Creating with Purpose
Gus Reeves has been writing and recording professionally for over a decade. He has released numerous records of original material and, offering his skills as a lyricist, composer, and vocalist, has collaborated with clients to bring their visions to life. While living in Chicago, Gus was honored by the Illinois Arts Council with an Artist Fellowship Award and worked at the Chicago Recording Company, recording vocals for private clients and appearing as a featured artist on Acoustic Chicago.
His love of music extends to a broad range of genres, including R&B, hip hop, rock, folk, country, Americana, and classical, all of which have influenced his original material.
He offers industry-quality writing (lyrics, top line, and general composition), vocals, and session vocal arrangement.
His love of music extends to a broad range of genres, including R&B, hip hop, rock, folk, country, Americana, and classical, all of which have influenced his original material.
He offers industry-quality writing (lyrics, top line, and general composition), vocals, and session vocal arrangement.
Interview With Gus
Q. What is the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A. I do musical composition, vocal writing, and vocal performing.
Q. What musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A. I'm really inspired by the classic Steely Dan recordings because of their attention to detail. I strive toward that level of perfection.
Q. What's your typical work process?
A. When I'm starting from scratch on my own song, I just try to pay attention to what's flowing out and nurture that. If I'm working on assignment, I familiarize myself with the material, then, trusting my instincts, I pursue the potential of those ideas and submit to the unfolding.
Q. What do you bring to a song?
A. I bring the whole package - synthesizing composition and performance, playing multiple instruments, singing lead and background - to take a song from idea to fully realized production.
Q. What's your strongest skill?
A. My ability to compose fresh, relevant material.
Q. What type of music do you usually work on?
A. My musical taste, abilities, and clientele are so varied that I end up working on a lot of different sounding stuff: R&B/soul, folk/Americana, hip hop, etc.
Q. Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A. I would love to work with Jon Brion because he is as creative a producer as he is an instrumentalist and I love his ideas and his energy.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. When I am working, I feel completely immersed in my element. Were I to say I get lost in the music, you would get the gist of what I meant, but the wording is misleading in that it’s a process of finding. I am lost to begin with, you see, and the journey is to find the heart of the song, following clues the intuition throws out. It’s like a treasure hunt full of musical adventures. Might sound funny, but it’s true. It’s like deep play.
Q. What’s your promise to your clients?
A. To give my complete and caring attention to the project at hand and to remain in close communication throughout the process.
Q. Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why? What was your role?
A. I really enjoy working with Brad Wager as River Twain. Our first release, The Dirty Truth, is something I'm especially proud of. But, loving the creative process as I do, I take pride in everything I get to be a part of. Even if this or that piece of work doesn't shimmer and stand out as much as another, it still signifies a step in the overall arc of my creative journey. Grateful for every step.
A. I do musical composition, vocal writing, and vocal performing.
Q. What musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A. I'm really inspired by the classic Steely Dan recordings because of their attention to detail. I strive toward that level of perfection.
Q. What's your typical work process?
A. When I'm starting from scratch on my own song, I just try to pay attention to what's flowing out and nurture that. If I'm working on assignment, I familiarize myself with the material, then, trusting my instincts, I pursue the potential of those ideas and submit to the unfolding.
Q. What do you bring to a song?
A. I bring the whole package - synthesizing composition and performance, playing multiple instruments, singing lead and background - to take a song from idea to fully realized production.
Q. What's your strongest skill?
A. My ability to compose fresh, relevant material.
Q. What type of music do you usually work on?
A. My musical taste, abilities, and clientele are so varied that I end up working on a lot of different sounding stuff: R&B/soul, folk/Americana, hip hop, etc.
Q. Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A. I would love to work with Jon Brion because he is as creative a producer as he is an instrumentalist and I love his ideas and his energy.
Q. What do you like most about your job?
A. When I am working, I feel completely immersed in my element. Were I to say I get lost in the music, you would get the gist of what I meant, but the wording is misleading in that it’s a process of finding. I am lost to begin with, you see, and the journey is to find the heart of the song, following clues the intuition throws out. It’s like a treasure hunt full of musical adventures. Might sound funny, but it’s true. It’s like deep play.
Q. What’s your promise to your clients?
A. To give my complete and caring attention to the project at hand and to remain in close communication throughout the process.
Q. Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why? What was your role?
A. I really enjoy working with Brad Wager as River Twain. Our first release, The Dirty Truth, is something I'm especially proud of. But, loving the creative process as I do, I take pride in everything I get to be a part of. Even if this or that piece of work doesn't shimmer and stand out as much as another, it still signifies a step in the overall arc of my creative journey. Grateful for every step.
