About That Song: Breanne Tepler of Breanne Marie and the Front Porch Sinners
About That Song #77
In our special series, singer-songwriter Sarah Morris interviews artists about the songs that shaped them.
Hi! I’m Sarah Morris. I’m wildly in love with songs and the people who write them. There have been a few songs in my life that have been total gamechangers—songs that made me want to be a songwriter and songs I’ve written that made me feel like I am a songwriter. About That Song is a space where I can learn more about those pivotal songs in other writers’ lives.
In the 77th edition of this series, I sat down with a fellow singer-songwriter from Duluth Minnesota, Breanne Tepler, also known as front person for Breanne Marie and the Front Porch Sinners! We had a delightful conversation about the songs and experiences that shaped her creative journey.
Breanne Tepler. Photo credit: Angela Milinkovich.
Sarah: Hello Breanne! Over the last few years, I’ve had the fortune of witnessing your songwriting through a group we both belong to, co-writing a holiday song with you, sharing a show, and generally cheering you on from afar. You’re now on the cusp of releasing a new album and have entered that brave space of crowdfunding, having just launched a Kickstarter. Congrats! This feels like an excellent reason to talk a bit About That Song.
Do you remember the song you heard that made you want to be a songwriter? Tell us about that song.
Breanne: When I was little, sitting in a dark living room with my mom listening to the radio, the early 80s gave me Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, and more. I was truly moved by the inspirational songs. “Greatest Love of All” by Whitney Houston hit me in a way that probably changed my DNA. That song didn’t make me want to be a songwriter, but that’s the first time I remember thinking songwriting was a powerful thing that people do, and I was all in on supporting it with my ears and my heart.
Sarah: OH THAT SONG! I have such a strong memory of it hitting my heart in a similar way. I can see the album cover, I had the sheet music, all of it. The early 80s pop landscape sure did offer some epic songwriting for big feelings! Once you began writing, did you feel like a writer immediately? It took me a few years of writing before I believed it—was there a song that gave you that “a-HA! I AM a songwriter!” moment? Tell us about that song.
Breanne: I did not feel like a songwriter right away. My first album and EP were all about healing. I wrote raw lyrics about big grief feelings, and the goal was to feel better and connect with an audience who needed the same. It worked! Once the grief softened and settled into my bones, away from my throat and chest, I was able to grow in my songwriting. It wasn’t until some musician friends of mine would say “Breanne is a really great songwriter,” in rooms I was not in, that it finally felt real for me.
Sarah: I’m struck by your saying that “the goal was to feel better”—I think that’s such an excellent reason to enter into songwriting. If someone reading this has ever thought songwriting was for other people, this is why it’s for all people! The natural follow-up desire is “to connect with an audience who needed the same.” Yes! And also, if someone writes a song solely for that specific personal reason … I think that’s so fantastic.
You released the lovely album Juniper in 2021 (just looking at the cover puts a smile on my face!), which begins with the country kick of “Central Hillside ’91.” What can you tell us about that song?
Breanne: In 1991, my family moved into a duplex next to my Grandma’s house in the Central Hillside neighborhood of Duluth. From ’91-’93, I was a preteen who had zero responsibilities and all the free time to hang out with friends on front porches, ride bikes, ice skate at the local rink, and be around family. No cell phones, no curfew, pure joy. This song is about that joy. The Hillside is different today. Family has passed on. Social media and constant digital stimulation are a daily experience. But the “front porch” mentality is what I carry with me to every live performance. We recorded the music video in the Hillside, including on my Grandma’s front porch, and it was everything I hoped it would be.
Sarah: A “front porch” mentality! Yes! Let’s have more of that, please! From the youthful freedom and joy of that song, you move through to grief in “Too Tired To Cry.” The song pairs a heart-wrenching lyric (“I drove 150 miles to go back in time”) with a bass groove that allows for a bit of emotional relief. Tell us about that song.
Breanne: You know in winter when the temperature is too cold to snow? When the air temp is so frozen, the weather can’t even muster up some precipitation? My grief is so heavy and hard sometimes that I can’t cry. Processing loss and trauma is exhausting. This song is about that. Both my brothers have passed on, and I’m the only sibling left. I search for my brothers in places where I know memories of them will come to me. About 150 miles from my home in Duluth is my Grandma Dale’s house and Bass Lake, where we had a million happy childhood memories together. In the music video for this song, I take viewers on a drive from Duluth to Bass Lake and back. It was so healing to make this song and video!
