We had the pleasure of interviewing Craig Reever, and here’s what he had to say:
Q: How long did it take you to create “Stupido”?
REEVER: I got an Idea for a song that I called stupid. It was basically just some melodies that one good day would call a chorus. Then in the first days of January -23, I flew to Madeira to write and produce new songs. Me and the producer started working on this stupid Idea that I had and we wanted to some early 60’s vibes to it. So while the producer started working on the production I went onto his balcony overlooking the Atlantic and all of a sudden the story was there. The theme circles around a dude that’s acting all shady and thinks he’s getting away with it, but his woman knows and when she can’t take It no more she burst out “Stupido” really just telling it like is. Knowing once she’s gone, he’ll be the sorry one…
Q: What inspired it?
REEVER: Like I mentioned earlier late 50’s and early 60’s pop songs with acts like Supremes and “Wall of Sound” vibes. Spiked 8th pianos and arpeggiated guitars are important building blocks of the production. Then on top of that a strong female lead that has lots of attitude and an I’m-not-sorry approach.
Q: What did you enjoy the most about making this song and making music in general?
REEVER: Well for me the most exciting thing is the process of getting the song onto “tape”. Where slowly you get to see if you’ll get close to the vision you had to begin with – or perhaps even better – which great producers can do.
Q: What do you do to get your creative juices flowing when you feel stuck while creating a song?
REEVER: Well to me the best way of getting out of a creative hole is to get a song order. Meaning that an artist, label, or publisher contacts me and has a specific need. Creativity is a feeble mistress – she can’t really be trusted haha. Therefore, as a professional writer, it’s all about getting into work mode and not overthinking it. I’ve spent many years working at the craft of writing so when given a frame or a direction – it’s usually pretty straightforward to create. Not a sexy or artsy answer – but I think that goes for most professionals in the creative industries – they just do it, and nobody will pay you to just hang around waiting for the right vibe to arrive.
Q: In what way(s), do you think your sound has evolved since you started making music?
REEVER: In short I’m a lot more pop than I used to be. I played in a band for many years and wrote a lot of rock rock-adjacent stuff. But now I’m mainly into pop. Sometimes I add some R’n’B or EDM vibes too. I’m also a lot more interested in details. I can work on a single phrase that I think is important for hours! And that’s what I think I’ve learned over the years – give each song the right attention, don’t say; “it’s OK let’s move on”. That can lead to getting a long-term “sloppy” attitude that doesn’t push you to do your best, and then one day when you might need it – you don’t know how to pull out “the big game” writer in you.
Q: That’s so true! The details matter a lot. Did you always know you would become a musician? At what point did you reach this realization/conclusion?
REEVER: Good question. I knew after spending 4 years getting a master’s degree in business economics/marketing and then subsequently being fired from the suit job that I sucked at. I stopped fighting and got into working with PR for an indie label while writing songs whenever I could. It has been a struggle, but in hindsight, I think I made the right call getting to experience some great things thanks to music! So I guess, hang in there folks! ; )
Interviewed by Zoey King
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