Howard Gripp will release “I’m Not My Yesterday” Friday, Sept. 11, through NRT Music. The new song draws its message of redemption from a past he does not try to tidy up.

Gripp co-wrote the Americana-influenced track with producer and songwriter Billy Smiley. It centers on his refusal to let regret and shame define his future.

‘I’m Not My Yesterday’ Draws From Gripp’s Story

Gripp said his journey included divorce, depression and a suicide attempt. At 46, he found himself sitting outside a small church. He describes that moment as a turning point in his life and faith.

“I wanted to express the idea of redemption and transformation in a fresh way that people could connect with,” Gripp said.

He wrote the song for people who feel trapped by their past. However, “I’m Not My Yesterday” does not pretend yesterday never happened. Its central lyric identifies grace as the reason the past no longer gets the final word.

That distinction keeps the song from collapsing into generic self-help. Gripp points to a new identity in Christ rather than the power of positive thinking.

Howard Gripp Continues ‘Welcome to Your Life’

The single follows “Welcome to Your Life,” the first preview of Gripp’s forthcoming full-length album. That song used footprints disappearing beneath the tide as an image of the past losing its hold.

The themes overlap, but the new single brings the idea closer to Gripp’s biography. Together, the songs establish the redemptive thread running through the album.

Welcome to Your Life is expected in spring 2027. Smiley produced the album, which was recorded at Castle Recording Studios and Peter Frampton’s Studio Phenix. Billy Whittington mixed the project.

“I’m Not My Yesterday” is available to stream or download beginning Sept. 11.