Interview: Robert Tepper - "I want my songs to be everywhere!"

When asked about her return to the stage, Billie Holiday replied, "I'm always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where I've been". So where have you been, Robert since "Better Than The Rest"?

Like most of the world I've been waiting for the world to open back up for everyone to have some fun again. I’ve been in the studio working on records because thats what I do. I write and record. You're seeing the result of that in the new record "Feels like Monday". 

Now we are waiting for its premiere. It will be released on July 30th. If you were to describe this record in just a three words, which of them would fit the most?

Passionate – If feel like this record is a very personal one. The lyrics are really taken from my experiences.  

Personal – Most of this record was written and recorded by me. My emotions are slathered all over it! 

Necessary – I really hate the idea of these songs sitting on my computer, when they belong in the world. I dont normally realese this many songs in an album, but I’d rather them be in the world.

What are your expectations regarding the new album? After so many years in the music industry, is there anything else you would like to achieve in it?

The sky is the limit. I want my songs to be everywhere! I want them to be played to live audiences, I want them to be used in TV shows, I want them to be played on the radio, streaming, podcasts...everywhere!  

What would I like to acheive next? Theres such a big opportunity now to have your music heard by a larger audience these days. I would like to be a part of that. Not just AOR, not just Americana or singer/songwriter circles, but the whole world. 

"Feels Like Monday" sounds like a tricky title, at least in my experience. Monday is the worst day of the week for many people. So how do you get the idea to name the album that way? 

Because transcending our problems is the name of the game. Nothing makes our problems look any bigger than a Monday. 

And what about your Mondays? Are they kind to you?

Actually, I kinda like Mondays these days. It’s a fresh start. The family is off to school, the wife is off to work. Its the first day that I can be in the studio doing what I love, undisturbed, and without me disturbing anyone else. 

The last time we spoke, you told me about the emotions present in your music. You called them a way of communicating with your audience. This makes me curious what kind of emotions will we experience while listening to your new album? What is its message? 

Theres no single message. Some of it was bourne of isolation and lonliness — maybe the pandemic. Its all around us. But on the other hand theres songs like "Ain't No Rules" which is tonge-in-cheek and playful. "Shady Town" is a political tune. So there are really a lot of different emotions on this record.

You also said you still love writing records. What makes it so interesting for you? Well, you don't even have your own CDs at home! 

I’m addicted to songs. I love records. Certain tunes come on and still make me feel inspired. It makes me feel like creating. When I was young music kept me going. It shaped me. I never want to let go of that.

In 2020, you made public the song you recorded with your son Julian. It was called "So Unknown". Tell me, who was the initiator of this recording? I get the impression that this is a special song in your artistic output.

A bunch of those songs were written during the pandemic when my family was staying with me at my house in LA. We wrote a bunch of them, one of which ended up on the record.  

Apart from great studio achievements, you are also an excellent stage artist. However, it is hard to find any live albums in your discography. What is the reason for this? Is there a chance you will release that kind of record in the near future?

To be honest, I’m not really a fan of live records. Of course, there are exceptions like The Last Waltz. But if you look through my collection you wouldnt find many live recordings.

We started with a quote and let's end that way. According to Bob Dylan "there is nothing so stable as change". How much has your outlook on life changed since you became a famous person?

I wear celebrity VERY lightly. Living in LA really puts that into perspective. It's not what drives me. The need to put out new music is a much greater force.

And if we agree that knowledge comes with age, what have you learned about yourself from the perspective of the past years?

I’ve learned that that you don't have as much time as you think you do. But you still need to be patient with those around you. And follow your muse.