Eric Ripper prefers to leave the past behind and embrace the road ahead.

The Nashville, Tennessee singer-songwriter explores changing life’s course on “Drive,” the steadfast opener from his latest album, Look for a Sign!

“I’ve just realized that a lot of my life has been from moving around, following a dream, and giving into that motivation,” said Ripper, who hails from Northville, Michigan.

“I was sick of sitting around claiming I was doing something and not following through. In this case, it was moving to Nashville.”

Backed by determined electric guitar, bass, and drums, he sings, “Well, I’m not here for a long time / And I ain’t standing still / Well, I’m just here for a good ride / And this is how I steer.”

“It just means I’m not on this earth for a while, and I need to move around and follow this direction,” he said. “I guess you could say it was the final motivation for my move to Nashville.”

Not only does “Drive” reflect Ripper’s recent motivation, but it also includes a lyric that inspired the album’s title: “It’s hard to choose the route for you / Look for a sign.”

“Drive” was the second-to-last song we worked on. After hearing it over and over, we decided that it had to be the opening track,” said Ripper, who relocated to Nashville in 2023.

“As a fast, upbeat song, it introduces the theme to everything [that’s on the album], and the repeated lyric only made sense as the [album’s] title.”

While “Drive” only provides listeners with an initial leg of Ripper’s journey, Look for a Sign!’s other nine tracks feature emotive stretches through past decisions, relationships, and life changes.

Ripper processes those experiences through introspective lyrics and spirited pop-punk, pop-rock, and alt-rock instrumentation.

I recently spoke with Ripper about moving to Nashville, dissecting several of the album’s tracks, writing and recording the album, collaborating with different musicians, and planning for the future.

Q: How has 2024 been so far? How’s life in Nashville?

A: 2024 has been pretty nice so far. It’s nearing the end of the “slow season” here in Nashville, and more consecutive gigs are picking up again. Nashville is fun … It’s nice to be surrounded by other like-minded people, and I feel like I’ve found a place where I fit in. Hearing all the different artists out here and hearing their originals … has been inspiring to me.

Q: Look for a Sign! addresses the struggles we face with making life changes, including ones related to moves, careers, and relationships, and processing the emotions that come with those changes. How did writing those 10 tracks help you process these changes and emotions? 

A: I was still going through a lot of emotions and decisions in my life while writing them, and I’m not even sure I’ve fully healed or moved on. But it was nice to put current thoughts into writing and see how people have been able to relate to the songs. “Fill My Glass” and “All Night” were songs I wrote about five years ago, so those are oldies that have been redone. I’ve realized how I keep getting better at writing … and keeping it broad enough for others to relate to the songs.

Q: You recently released a new video for “Drive,” which features you performing in a junkyard with a band and being surrounded by friends. What was it like to work on the video with director Joshua Lockhart?

A: The video was loads of fun to shoot. We shot it in Fairview, Tennessee in a junkyard and had a band come out to jam to the song. We also had some friends in the area show up as extras, and it was nice for people to show up and want to help out. This is the most professional-looking video I’ve shot to date, and that was my intention while creating this song.

Q: “Hangin’ On (Barely)” highlights taking breaks when life gets overwhelming and exhausting. How was writing this track cathartic for you? How does it serve as an important reminder to pace yourself when life becomes too much to handle?

A: This was one of the first songs written in this era of music. It’s just about how I’m making what I think are the right moves in life, but I still find myself barely hanging on. It also talks about my struggles of thinking how I can do this all on my own, finding a way to express myself to others, and [admitting] that I don’t know everything. [At the end of the day], it’s important to have people around.

Q: “Seasons” explores a past relationship and the desire for a temporary reconciliation. How did writing this track help you find closure after that relationship ended? How did references to fall and autumnal imagery inspire this track for you as well?

A: I’m not sure if I’ve found closure yet—that’s kinda what the song is about as well. It’s inspired by me wanting to come over night after night after being broken up and trying to convince the [other] person that it’s only for one more night. The lyrics contain [parts of] actual conversations and [personal] references to us. We met in the fall, and I tried to use the other definition of “fall” as a play on words.

I also wanted the video for “Seasons” to be more intimate, so there are no cuts to it. It’s just a simple tracking shot of me playing and singing while [absorbing] the lyrics and the mood of the song. We did several takes until we landed on what was best camera and performance-wise.

Q: “All Night” feels like the flip side of “Seasons” in that a relationship is strong and everlasting. What was it like to write this track from a different relationship perspective?

