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After dedicating seven years of his life to the Army, Utah singer-songwriter Andrew Wiscombe found himself struggling to readjust to life outside the military. He had spent his service as a sniper, and when he returned home to Utah, he found that his mind was constantly on "overdrive."

"I had a lot of unresolved emotions," he said. "It's hard to reintegrate and feel like I am a part of society."

The Spanish Fork native concluded his military service in 2010, but it was not until six months ago that he left a job requiring up to 120 hours a week to pursue music — and find an emotional release.

A former punk rocker, Wiscombe now refers to himself as a "foot-stompin' " street musician, a one-man-band equipped with a guitar, suitcase drum, harmonica and foot tambourine. His soft Americana lyrics tell many of his stories through the eyes of someone else.

He will celebrate the release of "The River, the Lark, the Pine," his self-produced and recorded album, on Friday, Jan. 22, at London Studios in Holladay. In preparation for the show, Wiscombe talked about tying his military service into music, finding inspiration and what to expect at his upcoming show.

Music as therapy

There's a lot of emotions and feelings coming back [from the military] that people don't realize. My mind is in overdrive all of the time and you think about things that have happened. It is kind of a crappy situation. I found that with music — when I am filling my heart and mind with these good feelings and releasing these emotions through writing songs — it's impossible for me to feel those negative feelings. It totally replaces those feelings with good feelings.

Veteran inspiration

[Being a sniper] helped me learn how to express what I am feeling inside through a song. I don't think I knew how to do that before. I really learned to do that and capture in a way that's personal yet others can relate to it and it can be others' stories as well. There are a couple of songs on the new album that are highly charged by my experiences. "Holdin' a Ghost" is one that I wrote that really talks about a soldier coming home: It's like you're here but you're not here. Your mind is a million miles away and it's hard to stay present. I feel like that song in particular has gotten an overwhelming response. After you go to war, your paradigm shifts greatly about the world we live in and how you navigate it. You see things differently. Capturing these emotions after the military has been one way that I express them.

Album-release show

It's going to be a really relaxed atmosphere and [the music is] relatable. Someone can relate to at least one of these songs on this album. There's just a lot of emotion. It's going to be a great night of storytelling and music. I think that people will really enjoy not only me, but also the others who are playing. It's something fun to do on a Friday night. —

Album release show

One-man band Andrew Wiscombe is celebrating the release of his album, "The River, The Lark, The Pine." With Facing West and Tate Sexton.

When • Friday, Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m., doors open at 7

Where • London Studios, 2320 E. Murray-Holladay Road, Holladay

Tickets • $7 cover; more info at http://www.andrewwiscombemusic.com