This week we chopped it up with musician, painter, designer, and all around creative soul, Brandon Reevey. In late 2011 Brandon released ‘Bright Grey Friday’ a mix of Jazz, hip hop, soul, and electronics. A refreshing mixture of genres and emotions. The record, a collection of experiences, future sounds, and current inspiration was a starter for this conversation, the rest is in the writing. Take a read, take a listen, and enjoy!

Photo by: Kerry Sawyers @ Move Me Photography

You are both a musician and a visual artist, can you tell us a bit about each aspect and how you balance and or integrate the two.

The two have always spoken to one another. I find balance through having both of them active parts of my life. The artistic side came more from a painting standpoint originally and has now morphed its way through graphic design, and now, into product design. Music has pretty much been there as far back as I can remember, but I’ve only really consciously tried to develop it over the past 8 years or so. The link between the two is the creative process. I realized that regardless the medium, the same creative considerations apply across the board. The sum of color, tone, composition, space — both positive and negative etc. ultimately lead to and end, whether one is composing music, designing a flyer or creating a garment. In my professional career, I’ve worked across a wide array of disciplines and tend to move around a bit. The excitement of making things in various mediums keeps me motivated to do more.

You just put ‘Bright Grey Friday’ out a few months back. What can you tell us about it.

Bright Grey Friday was kind of a spontaneous project that happened in my last month living in Brooklyn in Fall 2010. The idea of doing a record had been stewing in my head for a few years, but I was never able to really put anything cohesive together — at least in my mind. I met the producer, Reid Arnstein, fearless leader of the RAMC crew and a good friend of mine, a couple weeks before we started recording. He played me some of his beats and boom – that was it. We pretty much worked everyday for a month straight to put this thing together. I’d go to work in Manhattan, head back to Brooklyn in the eve and we’d work pretty much till 3 or 4 in the morning. Reid and I handled the arrangements, I wrote the words and played most of the live instruments on the album. Sprinkled in are some killer musicians and friends that I played with out in NY — Mark Anselm on guitar who is with the City Billies in BK, Travis Calvert on tenor sax, vocalist Natalie John, Ari Warner on violin and Travis Salad on bass. Real solid set of people.

As for the content of the album, at the core it’s really about experience. Part of it are my experiences over the past few years, others are reflexions on situations. There’s humor, there’s introspection, it’s kind of a sampler. Sonically there’s a whole bunch of stuff going on — jazz, pop, electro etc. but I’d say the root of the beats are firmly in hip hop. Making it was a bit of adventure, and I like to think that it reflects that journey.

What are you currently working on. Music, Art, Design?

Oh man, this one is kind of scattered. I usually have a few different things in different states of neglect going on at any given moment. Right now I’m really focused on getting my home design project, Modern Edifice, off the ground. For the past few years I’ve been fortunate enough to work in the home goods industry, designing dinnerware and home decor. It’s something I’ve always really been into, and after several years in graphic design I got the opportunity to make the jump. So, Modern Edifice is my own take on that. Modern wares for modern life. I’m building the site now, and hopefully can start getting samples for some of the designs soon. That’s the long term project.

I had my first solo painting show a few months back, so I’m trying to move forward with my next ideas for that. Musically, I’m also looking ahead. I’m constantly making little pieces of beats, sketches of ideas, but it usually takes me a while to put that together into something that feel I wouldn’t mind putting out. I’m actually more interested right now in doing a non-vocal ep of just beats and electronic snippets. I’ve also got another rap release coming up with some friends of mine back in NY (DES MOINES!)… more on that later. Lastly, I’m trying to formalize another project, Vaudeville Radio Hour, a podcast of sorts with another buddy of mine. Lot’s of things cooking, but, thanks to the day job not much time to stew. Nonetheless, forward!

 Tell us about your creative process from inspiration to execution.

My creative process is weird. I’m a rampant procrastinator. I go through long gestation periods where I absorb things around me. I have ideas for projects non-stop, 24/7, but usually end up stressing out about not having time to do them all. Once I get into something though — I’m in it until it’s done. It’s funny, but the physical act of starting a project is my biggest hurdle. My process itself is nothing out of the ordinary – hand sketches first, then if necessary I move to the computer. In my personal work, the one thing I don’t like to do is over-sketch or over-think a project. I think the gut feeling or your initial reaction to a problem usually is the truest. This is definitely a reaction to working in corporate environments for so many years where everything is so over-thought and chewed up that the initial spark usually is lost.

What have you been creatively inspired by as of late?

I’ve actually been spending a lot of time on Bandcamp recently just trying to hear what people are doing, and there’s a lot of really cool shit out there. I’ve been into this cat Ta-ku most recently that makes some pretty solid beats. Another is this cat Ebrahim that puts together some quality sounds. Anything good. Anything where you know there person making it has some concept of their own sound. Amy Winehouse’s last album has been playing non-stop for a couple weeks now. That girl had way too much talent. It’s too bad she couldn’t keep it together. And as always, classic jazz both vocal and instrumental. There’s always a Sarah Vaughan, Bill Evans or Chet Baker album that plays at varying points in the day.

Visually? Life. Everything. If you want specifics — right now I’d say suit patterns, plaid, the Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Jerry Lewis films, the California sky at night, the smell of dill and borosilicate glass to name a few.

What do you want people to take away from your work when they hear or see it?

Ultimately, I hope that my work is relevant and honest. I think thats always been behind everything I do. My aim is to avoid the ephemeral and just make true work that reflects how I feel at any given time. I make my work for myself, and If others happen to dig it then I’m pleased with that too. I’m not on a mission to conquer the world, but I hope to leave a positive mark in my wake.

Where can we find you

www.brandonreevey.bandcamp.com
www.brandonreevey.com
www.ramcproductions.com
Bright Grey Friday on Itunes, Spotify, eMusic..everywhere…