Harper notes he’s still learning the ins and outs of producing. He
hopes that it’ll one day lead to opportunities to write, produce and star
in his own projects.
In the meantime, he’s on the hunt for more ways to widen his scope.
In the past, those moments have included delving into a deep study of
Christian apologetics for his role in God Is Not Dead. Currently, it’s found
him in the studio, working out the sound for the follow-up to his 2012
self-titled debut. He admits he’s a fan of Eminem but that he’s more
likely to turn something out in line with Jack Johnson or Coldplay.
“If you’re not trying
to learn then why
are you doing what
you’re doing?”
“I love those old classics, too,” he says, citing artists like Ben E. King
and Etta James. “I was a big songwriter and a guitarist early on. I had
my headphones in and listened to his songs, trying to figure them out. I
taught myself guitar. I’m still learning. Picking up on that stuff was such
a big inspiration for me.”
It’s a theme Harper comes back to time and time again, regardless of
the project. He really, really loves to learn.
“If you’re not trying to learn then it’s like, why are you doing what
you’re doing?” he says, acknowledging the observation. “There’s always
someone with great new information to share.You’ve got to be listening
for it.” We could all learn a thing or two from this guy.
70 ragged // raggedmag.com