Tim Pepper’s super power is sobriety, or so he’s been told. He’s not sure what that means. He thinks it might relate to the fact that he’s got no “game”.
Singer/songwriter, and son of Baptist missionaries, he spent twenty years living in South Africa. So, on top of a musical bedrock that is a gospel-inspired-something, sits a mixture of African vibes, 90’s Nirvana-esque rock and modern Indy-Pop sensibilities.
Sensibilities might be an apt picture of Tim in general. He’s been a scientist by day; the biological kind. He’s spent most of his working life balancing a career as a scientist with that of a musician, dutifully performing the daily grind and quietly releasing studio albums and digital EPs.
Tim writes songs with the same lack of pretense with which he lives his life. It starts with a guitar riff; a skeletal song structure. A melody gets pulled from the ether and into that flow lyrics that have been bouncing around the subconscious mind. His lyrics aren’t fluffy. Rather they tend to deal with heavier, more meaningful things like family ties, God, love and loss.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Tim Pepper about his latest album, Pray, as well as technology, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
Originally, Florida. I lived in South Africa for 22 years and then moved back to Nashville, TN. I used to say I make “singer/songwriter” music because it’s a fairly broad category. These days I say that I make introspective, indie Folk/Americana with a DIY aesthetic. But like I’ve said before, I’m just a guy writing songs, hoping somebody will want to listen. On records I simply try to ensure that the mix decisions I make are somewhat unique to me
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?
I picked up the guitar at age 19 because I loved listening to people play. I wanted to be able to do that. Songwriting came about naturally. I didn’t always want to learn new things so I’d just play what I knew and start humming or writing in my head. I wrote a few lines down and ended up loving how I felt when I finished a song. The process of it was exciting to me. So I kept at it and here we are 20 something years later. I’ve kept at it because I enjoy it but I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that some part of me wants to write something that makes people feel the way I did when I was first discovering the bands I loved early on.
How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?
I wrote this one over a period of a couple of years, which isn’t that unusual, but I noticed at some point that the theme of my writing had shifted a bit. I was writing songs about faith and love. I think I used to only write about heartache and disappointment (haha). The writing mirrors the life. I have been actively pursuing positiveness for a few years. I was sick to death of writing sad things (not that I don’t still write that sometimes). So this record marks the first time I’d been trying to write about faith and also to write about life in a positive way.
Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?
Technology is amazing. I can write, record, release and almost everything else from the comfort of my home. I don’t think I’d have actual records or fans out there if not for technology. I am a strong proponent of learning how to do things for yourself and technology has enabled that. I remember lots of nights of watching YouTube videos to learn how to mix in Pro Tools. It’s tough to get noticed and the music business isn’t fair, probably, but it probably isn’t that much different in that respect than it ever was. For me, the hardest part of being an indie, has always been the self-promotion, which I avoid because I don’t enjoy it. I’d love to write songs, record them, put the albums out and then show up to venues to fans who “found” me online but it mostly doesn’t work that way.
What was the last song you listened to?
Unfortunately it was my own. I’m still critically listening to my last mixes, even though they are submitted and it’s really too late to make any changes. Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Miles Davis and Rainbow Kitten Surprise.
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?
Well I love vinyl, but I grew up in the 90s so I can’t bash CDs too hard because they were a huge step up from the first cassettes I had. It’s hard to hate on MP3s because that how I listen to most music these days but if I’m choosing ideal music listening environments, I’m going to be sitting in an overstuffed, leather chair, with a giant record player next to me.
How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?
I like Apple Music, mostly because I needed to choose one to pay for and that’s the one I chose. I found out after the fact that Apple pays a higher percentage of money from streaming to the artists so I was happy about the decision, but I can’t say it was why I chose them. I think they all have pros and cons. It would be nice if all of the streaming platforms increased the artist share of their income.
Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?
Twitter: @OHtimpepper
Instagram: @twotonepepper
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/timboni111
Single: https://timpepper.hearnow.com/?fbclid=IwAR2qV1tJUKI8ooBmpeOAFAY3iD8O7kM4ZSQTTHzmmjXoh12UpiGZB3QQZ-Q
Website: www.timpeppermusic.com
Anything else before we sign off?
Life is short. I play music because it feels important. It may not be, but it feels that way to me. I want to do good work with the brief life I have and, while it’s taken me a long time to get there, I’m beginning the process of figuring out how to do that.
