An Interview with Reuben Reuel
Long time actor Reuben Reuel is starting a new path with his love of music. The song “Slow” is the first of many as Reuben embraces his voice and nurtures a singing career.
Reuben Reuel, a jack of all trades, as made his claim on the music industry with the release of his single Slow. His music career is a long time coming. Throughout the years Reuben has devoted himself to everything he’s done. Whether that be his professional acting career, his education, theatre camps, or even the retail jobs he ran to in between classes in the Village, Reuben gave everything 110%. Including his budding music career. While the path to music was not always an easy one, Reuben never gave up on his love for the craft. Slow is one song out of many upcoming projects I will be keeping up with has his career takes off.
Reuben first took to the stage in the first grade when he joined the school play. Since then, he hasn’t stopped. Even at a young age he knew he had to be center stage and act professionally. You may even recognize him already, he as he was in a few episodes of Sesame Street!
While his education led him to nurture his acting career, he sang, privately, in the comfort of his own company. He kept singing and mixing beats while he was in college until he could no longer deny his calling. Reuben loved music, and he needed to pursue it above all else.
What was the inspiration behind this song?
“The inspiration for this song was actually the 'pace' in which one is moving! A lot of it was about feeling like you have so much to offer but you can't go too fast or else what you do won't be perfect. It was also about feeling like you have to move fast before it's too late but you just can't given the circumstances you're in. Quite contrasting. It's also about knowing who you are, being confident, and letting people know they gotta keep up. It has a few meanings.”
What was your creative process like?
“My creative process is so weird. It shows up when it wants to. I literally have no control over it. When it does come I'll hear a melody or I'll hear lyrics and I immediately have to write them down or else they linger and ultimately... it's gone. For this song specifically, I heard the beat and wrote the lyrics in about 5-10 minutes. A lot of the time, I usually like to think of a theme that pops in my head when I hear a melody or a sound. For 'Slow,' I literally felt like I was walking down the street but feeling myself while doing so. The first few things that popped in my head this song was the chorus "gotta go gotta go," the very first lyric "gotta get movin' I feel on fire," and of course the "ahhs" after the chorus. The rest materialized itself around those parts of the song. A lot of the songs on the EP I'm working on, if not all of them, tend to follow this formula.”
Can you go into detail about why you chose this genre and how this music speaks to you as an artist?
“It's funny you ask that because whenever anyone asks me what kind of genre my music is I literally never know how to answer. I grew up listening to a LOT of Jazz, Funk, R&B, Pop and Disco. As I got older I listened to more Pop, R&B, House, EDM, Hip Hop, Dancehall... the list goes on. Basically, I'm all over the place, and I feel my music is represents that. I don't want to stick to one genre. I also love going out and making BOPS and dancing, so a lot of the music will be fun to party to. Growing up in an African American family also heavily influenced my sound as well, I'd say. There's something about 90's and 00's R&B that I relate to very much, and I feel like a lot of the 2010s missed that golden age of R&B, so I want to bring that back in some way, shape, or form (at least a little bit.) Also I love love love Funk and Disco music. I blame my mom and dad for that.”
Does this song reflect the rest of a completed project? Or will you be experimenting as you create your sound?
“Slow, as of right now, is very much its own entity compared to the rest of the project, sonically speaking. Kind of how I mentioned earlier, I'm influenced by so many different styles and genres that I do not want to limit myself to anything specific while creating my own sound, if that makes any sense. It's a bit explorative but cohesive. In terms of theme, however, it is very fitting with the rest of the project. Every song on it does have its own theme and meaning. One song is literally about capitalism which is very fitting to the times we're in right now... which is funny because I wrote that song almost two years ago. AND it's the song that plays right after 'Slow.' I'm kind of psychic.”
If you could open for any artist who would it be?
“I couldn't pick just one! I think right now, Tinashe. Her music has been probably the most influential out of everyone I've been listening to. Her 'Songs for You' album was one of the best major artist albums I've heard in a long time. She postponed her tour because of the pandemic so... who knows. Maybe she'll hear the EP and give me a call (in a perfect world.) Charli XCX, as well. She's very innovative and she reminds me of when I was like 16-17 and started getting into deep house. Her and SOPHIE ignited my love for PC music. Kaytranada would be super dope too. I started getting into him when I heard his Cranes in the Sky remix on SoundCloud. Brilliant. Speaking of the Solange, that would be amazing if I opened for her too. She's so artistic it's crazy. Sorry, information overload.”
Who is your favorite artist and why? Do they have any influence over your own art?
“I think everyone who knows me knows Fergie is literally my favorite person in the world (yes even post national anthem and I've met her twice.) I think her versatility in her music is what I'm drawn to, along with the fact that she's always been very open and honest about who she is. I really have a lot of respect for her. Not a lot of people can really put multiple genres into a cohesive album and she does that flawlessly. She definitely influences me musically. We do not tolerate Fergie slander over here!”
What should your fans expect as your music career grows?
“I'd like for my fans to expect that my music is never going to sound the same forever. I do not want to be 'boxed in' to a specific sound. Personally, I think evolution and re-invention is important. I tend to evolve into different styles and personas, so of course music is going to be one of them. One day I'll have an R&B song, EP or album out, a year later I could be doing an EDM psychedelic jazz gospel album. I think that's why it's so hard for me to ever truly describe what my sound is because, it really is never going to be the same. I think it is important to explore art and not hold yourself back.”
I definitely recommend our readers give the song a listen. It has a cool edge thats instantly entertaining. In the future, I’d like to see Reuben show off his range. He has a lot of potential and I think his newer projects will prove that.
Follow Reuben @reureuel and stream Slow here and on all streaming platforms. For booking and other inquires, you can reach Reuben at www.reubenreuel.com.