Sleeping Problems, Human Acoustics + A Hundred-Year-Old Barn - Interview with Lee Reit

In the concrete jungle of Brooklyn, NYC, the strumming of a guitar breaks up the sound of the engines of taxis and the pulsing of ventilation systems. Floating out of a window and over the expanse of metropolis come harmonies. Today these harmonies are from singer-songwriter Lee Reit, who has just released his debut, self-titled album. Here are the details: 

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How long have you been working on this album?

The album was recorded by between May of 2013 and June 2014, mixed throughout the summer of 2014 and mastered in fall of 2014. Most of the music on the album was written in 2012 and 2013, but many of the lyrics come from earlier–as early even as 2009. This stew’s been simmering for a while.

Which songs are you most excited about?

There’s a wide range of styles on this album. “Dream Another Night” and “Wheel Within a Wheel” are the strongest pop songs I’ve recorded thus far, so I’m excited for those to make their way out into the wider world. Beyond those songs, “Visions of Eternity” and “Pleasure of the Fall” showcase lyrics that I am proud to call my own, and the string arrangements on “Thanks for the Lessons”– all the work of my producer, Jared Saltiel – are really exceptional. That’s a song I really hope will find its audience.

Who should listen to your music?

People who are likely to form a connection with my album are people who like to spend time thinking about lyrics, people who appreciate hearing primarily acoustic instruments being played by real people, people who look to music as a means of going deeper into themselves, people who like the tone of a classical guitar, people from religious backgrounds, people who have difficulty falling asleep, people who do not shun red wine or brown liquor.

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Where do you find new inspiration?

I like a lot of music from France, Spain, Brazil, and West Africa. I think you can hear that influence in my playing. I find inspiration in silence and in the sounds of nature, and in the tone of my guitar. My lyrics are inspired by a sense of obligation to form something permanent out of the blur of the passing months and days. All of my music is an attempt to halt time, or at least slow it down.

Where can people see you play live?

Over the next few months, I’ll be playing in New York, Toronto, and Montreal. Performance dates for the second half of summer and the early fall will be posted on my website, leereit.com, in the near future.

What are your plans for the rest of 2015 and 2016?

I’m recording a new single this week, and will release it, along with an accompanying video, likely sometime in early August. I’ll also be shooting a live acoustic performance of “Dream Another Night” in a one hundred-year-old barn in Ontario in the coming weeks. After that, I hope to record a new batch of songs to be released early next year as an EP.

Track of the Weekend #131: RATATAT - “Cream on Chrome”

Another week in the books, and another weekend on the horizon. The minutes of the clock tick slowly towards evening. With each tock the excitement builds. Layer upon layer, until the excitement explodes into the freedom of the weekend. Summing up this feeling of building is the experimental rock duo from Brooklyn: RATATAT, back on the world scene with “Cream on Chrome.” 

For the fans of RATATAT who have known them since the days of “Loud Pipes,” you wont be disappointed with “Cream on Chrome” which carries the signature electric guitar, funky bass beat, and mathematical construction that enables RATATAT to weave stories and narratives through music with no lyrics. And that’s why it’s #1 on Whyd this week.

Thanks to Maxime M for getting his, like, 25th track of the weekend!

Music Creation, Heartbreak + Intercontinental Collaboration: DYLLAN Interview

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Hello DYLLAN! How’s it going? Can you take us through a quick recap of your musical life? You’ve been at this since you were quite young! 

Hello! It’s going well, thank you! Yes, I’ve been writing songs since I was twelve and started playing shows in my hometown (Los Angeles) at fifteen. In high school I recorded my first EP and I recorded my second, “Anything But Scared,” my first year of college. 

I studied music there but I also studied film and literature. I lived in Paris for a year where I studied le cinéma français and le dessin. I played some shows there and connected with some great musicians. After college I moved to Brooklyn where I’m now living, producing music out of my apartment. 

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Why did you start writing music? Were you inspired by themes in your life? Or were you inspired by other musicians? 

My first influence (and constant idol) is Joni Mitchell. And Jeff Buckley. There is so much depth to their work - their lyrics are poetry. I had always wanted to sing but I was too shy, so I picked up a guitar first. Eventually I sang along, and then started writing my own stuff. To this day I am constantly writing songs, and yes, they are usually about heartbreak. 

Songwriting is therapeutic for me. It’s a necessity. I am not a diligent worker, though, so going out and seeing shows is what inspires me to sit down and write. Or to go out and play!

How did you start working with THYLACINE? How did you end up coming to Paris in the first place? 

As I said, I moved to Paris for my junior year abroad in college. Ironically, it wasn’t until after I had left that I discovered THYLACINE’s music and decided to contact him. I thought he might be interested in working with me and he was. This was how we did our first collaboration, “Distance.” I had written a song called “NYLAPARIS” and sent it to him. He took my vocals and composed original music around it. I think the result was quite beautiful and unique. 

Our second collaboration, “Closing” was yet another virtual collaboration but with the opposite arrangement - he sent me an instrumental track he had produced and I wrote, recorded and arranged the vocals at home in Brooklyn. I’m also very pleased with the result and amazed that he and I have still never met in person! I look forward to him making a trip to New York soon so we can fix that. 

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What can we look forward to from you in 2015?

I have quite a few projects to release this year! Notably, the single and music video for my new song “Moments Like These” will release in March. We funded the whole thing through Indiegogo so I am really excited to share it. Following that, I’ll release my next new single “Try” in April. Stay tuned and thanks so much!