“I’m an eternal optimist. I am a cheerleader for the people that I care about and appreciate, and I just hope that with the music that I put out into the world, that I’m able to shed a little bit of light, in a world that has been dark as of late.”
These are the words that singer/songwriter Heather Youmans tells me as we discuss our theories on the philosophy of happiness. Youmans’ newest single “A Little Closer To Happy” is a testament to finding your light at the end of the tunnel, while also understanding that it’s okay to not always be okay, and that sometimes, we just need to make it through the journey to reach our destination.
“…Because it’s a journey. Happiness is a journey, and the beautiful thing about journeys is that sometimes the destination will surprise us or [it] changes…”
Heather Youmans is a multi-talented musician and publicist that has been making music for many years. Getting her start in musical theatre, Youmans’ journey has been one of finding herself and embracing every aspect of her work. Youmans’ track record speaks for itself, as she has been making music professionally since she was 13 years old, appearing on soundtracks for Flicka 2, Marley and Me 2, and High Strung. She has also opened for Sting and appeared on the recent hit-TV show I Can See Your Voice. Youmans is a woman with a message to spread, and that message is one of letting people know that they are not alone.
“For me at least, the times that I get down on myself or that I feel sad is when something doesn’t meet my expectations. I set my expectation for how something is going to go, and when it doesn’t, I just feel really deflated. If there’s anything that I have learned recently, it’s that when you let the expectations go, it’s pretty amazing to see where life will take you,” Heather explains as she talks about the concept behind “A Little Closer to Happy.”
The track appears on Youmans’ upcoming project that is currently in the works, but according to her, “A Little Closer to Happy” will only represent a single chapter in what she describes as “chapter two of her artist project.” Expected to come later this year, Youmans describes the overall message behind the project and what listeners can expect.
“I look at my artist project, as it stands right now, as a book with three chapters. The first chapter is my coming of age story and finding happiness in your own skin. The second chapter is about struggling with happiness and that [happiness] is a journey. The third chapter is about finding happiness in love or in a relationship, even when times are brutally trying or hard, I want to encourage women to continue to make themselves vulnerable and to share their stories.”
“A Little Closer to Happy” will be released and available for streaming on Spotify on Friday, April 23.
Photos and Video Courtesy of Heather Youmans
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