Track-by-Track: Eric Sleeper Comes Clean About His ‘Beautiful Lies’

There’s no sleeping on Eric Sleeper once you immerse yourself in his debut album, Beautiful Lies. The album features ten introspective tracks, assessing the complex makeup of human nature and the seductiveness of chasing after false hopes. Sleeper is a no-nonsense kind of artist, taking the bull by the horns to express himself to the fullest extent possible. He seeks to be true to himself and true to his listeners, and he hopes that’s a mindset you can take away from this record. Generally speaking, Beautiful Lies grapples with the idea that if things look too good to be true, they typically are. The consequences that stem from pursuing false hopes are often not obvious. These hopes can often seduce you in the most overpowering circumstances. But you have to learn from your mistakes, and if you’re true to yourself, you’ll typically make the right decision.

As Beautiful Lies illustrates, Sleeper is an astute and introspective songwriter. He first tried his hand at songwriting when he was 14. He discovered his sound through countless hours of strumming a guitar and putting the pieces together of what he had taken away from the artists he loved. Many of his songs touch on themes of personal struggle, ambition, and perceiving life as the underdog. We first connected with Sleeper a couple of years back. He joined us for a guest blog on the perils of social media. That authenticity for Sleeper is apparent throughout Beautiful Lies, as he defines himself as an artist you can relate to.

Today, we are pleased to have Sleeper join us again for an exclusive Track-by-Track rundown of his debut record, Beautiful Lies.

1. “Ghost”

“‘Ghost’ is a song I wrote to test the standard for artists, questioning when capitalist mindsets trump authenticity, and you become a weak version of yourself, chasing a lie. Beautiful lies are never modest, as said in the song, and it’s easy to slip into that hole and join the rat race for validation. This was all recorded in a professional studio. I play everything except drums, which is covered by Simon Ficken, who produced the album.

“This song starts off the album and is the reason for the record’s title, Beautiful Lies. I discovered this really cool guitar delay setting I have been messing with and decided to try it out with some of the solo guitar work in ‘Ghost.’ There are lots of layers with the vocals to add a hymn-like melody in the background of the chorus. The recording process was smooth, and I would say my favourite part is the bridge breakdown after the chorus, where I get to showcase my unique approach to music.”

2. “White Fences”

“‘White Fences’ is a song about the American Dream, and how being different and not following norms is more taboo than it should be, in my honest opinion. This song is one of my favourites, starting from the opening riff I wrote, and the rest is history.”

3. “Killer Eyes”

“This song is a play on words, taking the idea of having ‘killer eyes’ to a literal and metaphorical level, blending them both in an emotional journey. We have all had moments where we feel down bad and burned, and this is for those outcasts like me. This song has distortion, reverb, and feelings.”

Eric Sleeper ‘Beautiful Lies’ album artwork

4. “Hypocrite”

“This one is aggressive and is not for those looking for calm music to work to. This is meant to be lyrically edgy and point out the hypocrisy of people who act holier than thou, and are not for the betterment of people as a whole, but rather themselves. We find these people everywhere, in politics, media, your friend groups (hopefully ex-friend groups).

“They also tend to use people’s suffering for their own betterment when it’s convenient, while playing both sides and acting empathetic. This is reflected in the line, ‘Who needs paint when you’ve got blood splattered on the walls, it’s not my colour of choice, but it works.’ The guitars are loud and bendy, the vocals are raspy, and the vibes are gnarly.”

5. “Lotto”

“The first song I recorded for the album, this is a fun one. It is about the struggle as an artist as well, and understanding that when people leave your life, it is a blessing in disguise. It is about living in the grime and underground and being ok with it.”

6. “Midnight Robber”

“This song is a heavy-hitting, guitar-slinging anthem about a straight-up criminal, the Midnight Robber. I created this character to portray why he is who he is, and to add another dimension and understanding for how and why people are the way they are.”

Eric Sleeper in 2025, photo by Guy Piaquadio

7. “Burn”

“People slip away in the worst fashion sometimes, and even though you want to help, you can’t get pulled in yourself. This song is a story about a girl, whom I knew or didn’t know, who got lost in the darkness to cover up her mental and physical scars. The song has a reverberating, chilling effect, which goes with the song.”

8. “Waste!”

“This one is about feeling like a waste, to be frank, feeling stagnant and drowning in your own pity party, to the point where you can barely get up for air. It captures the frustration of that while still pushing forward, with no light in sight.”

9. “Run!”

“This is about the lameness of some music scenes, and how the artist is controlled and manipulated to be someone else. So you need to ‘run, fight, or they’ll give you a lobotomy.’ It is a song of rebellion in a dark world.”

10. “What You Do to Me”

“This is the darkest song on the album, but it is very fitting to Beautiful Lies, and ties in the fact that when people are too good to be true, they can manipulate you and drive you crazy, especially a romantic partner. It is hard to know when you are in a bad situation since you are so drawn to someone, but some people are evil and don’t have the best intentions for you. Time to get the heck out.”