Pepper Rose poses with her guitar
Pepper Rose poses with her guitar - Raised on a foundation of rock music and traditional folk, artist Pepper Rose has found strength and encouragement through the community of open mic nights.

Pepper Rose: Craft Lake City Performers

By
August 3, 2022

Music Interviews

With the largest number of vendors to date, The 14th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival Presented By Harmons returns to the Utah State Fairpark with an exciting variety of homegrown DIY-ers. In the following pages, we’ve highlighted some craft foodies, inventors, performers, vintage curators and members of the next generation of artisans that will be participating in this year’s bustling event. Check out craftlakecity.com for more information about The 14th Annual Craft Lake City DIY Festival.

“Music is the best way I have to deal with all the negativity—inner strength is really driven by connection and compassion, and I feel that when I am playing," Pepper Rose says.
Photo: John Barkiple

Raised on a foundation of rock music and traditional folk, singer/songwriter Pepper Rose has found strength and encouragement through the community of open mic nights. Taking inspiration from the talented artists around her—especially local women in music—Rose gained the confidence to perform with her band Spirit Machines and produce her own musical work.

As a biracial, female artist, Rose has experienced the nuances and immobilizing fears of not quite fitting in. Propelled by an initial deep shyness, Rose decided that her stage fright would never again hold her back from pursuing a future in music. She says, “Music is the best way I have to deal with all the negativity—inner strength is really driven by connection and compassion, and I feel that when I am playing.”

As she’s refined her sound, Rose now finds herself at the crossroads of folk-rock and indie music. She enjoys the long-form storytelling of folk but also leans toward artists like Black Sabbath and upbeat indie bands such as Camera Obscura. Regarding her musical projects, she says, “I have Spirit Machines as my outlet for everything heavy, so I can be as adorable as I want to as Pepper Rose without feeling like I am leaving anything out.”

Be sure to check out Rose’s unique, genre-defying sound at Craft Lake City’s DIY Festival on Aug. 12. More info can be found on her Instagram @pepper.rose.slc.

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