Desert Ghosts is the ninth release by Jaspar Lepak. It’s smart, folk music. Toe tapping at times and nearly lullaby at others but always evocative. And you can see her play at Harriet Bandshell on August 23.
While not necessarily autobiographical, Jaspar writes about her experience as a woman who was raised in a religious household, who has traveled extensively, is well read, a mother and a musician. It’s a balance. She uses her voice to encourage others to think, feel and use their voice.
Ever Gonna Fly is a song that stuck with me for days. It’s about getting older, especially as a woman. Getting to that point where you can feel ashamed of being old, wonder where the days went and yet appreciate the places that you’ve been even if other might not see it the same way. It’s an honest song. Just creating a thoughtful song from the perspective of a women over 40 opens doors to women of all ages who sing and listen to music. Black and White is another song written with a strong female voice about a woman who moves from a black and white town to a city of grey, lives the big city high life and experiences the benefits of choice. She’s speaking to a younger woman stepping into similar shoes. It’s a story that celebrates the right to choose. Fun to hear about how the song emerged from a work of art.
We talked about Dandelion and the connection to the Handmaid’s Tale and Why Should the Devil’s connection to A.E. Stalling’s poem Triolet on a Line Apocryphally Ascribed to Martin Luther – and how Jaspar comes up with these amazing connections. We also spoke about her travel, the book she is writing and motherhood. The longer we spoke the deeper her lyrics went for me. She is very thoughtful and has a gift of poetry.
Mostly Minnesota 