Jason Reeves | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Jason Bradford Reeves |
Born | Arlington, Texas, U.S. | July 1, 1984
Origin | Iowa City, Iowa, U.S. |
Occupations |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 2003–present |
Labels |
|
Member of |
Jason Bradford Reeves (born July 1, 1984) is an American songwriter, singer, and guitarist. He is best known for his songwriting work for Colbie Caillat, with whom he formed the acoustic pop band Gone West in 2018.
Born in Arlington, Texas and raised in Iowa City, Iowa, he relocated to California in 2005 in pursuit of a musical career. Here, he met Caillat and record producer Mikal Blue; all three contributed to Caillat's 2007 single "Bubbly", which peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. He subsequently co-wrote her single "Realize" the following year, as well her 2010 single "I Never Told You", both of which peaked within the top 40 of the chart. [1] [2] Apart from Caillat, Reeves has co-written Australian singer Lenka's 2008 single "The Show".
As a recording artist himself, he released four albums and an extended play before being led by Kara DioGuardi to sign with Warner Bros. Records in 2008. [3] His fourth album, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (2008) was re-released commercially by the label, and followed by his fifth, Patience for the Waiting (2009). His sixth, The Lovesick (2011) was released independently. [4] His work has led him to being named one of the Top Indie Singer-Songwriters by iTunes in 2007 and a No. 1 Folk Artist by Myspace in 2011. [5] His accolades include three ASCAP Awards and a Latin Grammy Award nomination. [6]
Jason Reeves was born in Arlington, Texas and relocated to Iowa City, Iowa when he was around 3 years old with his father, a worker at Maytag/Whirlpool, and his mother, a food stylist/ice skating teacher. [7] When Reeves was five years old his mother started him on piano lessons, lessons that he continued for five years before quitting. [8] After the piano, he began to take drum lessons for a few years, before eventually settling on the guitar at 17 and teaching himself how to play. [9] [10] Around this time he began listening to artists such as Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin [11] and James Taylor, which he'd later cite as personal influences. [10] [12]
Attending Iowa City High School, Reeves was involved with various choirs and vocal groups, [13] even touring Europe with the Midwest Honor Choir in 2002. [14] During this time he also performed in a band with friends and recorded his own full-length album with a local community music program.
Reeves began to get into musical recording at the end of high school, with his first CD being a self-produced album with a run of about 200 copies. After graduating high school, he went on to attend college at the nearby University of Iowa but quickly dropped out due to a lack of interest. [15] [16] He continued on with music, playing at local venues and bars. [17] [18] For the next two years he continued to play around Iowa City and self-released two albums with a local producer, Ken Heaton. These two albums, Makeshift Aircraft (2003) and Nervous Mind of Love (2004), were sold at his shows as well as on independent, online music seller cdbaby.com. [19]
Around late 2004/early 2005 he was contacted by California producer Mikal Blue who was interested in working together. Blue became aware of Reeves through his own manager, Anna Rambeau, who herself became aware of Reeves through cdbaby.com. [19] [20] Blue offered to have Reeves come out to his California studio, Revolver, to record some tracks together. Reeves accepted and flew out to Los Angeles, California, with the intention of recording and coming back to Iowa. [21]
Reeves arrived in California around February 2005 and met with Blue to begin recording songs. Shortly after arriving, Blue introduced Reeves to a young female singer he was working with, Colbie Caillat. Caillat and Reeves formed a quick friendship and Caillat's family invited Reeves to stay with them during his recordings with Blue. This eventually became Reeve's home as he decided to stay in California and not return to Iowa. [12] [15]
Caillat and Reeves began a working partnership, hanging out and co-writing many songs together and playing local venues. [22] Caillat also introduced Reeves to the social networking site Myspace, using the site to release music they wrote. After the release of the Blue-produced EP Hearts Are Magnets in 2006, Caillat and Reeves kept composing and posting songs to Myspace. They wrote Chasing The Sun for Hilary Duff.