Sarah: Thank you for sharing that and for demonstrating so beautifully the healing power often found in MAKING. You’re finishing up a new album and have given listeners a sneak peek with your new single, “Dashboard Dandelion.” “Like a wildflower growing on the side of the road / that my child picks up before we go / a dashboard dandelion laying in the sun / that withers in the heat and then it’s gone.” Oh yes, I’ve had that flower in my car, too. Can you tell us about that song?
Breanne: Years ago, I was a foster mom for temporary placements. People would often ask me if it was hard to let the kids go after caring for them. Sometimes it was hard and sometimes it wasn’t. One time, it was so hard it gutted me. We had a little baby boy who was only 7 weeks old, and we cared for him for one month. Such a short amount of time, like a dashboard dandelion. After four weeks, the agency asked if we would like to adopt him, and my ex-husband didn’t want to. I did.
It was a hard loss for me that lived quietly in my mind, dormant, until the moment our songwriting group gave us the prompt word “crib.” This song allowed me to tend to old wounds and share with others how gratitude can be louder than grief. We even used some electric guitars, amped up pedal steel and fiery fiddlin’ to get our point across. The song ends with “I’m so grateful for all the memories.” Life is memories. That’s what we all become, and it’s what we’re left with, and thank goodness for them. Thank goodness for the dandelions on our dashboards.
Breanne Tepler. Photo credit: Angela Milinkovich.
Sarah: What a hard loss to process, Breanne. As a listener, I think you did an elegant job of taking that super-specific situation and opening up the emotion to something deeply relatable.
You’re set to attend the Lutsongs Songwriter Retreat in just a couple days. Have you attended a songwriter retreat in the past? What called you to this event? What are you most looking forward to? I know you wear many hats, and are likely accustomed to writing songs in the margins of your life—have you ever devoted days to writing before?
Breanne: I am beyond excited for my first songwriting retreat experience. For the past 10 years or so I’ve known about retreats and conferences where relationships grow and learning flourishes. I have three kids, I work a full-time day job, and my music isn’t bringing in boatloads of cash. It’s always felt like there were too many time/money barriers to make it happen but I’ve watched for opportunities and hoped for something to work out at some point. Well, the stars aligned on this one! I received a grant from my local arts council and my work vacation hours are in the calendar. This is really happening!!!
I’ve never devoted full uninterrupted days to writing songs. I’m most looking forward to spending quality time on my craft and growing my songwriting community. The lineup of instructors, including YOU, dear Sarah, represents a treasure trove of experience and talent. I am thrilled.
Sarah: I’m so very glad the stars aligned in this specific way! I think we’re in for a couple of incredible days! I’ll see you soon, and until then, best of luck to you in the release of your new work. Thank you for sitting down to talk all about THAT song.
If you’d like to be a part of the album Breanne’s making, there’s an active crowdfunding effort going on as we speak! Or as you read! Learn more and contribute to this exciting project. And if you want to see Breanne live, check out her FREE set for the Homegrown Music Festival in Duluth, 7 PM on April 27 at Blacklist Brewing Co.
Listen to “Dashboard Dandelion”
“Dashboard Dandelion” Single Credits
Released March 28, 2025
Written by Breanne Marie Tepler
Recorded by Rich Mattson at Sparta Sound
Produced by Jillian Rae
Mixed and Mastered by Eric Martin at Iron Bull Records
Featuring Breanne Marie (guitar, vocals), Evan Tepler (guitar), Kailyn Pelerin (fiddle), Johnny Peterson (pedal steel), Tarek Makky (bass), Matt Groom (drums, percussion), and Jillian Rae (background vocals)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sarah Morris. Photo credit: Tom Smouse.
Sarah Morris is a superfan of songs and the people who write them, and a believer that certain songs can change your life. A singer-songwriter / mama / bread maker / coffee drinker who recently released her fifth album of original material, she’s been known to joyfully sing with people in her Big Green Bathroom.
