20 years ago, Eli Paperboy Reed recorded some songs in his basement with absolutely zero idea that they would still be on high rotation around the world today.
From busking on the streets of Harvard Square to becoming a celebrated blues and R&B artist, Eli Paperboy Reed has enjoyed the type of career longevity every musician dreams of. This May, he’s heading to Melbourne to mark two decades of music that sounds like it’s been pulled straight from the heart of America’s musical roots.
This is all a far cry from the early days when Reed pressed CDs and sold them on street corners. That music, which was recorded in a basement studio in Allston, Massachusetts, formed his debut album, Sings Walkin’ And Talkin’ And Other Smash Hits! To celebrate how far that record has come, it is being re-released in a deluxe package, which, funnily enough, will feature more unreleased songs than tracks from the original record.
Eli Paperboy Reed tour dates
Eli Paperboy Reed + The Harlem Gospel Travelers + The Meltdown tour dates:
- Thursday, May 8 – Corner Hotel, Richmond, VIC
- Friday, May 9 – Theatre Royal, Castlemaine, VIC
- Saturday, May 10 – The Baso, Belconnen, ACT
- Sunday, May 11 – Metro Theatre, Sydney, NSW
- Thursday, May 15 to Sunday, May 18 – Blues On Broadbeach, Gold Coast, QLD
Eli Paperboy Reed + The Meltdown tour dates:
- Tuesday, May 13 – Centro CBD, Wollongong (Duo with Simon Burke of The Meltdown)
- Monday, May 19 – Byron Theatre, Byron Bay, NSW (Duo with Simon Burke of The Meltdown)
- Thursday, May 22 – The Memo, Healesville, VIC
- Friday, May 23 – The Gov, Hindmarsh, SA
- Saturday, May 24 – Queenscliff Town Hall, Queenscliff, VIC
- Sunday, May 25 – Meeniyan Town Hall, Meeniyan, VIC
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“I certainly had no idea that things would be like this. I had no intention of making music professionally back then, not even a little bit. At the time, I was just recording music to hear what I sounded like and to know if I was good enough. I got in the room with a bunch of guys from high school and just played all of the songs I knew how to play. Then, when listening back, I figured it was pretty good, and I got a nice sense of myself.”
For better or for worse, Reed has always done whatever he wanted to do. While his seven-album discography shuffles genres slightly, his values of good songs, intensity and emotionalism have always remained. “I think everything I’ve ever done sounds like me – I hope. I think everyone who makes music wants that. I think I’ve done that, although I guess I’m not the one who can make that call.”
Longevity in the music industry is rare. We can even argue that it will be rarer as we progress. Compared to when Reed started recording songs, the business of music has completely transformed. He comes from a time of major labels and no streaming platforms but surprisingly takes a glass-half-full approach to the shift. “I think streaming offers artists an opportunity to have longevity. Think about Hall & Oates. Very famous, obviously. They made records that sold big numbers but probably dwindled a little until Spotify came along, and they are now seeing millions of streams a year. That’s a whole new revenue stream that will continue for the rest of their lives and beyond. Those prospects didn’t exist at all when I was getting started. We have the opportunity for songs to find new life now; you never know when you are going to pull a Kate Bush/Stranger Things moment. You have an opportunity as an artist right now to cultivate a small amount of fans that continue to be there for you and afford you to have a real career.”
Reed is explaining an idea that is well-summed up in Kevin Kelly’s 1000 True Fans article. The theory is that all you need is a committed group of people (preferably 1000) to help you sustain a career doing what you love. “That article is bang on; it may be more like 10,000 now, but if you can cultivate that subset of fans, and they are there for you, then you will make a good living. It’s much easier for me to do this than it would be for a mainstream artist. People who like my music will come back again and again because they expect something specific from me. A bigger artist with a million streams on one song can just be a name on a playlist, but people aren’t necessarily looking for the next thing they do. Artists on the playlist aren’t recognisable most of the time.”
The name of the game for Reed is cultivating fans that stay with him, and he has managed to do that around the world. “I’m in a position now where I can go on tour without a new record, and people will still come to the shows based on my reputation. This is a new thing for me, and I like it. It means I can play whatever I like on tour, and people will like it. That’s a great position to be in.”
Eli Paperboy Reed is playing five shows across Victoria through May and the 20th Anniversary re-release of his debut 2005 album comes out on June 6.
This article was made in partnership with Roadsong and Tales Of A City Present.
