A Wandering Mind exudes. There were plenty of days where Epperson was exhausted from work and family life, but dedicated time after nightfall to put ideas down.

Although Epperson didn't spend any time in a studio setting, everything on the album sounds like it was. His dedication to recording in his spare time paid off. Epperson also consulted with studio musicians to help tweak the album in little ways he might not have thought of otherwise. "It was a good mixture, I think, to change me and help me grow as a songwriter because [if] you do stuff yourself, you get stuck in the same pattern," he said. "You kind of get copy-and-paste as you get going, you send it out to someone else and they put something on it and you're like, 'I would've never thought.'"

As we continue through 2023, Epperson's goal is to make more music that he's proud of. "Usually I listen back to albums, I don't want to listen to them again," he said. "This one I still can play through and be proud of it. It doesn't sound homemade sitting there trying to be quiet at night, and I hope to take that and build upon it and just keep getting that songwriter/songwriting technique down a little bit more."

There are no immediate plans for live shows at the moment, but Epperson hopes people will continue enjoying A Wandering Mind. "The songs are honest, they're true songs, and they're true feelings, and they're true emotions. I hope people can connect to it." A Wandering Mind is streaming everywhere now.