Singer / songwriter Reuben Hollebon is from Norfolk, England. Unlike most musicians that you hear of today, Reuben didn’t even pick up a guitar until he was 18 years old. He has just recently released his debut LP, titled Terminal Nostalgia, back in May. He’s currently prepping for his nationwide tour, and we have the premiere for his latest release – the video for the acoustic version of his track, “Haystacks.”
The video is simple, just Reuben and his guitar, strumming and singing softly. The atmosphere is calm and relaxed, with something a little extra that you can’t really put your finger on. The vocals are low and the air seems somewhat dark and unsettling, which adds an interesting component to the video. I also got the change to ask Reuben some questions about his music.
How do you think your upbringing has affected your music?
Undoubtedly where you grow up seeps into your musical style and massively into lyrics. I would’ve loved to have been a technical musician but had no training when I was young, not playing till I was 18. I was a ferocious music fan though, every weekend any money I’d made from when I was 12 onwards was spent on new records. I think you are a different musician if you have the formal training background, though I’m not preferencing either option.
If you could share the stage with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
Captain Beefheart – a great challenging story teller who kept his Magic Band on edge with such style and noise.
How would you describe your music?
It starts with guitar and vocals, but also involves a large swathe of bass, drums and sound painting. Everything in there is meant to emphasize some story, if there’s dark content to a track then I’ll add extra dissonance. The aim is to show my love of songs and sounds, when I write I start from different instruments as they can alter how a song is formed. The only limit on instrumentation in a record is whether or not I can play them yet, and regularly i’ll get someone who can do such better than myself.
Tell me about the acoustic version of “Haystacks”. What was the process behind the song? The story?
Breaking “Haystacks” down to just acoustic and vocals allows the tale to come out more. It is largely based on a true story, and yet add’s a little extra but the feeling is entirely true. When i was young some kids were accused of setting a field on fire after lighting a haystack up, one of them stopped hanging around with kids any more, and that sadly led to a dark ending.
What was your favorite part of creating “Haystacks”?
The initial flick on the note that keeps returning, smashing the semitone interval made the song. It doesn’t resolve, it shouldn’t resolve, it’s hard for me to forget, the feeling behind the story had been sitting there for a while and the lyrics came out in one evening and were tracked the next day.
If you had a super power, what would it be and why?
I’d be able to pause it all sometimes.
What’s up next for you?
I write and record most days, try to play music with others every week, and I’m going on tour of North America in September, and hope to be doing the same in Europe soon after.
