About That Song: Jaspar Lepak
About That Song #59
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
For our 59th edition, I was overjoyed to connect with Jaspar Lepak, a powerful and evocative lyricist and singer, to talk about the song that set her on her creative journey and some of her key songwriting moments.
Jaspar Lepak. Photo credit: Jaspar Lepak.
Sarah: Hi Jaspar Lepak! Over the last couple of years, I’ve had the good fortune to see you perform live, sing with you in my bathroom, and engage in lovely conversations around music, personhood, slowing down, and wintering—some of my favorite things to discuss. I’m thrilled to get an opportunity to talk more specifically with you about songwriting. This past year, you’ve released a new album (So Strong) and a new single (“Arizona”). Coming up, you have a spectacular show at Icehouse with Kashimana. So much to celebrate! I’d love to learn about some of the songs that make up your story…so far.
Do you remember the song that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
Jaspar: For me, that song is “The Wind” by Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam). During my last semester of college, I played Cat Stevens’ Greatest Hits album on repeat as I walked to and from campus—on my Discman, no less! (It was quite a while ago!) That song made me feel seen and gave me permission to be myself in the world. “I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul, where I end up, well, I think only God really knows.” And that was okay! In fact, it was more than okay—the best thing I could do was listen to my own intuition and trust my own path.
Sarah: A Discman! Yessss! I think there is something specifically impactful about falling in love with music that is as close as possible to being “in your head.” And before it was earbuds, it was nice foamy headphones and Discman (or for me, the Walkman!). And that song, that lyric—what a gift of a permission slip!
Once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it. Was there a song that gave you that “a-HA! I AM a songwriter!” moment? Tell us about that song.
Jaspar: I felt like a songwriter the night I wrote my first song “Billboard” on July 4, 2002. I wasn’t even sure it was a real song, so I called my sister Gina, who’s also a songwriter, and sang it to her. “Yep,” she said. “That’s a song, Jaspar!”
Sarah: You know the date, even! How fantastic! Cheers to your sister Gina for picking up and for saying the affirming “Yep.”
Jaspar: The first song I wrote that made me feel like a really good songwriter was “Grand Canyon.” That song is incredibly personal to me. Growing up in Arizona, I’ve always loved the desert landscape. I used the image of the Grand Canyon to describe how I often feel as an introvert and as someone who experiences emotions deeply. It’s like everyone else is walking on the surface, while I’m somewhere far below, unable to reach them.
“Grand Canyon” helped me embrace the beauty beneath the surface, and it’s a song that still resonates deeply with listeners. I released it in 2010, and it still feels like my most autobiographical piece.
Jaspar Lepak. Photo credit: Ailisa Newhall.
Sarah: It’s such a gift to write those songs that KNOW you, I think. To have one that has stayed with you for the last 14 years feels grounding and good.
You began 2024 by releasing a beautiful new album, So Strong. The opening lines of the song “Kind” stopped me in my tracks: “I haven’t been kind lately, I’ve mostly been tired, at least that’s my excuse lately, for harsh words and hard lines.” Oh my, yes. As a parent, as a partner, the relatability of these lines was something I cheered for and also … wanted to run away from just a tiny bit. In addition to the refrain of “so busy,” “tired” has become my go-to response for “How are you?” and I hear it often in the words of people I love. Can you tell us about that song?
Jaspar: I wrote “Kind” during the winter of 2021–2022—a time when we were starting to emerge from the pandemic. Most of my work had come to a halt in 2020; since I don’t earn a salary as a musician, I became the primary caregiver while my husband’s job kept us afloat. At first, I didn’t mind—I was even grateful for that extra time with our daughter. But as the months wore on, not having any extended time for my creative work began to wear me down.
My daughter was 4, and we’d just moved back to Minneapolis from Seattle. I was so excited to have her enrolled in a wonderful neighborhood preschool from 8:30 to 3:30 each day—finally giving me the time I needed to focus on my work. But then someone in her class would test positive for COVID, or she’d catch a cold, and we’d have to keep her home, waiting for clarity. (This was before rapid tests were widely available.) School and daycare cancellations were still happening almost weekly.
When it seemed like I was finally getting my time back, it remained unpredictable, and I found myself constantly angry. As the planner in both my family and career, the constant making and unmaking of plans left me feeling overwhelmed and powerless.
Writing songs has always been my way of processing my emotions, and one morning, I sat down to understand why I was in such a terrible mood all the time. Usually, songs take months to finish if I work on them consistently, but “Kind” came together in just a few weeks. Putting my emotions into words was a relief. It made me feel less alone, realizing that this kind of stress was something we were all feeling in one way or another.
Sarah: Oh yes, we were. And the relevance of that song extends far beyond the specificity of the moment in which you wrote it.
You recently released the stunning single “Arizona,” on the second anniversary of the overturning of Roe v Wade. “Arizona, come close to me and hold me, protect me like I’m holy, I am the child that you raised, Arizona, Arizona, Arizona.” Every time you sing the name of your home state it sounds like love, like prayer, like a plea, like a call to action. Tell us about that song.
Jaspar: I was devastated when the Arizona Supreme Court decided to uphold an 1864 abortion ban in April. Growing up in Tucson and Scottsdale, I spent much of my childhood outdoors. The desert has always been a nurturing presence in my life, providing me with a strong sense of connection.
With the ban, I felt a profound sense of betrayal. In my adult life, I’ve lived in Minnesota and Washington, where abortion access is protected, and I’ve taken that for granted. When I went through a miscarriage in May 2022, I was incredibly grateful for the full support of my providers regarding reproductive care. I can’t imagine being abandoned during such a devastating loss, as many women are now. I didn’t realize then that abortion care and miscarriage care are fundamentally the same. Imagine being sent home to endure a miscarriage in great pain, while your doctors refuse to help until you’re fighting for your own life. The loss of a pregnancy is already immeasurable grief.
As a child, I felt Arizona was like a mother to me—whose profound sense of love, resilience, and beauty made me feel protected. The Dobbs decision returned the power to decide abortion access to the states, and this song is a plea to my home state to protect reproductive rights. While the 1864 ban is no longer in effect, abortion care in Arizona remains uncertain. Fortunately, the Arizona Abortion Access Act is on the ballot this fall, proposing an amendment to the state constitution to safeguard abortion access.
Sarah: Thank you so much for sharing your story, and for that song. I appreciate your talent in bringing these large-scale, charged moments into such moving works of art.
Do you have any upcoming Midwest shows where we might hear you sing that song?
Jaspar: Yes! I have a show I’m SUPER excited about on Sunday, Sept 22! It’s a double bill at Icehouse with Kashimana! I’ll also be performing “Arizona” on Thursday, October 3rd as part of the Island of Discarded Women Live Show + Podcast, hosted by Sue Scott at Crooners Supper Club!
Sarah: Wonderful. Thank you so much for speaking with me About That Song, Jaspar. I’m wishing you a lovely fall.
You can see Jaspar Lepak and Kashimana at Icehouse in Minneapolis on Sunday, September 22! These two extraordinary songwriters will come together for a celebration of love, storytelling, and activism that delves deep into the complexities of pregnancy, motherhood, and the ongoing fight for reproductive rights. This is an all ages seated show with dinner and drink service; doors open at 5pm and the show starts at 7pm. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
Listen to “Arizona”
“Arizona” Single Credits
Written by Jaspar Lepak © ℗ 2024 Jaspar Lepak Music / ASCAP / All rights reserved
Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Peter Remiger in St. Paul, MN
Single Art Design by Jaspar Lepak
Musician: Jaspar Lepak: vocals, keyboard
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
