Not only does JASON REEVES’ music resume boast writing Colbie Caillat’s hit song, “Bubbly,” but this singer/songwriter also have more than 17 million plays on his MySpace Music page – proving him to be an Indie/Folk artist to be reckon with. Known for his expressive lyrics and captivating melodies from his first album, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (and Other Frightening Tales), he continues to enchant listeners with delicate songs about human emotions in his recent EP, Patience for the Waiting. In this interview, Reeves takes a breather from playing in the snow of his hometown to reminisce about past collaborations and future projects.
Hey Jason! What are you up to today?
Well, I have been running around through the snow and just before this, I was making a spray-painting on a large piece of wood – which is very strange, I know. But basically, I’m in Iowa right now.
We hear that you have been busy! You recently collaborated with America Idol contestant, Katharine McPhee?
I got introduced to Kat through my friend, Kara [DioGuardi], who happens to be one of the judges on American Idol. We have been writing together for a while. So when Katharine started to make a new record, we got with her and tried to write some new songs. “Terrified” (available via Itunes) was a song I wrote with Kara and Katharine wanted me to sing on it. So I did a vocal from Nashville, sent it back to them, and it’s on the record now. I’m really excited because it’s not easy to get songs on albums anymore.
And Demi Lovato?
I actually wrote Demi’s song [“The Middle”] with Kara again and another friend, John Fields. It’s just really cool when someone takes a song you have written and wants to do it.
So how did you and Colbie Caillat end up working together?
Oh wow, this is kind of a crazy story. I made three records during and after high school. I got an email from a producer in California one day – his name is Michael Blue. He asked me if I wanted to come out there to record, and that was the easiest decision of my life. So I pretty much dropped everything and went out there. The crazy part of it all is that the first day I got there I met Colbie through him. Later that first night, we went back to her house and wrote one of the songs that are featured on her first record today. From there, we just became very good friends and spent everyday together writing music. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever been apart of. I ended up never going back to Iowa and just living out in California, where I still live today.
California tends to have that effect on people…
I know! Nothing else feels like California.
Must ask question: You and John Mayer, secret concert?
I love John and he’s incredible. He’s been one of my inspirations and favorite musicians for a long time. In the past year, I have gotten to meet him and hangout with him a little bit since we have the same publisher. Just last summer I was in Nashville and got a call asking if I would come out and do a secret show with him at the Troubadour. So I flew from Nashville to LA and did that show. It was completely out of nowhere. It was crazy you know. I never expected to play with him.
Troubadour is such a great venue!
That was another part I loved about it. There was just a lot of good energy and you could tell the people in the building were really true music fans.
So there is a notable time gap between your last album and current EP. What were you up to during that time?
Touring, just endless touring and being on the road. It’s not that I wanted there to be so much time in between the albums and it’s actually, by far, the worst part about doing what I do because now that I am involved with a label and publisher, I can’t put out as much music as I want. I write a lot and probably way too much actually for my own good. I want to put more records out but it’s just not something logical. But someday I’ll have a giant collection of songs I’ll try to get them down and put them out.
Time is good!
I hope so. I just finished recording my new record. It’s a lot different than anything I have put out. I’m actually really excited about it and I feel like I’m a much better songwriter now.
New record?
Yeah. All the songs will be letters to me from people instead of songs being from me towards somebody else. Putting out a new record is my favorite part. I love spending so long on something and finally being able to release it into the universe.
I recently watched the video for the Vespa Experiment!
I literally think that was the best three weeks of my life, and I’m pretty sure Brendan [James] and Amber [Rubarth] think that too! It’s really hard to make that video six minutes long. That’s six minutes out of three weeks! It was just the greatest experience I have ever had and the best part is that we’re doing it again. This year we’re doing a second Vespa Experiment. Hopefully we will have learned from the mistakes of the first time.
So you’re a big fan of California? Any places you would recommend?
One of my favorite parts of California is everything around San Francisco including San Francisco. I would just recommend to anybody to take a drive from Santa Barbara to San Francisco and beyond.
We hear that you love photography too! Remember the last photo you took?
Yeah I do! Just got one of them printed out – pretty large. I took a picture of my friend at one of my favorite breakfast diners in Iowa City. It’s just this gorgeous picture of a girl sitting at a table. It’s really impossible to describe it further than that.
It seems like you are quite experienced with the topic of love – you know with your songs of ‘Someone Somewhere,’ ‘Pretty Eyes,’ and ‘Hearts Are Magnets.’ So what’s your remedy for a broken heart?
Well there are many. I think the best remedy for a broken heart is being a live – I don’t just mean breathing in and out. I mean fully exerting yourself into the world and all of its beauty, not focusing on the fact that one person and you had trouble and fell apart a little. There so much left beyond on that.
Well Jason Reeves’ music could be a cure for our broken heart for now!
Check out his music at www.myspace.com/jasonreeves.
Purchase his EP, Patience for the Waiting, on Itunes today!
- ANNA LI
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