"The moment I started drinking too much was when I started writing music in 2016 and it was making me go to places and feel sorry for myself," Jessica Simpson tells PEOPLE.

Jessica Simpson is using the power of music to bounce back. On Friday, the musician announced her EP, Nashville Canyon: Part 1, which she wrote as she split from her husband Eric Johnson. She also released its first single,

Jessica Simpson says Eric Johnson "will always be" part of her life after she announced their separation last month. The singer, who is releasing her new music this week, reflected on her former relationship with Johnson in an exclusive interview with People in this week's issue, and opened up about how music has healed her.