Caillat's career first gained traction and attention on Myspace, leading her to be declared the No. 1 unsigned artist on the site. [23] The popularity of the Myspace-hosted song "Bubbly" led to a record deal for Caillat with Universal Republic Records. [19] Using the material that Caillat had worked on with Reeves, Caillat released her debut album Coco in 2007. The Mikal Blue-produced album featured ten songs co-written by Reeves. [18] [21] The lead single from the album, the Reeve's co-write "Bubbly", was a commercial success, reaching up to the top 5 on the Billboard charts. [24] The song "Realize", which featured vocals by Reeves, also performed well on the charts. Reeves and Caillat won three ASCAP awards for these two songs.
Reeves continued to work on his own music as well, and in 2007 self-released the album The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (And Other Frightening Tales...), which was likewise produced by Mikal Blue, as well two tracks produced by Stuart Brawley. The album had modest success on iTunes, debuting at No. 2 on the folk charts and went to being named one of the top indie albums of the year on iTunes. [7] [21] [25] He also had popularity as an artist on Myspace, being named the site's No. 1 unsigned folk artist for nine months. [9] [19]
In 2007/2008, Reeves was playing many shows around Los Angeles and had residencies at places like the Hotel Café. [17] [26] Kara DioGuardi became aware of Jason Reeves after the release of his album The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache and listened to the CD during a long car trip in Maine. [22] As the vice president of A&R at Warner Bros. Records, she contacted Reeves and brought him to then-president Tom Whalley who signed Reeves to the label. [3] [27] DioGuardi and Reeves would end up working together on music, most notably co-writing the song "Terrified" which they would perform together on YouTube and Lopez Tonight. [20] The song was later covered by Didi Benami on the ninth season of American Idol and Katharine McPhee for her second album Unbroken and featured vocals from Reeves.
Now signed to major label, Reeves' recently completed album, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache, was re-released under the Warner Bros. Records label in 2008 with four remixed tracks. [28] Songs from that and previous albums would also be featured on TV shows such as Army Wives and One Tree Hill around this time. [20] Reeves also began touring nationally to support The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache with musician Tyrone Wells and others. [26]
Reeves began work on an EP and also doing co-writing sessions with Colbie Caillat for her second album, Breakthrough, as well as writing sessions with other artists. He did more frequent bouts of touring, including a May 2009 Vespa-sponsored "green tour" with Brendan James and Amber Rubarth during which they toured the California Coast on Vespa scooters while focusing on environmental friendliness. Near the end of 2009, Reeve's EP Patience for the Waiting was released by Warner Bros. Records.
Reeves had completed material for a new album, The Lovesick , with producer Adam B Smith in Nashville, [25] [29] in early 2010 [30] but the album was put on hold during the transition at Warner. Bros Records when CEO Tom Whalley stepped down in September 2010. [31] The album featured collaborations with Kara DiaGuardi and Colbie Caillat. [32] Warner Bros. Records eventually released a track from the album, "Helium Hearts", as a single in July 2010. With the single, a music video was also released. Months passed and Reeves was dropped from Warner Bros. Records following the aftermath of Tom Whalley leaving, but was allowed to keep his master tapes. He self-released the album The Lovesick in August 2011, a whole year after the initial single was released and nearly four years since his last full-length album. [4]
On November 15, 2011, Reeves released another EP, Caged Birds Set Free , which hailed back to acoustic styles from The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache. The EP features a re-recording of "Wishing Weed" featuring Colbie Caillat and a song featuring Kara DioGuardi, "New York in Wintertime".
Reeves also continues to work as a co-writer, writing songs for such artists as Lenka, [15] [26] Angel Taylor, Demi Lovato, The JaneDear Girls and the Japanese group Kimaguren. The song "The Show" that Reeves co-wrote with artist Lenka did well, being used in advertisements for Old Navy [33] and Ugly Betty. [34] "The Show" was also featured in the films Moneyball and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging .[ citation needed ]
Reeves released his new full-length album called Songs Are Silent Films on June 12, later than expected, on all digital retailers. He again worked with Nashville Producer, Adam Smith, on many of the tracks. Through pledgemusic.com, Jason asked fans to pledge to support the production of his new album, after being dropped by the Major Label. Pledgers get access to updates about the album as well as some of the songs to be released on the album.