A: I wrote this song about five years ago, and it’s on my previous releases. I just played this song live with a band, and I realized how much better it sounded and enjoyed its energy. This is the only song on the record that has a full band playing the track. I wrote it for someone I was seeing on a cruise ship … and it eventually faded. I think it’s the only positive love song relationship-wise on the album.

Q: “Home, Pt. II” addresses the challenge of starting over after two people go their separate ways. How did processing this experience help you start a new life chapter and create a new sense of home? How does this track also serve as a sequel to “Home” from your Wavelength album? 

A: This track is probably one of the darker songs I’ve written, and it’s the last song I have completely written to date. It was also the last song recorded for the album, and the more we worked on it, we realized it didn’t fit in the middle of the album. It needed to be the closer.

The song is about the loss of a home the partners shared and how the fire-anger-heat that surrounded it all is only temporary. The lyrics, “You can always come back home / I’ll always be there for you,” serve as a double meaning to people who have another “home” to return to.

The first “Home” from Wavelength was written for the same partner, and I realized after writing “Home, Pt. II,” that I kept using the word “home.” I thought it made sense to give [this song] a similar name. Plus, we use some of the same MIDI effects from the original song on this one, too.

Q: How long did you spend writing and recording the 10 tracks on Look for a Sign!? Why did you decide to include your four latest singles—“Fell for It,” “Fill My Glass, “Hangin’ On (Barely),” and “All Night”—on the album? How do these tracks help set the tone sonically for it?

A: I spent about a year and a half on it. The recording for all the tracks [took place] from September 2022 to May 2023. While I did write a few other songs, we recorded the better ones. We finished the vocals for “Home, Pt. II,” and then I left for Nashville five days later. I wanted to include the singles because I know not everyone has heard them, and this was the safest way to get them to everyone’s ears. Plus, I wanted to include everything in this body of work and from this era.

“Fell for It” and “Fill My Glass” fit at the start of the album because they have a fast, upbeat pop-punk sound. “Hangin’ On (Barely)” fits the upbeat sound, too, but it shifts to an acoustic sound. The mood switches as we hit “Seasons,” and then “All Night” is a good jam and an easy sing-along—I knew it would fit near the end.

Q: What was it like to record the tracks for the album with Brandon McLeod of Studio 222 Recording? How did Brandon help you shape the album’s overall sound?

A: I loved every minute of it. The best part of each week was being able to go to the studio and work on my craft and these songs. Brandon and I have become such good friends, and it makes the recordings more fun and easier when you’re comfortable. Brandon also had ideas for each track that I hadn’t thought of. Plus, his producer mind kicked in, and we bounced ideas off one another. He played guitar in some of the parts on “Loose Screw,” too. We also went back and forth on ideas for all of the songs. It was just two friends making a great record.

Q: You recorded “All Night” with guitarist Jonny Neville, bassist Phil Steuer, and drummer Darin Curtis at The Sound Shop in Macomb, Michigan. How did you come to work with them on that song? How did Phil help take “All Night” to the next level?

A: It was a fun experience, and it was the first time I recorded a song of mine with a full band. I’ve played a couple of full-band shows with them in Michigan. After the second show, I thought it was fitting to record one of the songs … and “All Night” was the perfect choice.

Q: You also collaborated with guitarist Jonny Neville on “Drive,” “Fill My Glass,” “Hangin’ On (Barely),” and “Loose Screw.” How did Jonny help you elevate those respective tracks?

A: He just made them come more alive instead of having power chords throughout them. I pitched what type of solo or lead I wanted to hear … and we’d work around it and do take after take until it was found. He’s an excellent player, and he just gave the songs more life.

Q: What other live shows do you have planned for later this spring? Any plans to come back and perform in Michigan at some point?

A: I play at a lot of random spots throughout Nashville, and I do have a festival lined up in South Carolina. I don’t have any certain plans for Michigan yet since I know it’s easier to get gigs around here and grow a fan base. I’m coming back to help produce a project in May, so maybe I’ll try to line something up.

Q: What’s up next for you later this year? Do you plan to write, record, and release any additional new material?

A: I have not written anything since “Home, Pt. II” in May 2023, and I wanna get back into writing since I’ve been surrounded by so many excellent songwriters and musicians here. I do plan to release stripped-down versions of “Drive” and “Loose Screw,” and they’re already finished. I’m also going to release the album in full instrumentally and with vocals, but slowed down and reverbed. It’s a completely different way of hearing the album.