In this episode, we sit with Lepani, an artist whose journey through the music industry reads like a map of what it costs to lose yourself — and what it takes to find your way back.

Lepani's story begins in the bedroom studio, creating the kind of honest, experimental music that emerges when no one is watching and nothing is at stake except the pure joy of making something beautiful. But as his career progressed and industry pressures mounted, that creative freedom began to erode. What started as artistic guidance slowly became artistic control, until the music he was making felt more like performance than expression.

The toll was real: mental health struggles, creative burnout, and the particular kind of loss that happens when the thing you love most becomes the source of your pain. But this isn't just a story about what the industry can take from artists — it's about what happens when an artist decides to take it back.

Now independent and based in the UK, Lepani is rebuilding his relationship with music on his own terms. He's sharing his story openly, knowing that artistic authenticity and mental health are deeply connected, and that someone else might need to hear they're not alone in the struggle.

What We Talk About:

* The evolution from bedroom pop experiments to industry pressures

* How creative control can be slowly and subtly eroded

* The mental health impact of losing artistic authenticity

* The decision to go independent and what that means

* Rebuilding a sustainable relationship with music and creativity

* The importance of speaking honestly about industry struggles

* Finding freedom in creating for yourself rather than for approval

Resources:

* Listen to Lepani's independent work: HERE

* Support the show: Not Today Media

A Note from J.D.: Lepani's conversation struck me deeply because it illuminates something we don't talk about enough: how the pursuit of musical success can sometimes distance us from the very thing that made us want to make music in the first place. His story isn't unique, but his willingness to speak about it honestly is both brave and necessary.

If you're an artist struggling with similar questions about authenticity, independence, or finding your way back to the joy of creating, I hope this episode offers you both company and courage. The path back to yourself isn't always linear, but it's always worth taking.

Come Back To Earth exists to hold space for these kinds of honest conversations about creativity, mental health, and the ongoing work of staying true to yourself in a world that profits from your compliance. If these stories resonate with you, consider supporting the show on Substack, where we continue exploring these themes with the depth and care they deserve.

Keep creating. Keep questioning. Keep coming back to what's real.

Theme music by: Lincoln Parish

Leave a comment on the episode HERE