“There's a little bit of everything on it," Reeves said about the new record. "It goes from really stripped-down acoustic to full band. There's a couple things on there that I’ve never tried before, but for the most part it's a return to the way I have been doing it all along – just the acoustic, organic feel." [35]
The first song from the album is called "Back With Me" and was released on March 27 along with a video on YouTube, which was directed by Reeves. [36] The second promotional released song from Songs Are Silent Films is "You're My Best Friend" and was released on April 17. The first official single is called "More In Love With You" and features Nelly Joy, who formerly recorded under her real name Danelle Leverett as one-half of the JaneDear girls. [37]
Reeves released the single "Vintage" on April 21, 2015, from his newest project High Dive Heart, a pop duo consisting of himself and Nelly Joy, who formerly recorded under her real name Danelle Leverett in the group the JaneDear girls. On July 17, 2015, High Dive Heart released their first EP: Sonic Graffiti – EP. [38]
Reeves is mainly interested in the arts and besides music is into writing, photography and illustration. [10] [12] He has done the artwork for his own albums and is passionate about taking photos. [28] After years of living in Los Angeles, [39] Reeves currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee. [22] [29] He married his musical collaborator Nelly Joy. [40]
Colbie Marie Caillat is an American singer-songwriter. She rose to fame on the social networking website Myspace in 2005. At that time, she was the number one unsigned artist of her genre.
Coco is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on July 10, 2007, in the United States, debuting at number five on the US Billboard 200, selling 51,000 copies in its first week. It also became Caillat's best-selling album to date, selling 2,100,000 copies in the United States and over 3,000,000 copies around the world. Caillat supported the album with the Coco World Tour, as well as four singles. The lead single "Bubbly" was a huge international hit, while the following two singles "Realize" and "The Little Things" were minor hits. "Somethin' Special" was released as a promo support the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China and the 2009 film Bride Wars.
"Bubbly" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her first album, Coco (2007). Written by Caillat and Jason Reeves and produced by Mikal Blue, the song was released as the album's lead single on May 15, 2007. "Bubbly" is Caillat's only song to peak within the top ten of US Billboard Hot 100; it remains her highest-charting song. Internationally, "Bubbly" reached number one in Australia, Brazil, and the Czech Republic. It also became a top-10 hit in several European countries, including Belgium, Germany, and Norway, as well as Japan and New Zealand. It is certified six-times platinum in the US and Australia as well as gold or higher in six additional countries.
"The Little Things" is the third single from Colbie Caillat's 2007 debut album, Coco, released on March 7, 2008, in Germany, and on October 28, 2008, in the US. It was written by Caillat and Jason Reeves. The single did not chart well in the US, and was her weakest charting single from her album Coco. In 2008, she recorded a French translated version of this song.
The discography of Colbie Caillat, an American musician and singer-songwriter, contains seven studio albums, seven extended plays, one compilation album, 22 singles, 22 music videos and other album appearances and songwriting credits. Caillat rose to fame through social networking website Myspace. At that time, she was the number-one unsigned artist of her genre. After signing with Universal Republic, she released debut album in July 2007, Coco has sold 2,060,000 copies in the United States and is certified 3× Platinum. In August 2009, she released Breakthrough, her second album which became her first album to debut at number one on Billboard 200. It has been certified Platinum by RIAA. In July 2011, she released her third studio album, All of You. In October 2012 she released her first Christmas album, Christmas in the Sand. Caillat sold 11 million albums and 25 million singles worldwide.
"Fallin' for You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat along with Rick Nowels and produced by Nowels, John Shanks, and Caillat's father, Ken Caillat, for her second studio album, Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on June 26, 2009, as the lead single from the album, through Universal Republic. According to Caillat, the song speaks of someone falling for a man that they are friends with.
Breakthrough is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was released on August 19, 2009 through Universal Republic Records. The follow-up to her successful debut album, Coco (2007), Breakthrough was developed in late 2008 when Caillat returned to her home after two years on tour, with the singer setting up a "writing camp" with songwriters and producers in Hawaii and writing over 40 songs for the record.
"I Never Told You" is a song by the American pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her second album Breakthrough (2009). The song was released on February 16, 2010 in the United States as the second single. The song is a power ballad in E-flat major and was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves and Kara DioGuardi and produced by DioGuardi. The song talks about the love the singer still has for her lover they felt strongly about at one point in their life. The song received positive reviews from music critics. In the charts, the song has performed moderately well, it has peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #3 on the Adult Pop Songs.
