Jason Reeves' Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (and Other Frightening Tales)
At only 24-years-old, vagabond musician Jason Reeves is already considered a leading artist in the new folk movement -- a rapidly growing group of singer songwriters whose music is more about lifting the spirit with warm, poetically styled rock lullabies, rather than provoking social and political critique like the edgier fare of its 60s and 70s folk influences.
After moving to Los Angeles from Iowa in 2005, Reeves digitally self-released his debut album The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (and Other Frightening Tales) in 2007 and soon secured the No.1 MySpace Folk artist spot. Word of mouth spread quickly and the album also landed at No. 2 on the iTunes Folk chart, catching the attention of Warner Brothers Records that plans to release The Magnificent Adventures for the first time in stores September 9.
Check out Jason Reeves on iTunes and Amazon.
Erin Broadley: Hows everything going with Warner Brothers, gearing up for the album release? Youre in the final stretch.
Jason Reeves: Really good. Its kind of crazy to do this for the first time, to see all the work that goes into putting something out on a label, because I just was doing it by myself. Its a bit different.
EB:
[Laughs] Are you sick of the album yet? Theres that whole thing, youve got your whole life to write your first album and three months to write your second. But with this album, you already released it yourself a year ago.
JR:
Yeah. Im not sick of it in most senses and the thing about playing all these songs live now is for some of them Im just learning how to play them with a band so its kind of like I recorded them over a year ago or even two years ago for some of them and for me, I forget about them for awhile if Im not playing them live so I didnt really get sick of it, luckily not sick of it yet.
EB:
Well, good, otherwise the next year would be hell for you [laughs]. How do you see contemporary folk music comparing to that of your influences?
JR:
Wow. I dont know how it compares. Im incredibly influenced by the 60s and 70s folk, all those people, so I dont think its necessarily similar to that sound or anything like that. What my goals are, and what their goals hopefully were, in terms of songs and what were saying, might have something in common.
EB:
Do you think folk music today still has that protest element that blew it up back in the 60s in the New York scene?
JR:
Yeah, theres a little bit of it. I dont its anywhere near what it was. Im not even sure that it could ever get back to that but I think theres some of that going on for sure and I think itll keep growing because I dont know if its going to get better anytime soon. I think one of the things that makes [folk music] seem like its happening again is the energy that that movement had. Ive found theres this great sense of family or community between all the people and all the songwriters here. Its pretty amazing how all of a sudden all the people that are rising are completely on top of the world in terms of the charts, and are just our friends that three years ago were all the same hopeful struggling L.A. musicians trying to play the Viper Room on a Wednesday night. OneRepublic, Augustana, Colby Caillat and Brett Dennen and all these people
its just crazy how all that has happened and is happening right now with all of our friends.
EB:
Do you think its important to have a support group of likeminded musicians to swap ideas with, play gigs with, pick their brains?
JR:
Yeah. All of that. Especially, going on tour with your friends. A lot of us have been going on tour with each other this year and I think there is something powerful in that. And just simply writing, sometimes you need somebody else to write with.
EB:
Youve spent a majority of your life on the road touring and I know youve talked before about the day you woke up and realized youre a true vagabond. What are some of the ways you think being on the road a majority of your life has shaped you as a songwriter and as a person?
JR:
Wow, thats hard to answer. I guess its that Jack Kerouac dream of On The Road
but extended out through an even longer period, through longer drives. Its just this sense of freedom when youre out on the road. Its strange and funny for me because, how I started writing songs, I was the guy sitting up in his room. I would be writing in my house and in the woods close to my house so it wasnt anything like whats going on now. As I went on, it was actually important that I not be sitting still anymore. I had to be moving because it keeps you uncomfortable. When you feel safe and youre not being challenged, I think you get into a spot that is pretty terrible for writing, at least for me. It just seems like a lot of songwriters in general in the past have been gypsies.
EB:
You moved out here from Iowa, left college
was that a scary decision to make to just pick up and head West?
JR:
[Laughs] Actually, it wasnt so much a scary decision as a scary reaction from everybody to my decision. Everybody just started college and thats a pretty fun time you dont want to leave
and I guess my parents being angry. I didnt really every feel scared ever. I was just too excited to get out of Iowa. I needed to be in California.
EB:
Any things you experienced that no one warned you about?
JR:
Yeah, unfortunate surprises like the DMV and the freeways. Trying to drive in California and in L.A., specifically, is just terrifying.
EB:
Its like the Autobahn here, man.
JR:
Exactly. Its like a race. Every time you get in your car youre in the Indy 500.
EB:
When people cross the border into California they should give you a survival kit.
JR:
Yeah, a helmet and a life vest.
EB:
Youre not only a guitar player and a singer/songwriter, but also a multi-instrumentalist who started playing music really young. Lets talk about your humble beginnings.
JR:
My humble beginnings of being forced into taking piano lessons.
EB:
[Laughs] Oh no. Did they slap you on the knuckles with a ruler every time you messed up?
JR:
Yeah, no. I just remember hating it and not wanting to practice [but rather] play outside like all five-year-old boys. It wasnt an easy situation, being forced to practice for hours everyday. I guess its just how many kids start playing instruments. It didnt last very long. It lasted about five years until I couldnt take it anymore and I learned
EB:
Until you learned how to swear and tell people to go mind their own business.
JR:
Exactly [laughs].
EB:
At what point did you actually start writing your own songs?
JR:
After piano I was so pissed off that I played drums for a couple years, maybe because I wanted to hit stuff out of anger. It was after drums that I wanted to start playing guitar. I didnt start writing until I learned how to play guitar. A lot of the songs I write or come up with get lost because theres not always somebody monitoring it in my memories; they all get swept under some sort of invisible rug. And then eaten.
EB:
Do you consider yourself a poet?
JR:
Im not sure. Sometimes that word makes me feel weird. I like to say writer because I know that I do physically write so its an easier thing to call myself, a simpler term.
EB:
The album comes out in stores September 9th. Whats up for the rest of the year?
JR:
Ill be on tour at the end of this month, starting the 28th. Im out until at least October but Im sure thatll change. I might be out throughout the rest of the year, well see. I know theres going to be a lot of touring and, other than that, its just so strange to not know what your life is going to be a week ahead of time.
For more information and tour dates go to www.myspace.com/jasonreeves.
For more information and tour dates go to www.myspace.com/jasonreeves.
Featured Interviews
All interviews
