I chatted with Reeve Stimpson about our mutual love for the 80s and his new music
Talk about your background
I’m from Powhatan, Virginia. I grew up there doing music theater, talent shows, writing poems which turned into songs. I was REALLY big into Country music for a long time. I moved to Nashville to write songs for other artists. As much as I love that, I’ve focused on a new attempt at pop/rock.
You mentioned musical theater..what is your favorite musical and why?
I was in one musicaI in high school, I did in “The Music Man.” I grew up such a weird theater kid and loved “The Wizard Of Oz.” When “Wicked” came out, I told them we need to see that for 16th birthday. That and “Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” are my favorites.
So why are you trying to bring the 80’s back?
I love having fun with music and I feel like that’s been lost in pop music for a while. I love what Chappell Roan has been doing. 80s music was a leader in that. I grew up watching 80s movies and loved 80s music. My grandparents at one point owned a record store. My dad would tell me “I wasn’t the coolest guy in school but I was the guy that brought mixtapes to the parties that they were having and then I became the cool guy. He kept the cassette tapes and I grew up on Bryan Adams and Huey Lewis. That’s mostly what I listen to. For the longest time I tried to do Country and it wasn’t as authentic. I’ve loved this whole 80s sound, there’s no reason I can’t put into pop music.
I was alive for five months in the 80s and I’m right there with you. The movies and songs were just so much better. It’s like the music was joyful back then.
What is your favorite 80s song and why?
My gut is “Take Me Home Tonight” by Eddie Money. It’s a great song by itself but I think Eddie Money just enhanced it. People probably only know that one or “Two Tickets To Paradise.” But his catalog is just so wide. “Take Me Home Tonight” was the epitome of a cool music video.
Ronnie Spector is the girl singing in that song. A lot of people don’t realize that the lyric is “Just like Ronnie said..” and she comes in with “Be My Little Baby..” which is a call back to The Ronettes “Be My Baby” from the 60s. The way the chorus breaks up..it’s just a perfect combo of rock and pop. I just LOVE how cool that song is.
Do you have a top one?
“Summer of 69”
Oh I love Bryan Adams.
I saw him way over a decade ago and I was literally the fetus in the room ::both laugh:: He’s just SO good live.
He’s got a bunch of big songs. I went and saw the Eagles back out of high school. I was the only person there who didn’t have to take two or three bathroom breaks, including the band.
The past couple months I’ve had “Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle on repeat..that’s probably my number two!
What is your favorite 80s movie and why?
“Say Anything..”
YES!!
I didn’t realize it was going to be one of my favorites until later on. I think this film and “Some Kind Of Wonderful” have the two most relatable guy characters.
Lloyd is so relatable because he’s so awkward. He’s the normal dude..not the jock. Plus John Cusack plays the hell out of that role.
You can tell John Cusack was sort of playing himself. Awkward, but cool. The best scene in that movie is when they’re at dinner and the father asks him about his future and just says “I want to spend as much time with your daughter as possible.” I remember seeing that in High School and being instantly drawn to it because I wasn’t thinking about ten years down the line, I was thinking about where I would go on my next date.
I can’t find that soundtrack ANYWHERE. It has a great song on it by Nancy Wilson from Heart, called “All For Love.” Of course the “In Your Eyes” scene with the boombox is cannon at this point.
You don’t see that much anywhere; the blending of music and movies. In the 80s and 90s, you could always associate a movie with a song. You don’t have Seal doing “Batman Forever” anymore. You have more scores and “Love Is Blind” cheap type stuff.
What is your song “One Night Stand” about?
I feel like sometimes guys want more from a situationship or relationship than they’re letting on. I was dating a girl for a little while and things were getting heated in some areas, but ice cold in others. I wrote that song because I was tired of the whole one night stand idea. Let’s make this a relationship. If not, let’s move on. The hook is there’s only so many one nights I can stand. I put that one out and had some buddies and random people alike message me and say that they feel the same way! Someone mentioned that they don’t hear guys singing about it, only girls. I’m glad I could bring that perspective to the world.
I heard the song on a IG ad and instantly loved it because I had just went through the same thing
I’m glad those ads are working ::laughs::
Talk about your new song, “Over Me.”
This song is really influenced by the idea of seeing someone so attractive, you and your friends look at each other and say “I would give her all my money, give her my car, let her beat me up, in order for just for one shot with that girl.” Everyone knows that feeling at some point or another. I wrote that, recorded it, went back to the hotel room and had the thought that it would be a really cool music video. I found a music video by a guy named Spencer Sutherland. I really enjoyed it and reached out the director. I sent him a vision board of a bunch of 80s music videos and story boarded the whole idea. We made the music video based on “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel”, “If This Is It” by Huey Lewis” and the “Dirty Dancing” finale scene. We combined all those and there will be a lot of 80s Easter eggs in the video.
If you could sing with any artist or group, who would it be?
Stevie Nicks in the 80s…and Wham! Wham would be awesome. I’ve always looked up to George Michael as just an awesome dude in general. You know what, I’m going to get a earring just because of George Michael.
Reeve’s new song “Over Me” is out now!