"Breathe" is a song by Taylor Swift featuring Colbie Caillat from Swift's second studio album, Fearless (2008). Swift wrote the song with Caillat and produced it with Nathan Chapman. A pop rock ballad, "Breathe" incorporates strummed acoustic instruments and a string section. The lyrics are about heartbreak from losing a close friend. Big Machine Records released the track onto Rhapsody on October 21, 2008. Music critics found "Breathe" a sentimental song with resonant lyrics, but some deemed it insubstantial. The song was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2010.
All of You is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. The album was scheduled to be released on May 3, 2011, but was pushed back by two months to a July 6, 2011, release in the United States through Universal Republic Records. The set, largely produced by Greg Wells, features one guest appearance by rapper/actor Common, who graces "Favorite Song", while her songwriting collaborators include Ryan Tedder, Toby Gad, Jason Reeves and Rick Nowels. The album's lead-single "I Do" was released on February 7, 2011, and has charted at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 11 on the Adult Pop Songs. A second single "Brighter Than the Sun" was released on May 17, 2011, and has charted at number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"Brighter Than the Sun" is a song by American recording artist Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat and Ryan Tedder and produced by the latter. The song was released as the second single from Caillat's third studio album, All of You (2011). The song was released to digital download on May 23, 2011, through Universal Republic. The song received a positive reaction from music critics, who complimented its summer feel. The song is certified platinum in the United States and has been successful on many Billboard charts, including the Hot 100, where the song reached the top 50, the Adult Contemporary chart, where the song peaked at number one for a week. "Brighter Than the Sun" also was a top-40 hit in Austria and was the third-biggest song of 2012 on US adult contemporary radio.
The Lovesick is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician Jason Reeves, self-released on August 16, 2011 on the label abeautifularmyoftrees in the United States. Recording and production for the album took place during early 2010 at The Evil 8-Bit Robot Factory recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Adam Smith.
The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter and musician Jason Reeves. The album was self-released in 2007 on the label abeautifularmyoftrees in the United States and later was re-released under Warner Bros. Records on July 31, 2008. Recording and production for the album took place during 2006 and 2007 at the Revolver recording studio in Westlake Village, CA with producer Mikal Blue, as well as at The Backyard Studios with producer Stuart Brawley.
Hearts Are Magnets is the first EP of singer-songwriter Jason Reeves and his first published work with producer Mikal Blue. It was self-released in the US on February 14, 2006.
Patience for the Waiting (Special Edition Acoustic EP) is an EP by American singer-songwriter and musician Jason Reeves.
Christmas in the Sand is a Christmas album and the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was released on October 23, 2012 in the United States through Universal Republic Records. The album includes eight cover versions of popular holiday songs and four original songs, written by Caillat along with several other songwriters. Produced by her father Ken Caillat, Christmas in the Sand features collaborations with Brad Paisley, Gavin DeGraw, Justin Young and Jason Reeves.
"Christmas in the Sand" is a Christmas song recorded by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves and Kara DioGuardi and produced by Colbie's father, Ken Caillat. The song was released as the first single from her first Christmas album Christmas in the Sand. The song was released to SoundCloud on October 15, 2012 through Universal Republic.
Gypsy Heart is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat. It was released on September 30, 2014 by Republic Records. It was produced by American record producer Babyface. It features songwriting collaborations with past co-writer, Jason Reeves, as well as new co-writers and producers Max Martin, Julian Bunetta, and Johan Carlsson. "Try" was released as the first and only single on June 9 to the 16.
"Try" is a song by American singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat from her fifth studio album, Gypsy Heart (2014). It was released on June 9, 2014 by Republic Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written by Caillat, Jason Reeves, Babyface and Antonio Dixon and was produced by the latter two. Lyrically, the midtempo pop ballad is about not trying to be someone else to make others happy. It was written after a session where Caillat was feeling pressure to be someone she was not, both musically and image-wise. It received acclaim from music critics, who noted it was a simple, but beautiful empowering ballad.
Gone West was an American country pop group composed of Colbie Caillat, Justin Young, Jason Reeves, and Nelly Joy. They made their debut as a band on the Grand Ole Opry stage and signed with Triple Tigers. The band released their debut and only album, Canyons, on June 12, 2020.