Rising Stars: Meet Reeve Stimpson of Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Reeve Stimpson

Hi Reeve, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m from a small town in VA called Powhatan, the closest big city is Richmond. I grew up doing anything creative that I could. From making movies, to being in plays and writing songs, I’ve always wanted some way of expression. I moved to Nashville in 2016 to go to Belmont University for songwriting. I graduated in 2020 and was a recipient of the 2019 BMI Songwriting scholarship for a song I wrote called “Words You Say”. I moved here to be a country songwriter and while my music I write and perform now isn’t country, I still hope to write country for other artists. I was part of a band for quick time and once I left the group I decided to branch out into music that I enjoy listening to which is really inspired from the music of the 70’s and mostly 80’s. My grandparents owned a record store before I was born but my dad managed to keep alot of the cassette tapes from there and I grew up on all of that from Eddie Money, Bryan Adams, Huey Lewis and the News and some great rock records like Van Halen, Foreigner and Boston. I started working on my current project last year by releasing the first two songs “Back to the Future” and “One Night Stand’ as well as a self produced cover of “Somebody Told Me” by the Killers. We just finished filming a music video for my new song “Over Me” and that will be my original song #3 release.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve had things that kept me back from pursuing what I really wanted to in music but that was mostly due to bad relationships and friendships. If I’ve had any struggles I’ve kept the same attitude through it all, that there’s so little time I have here that I’m not going to let any of the small things hold me back from pursuing what I want and there’s no use in holding on to the things that I saw as obstacles.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
What sets me apart from others in the new 80’s music space is vocals and writing. Alot of the modern 80’s seems to focus on synthwave which is great scene but very similar in alot of the songs. I want people to hear new music that only reminds them of 80’s music while giving subtle references and throwbacks in my music videos. There are alot of bands making music that could fit into my sound like “The Band Camino” or “NIGHTLY” but I’m trying to stand out as a solo artist like the people I admired such as Don Henley, Glenn Frey, & Bryan Adams, guys that really brought big voices to songs. I’m hoping to showcase the vocal and writing quality over the next 4 songs I’m releasing as well.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ve had so many people to credit and this is my favorite part because I know I’ve been so fortunate to have amazing role models. First and foremost my parents deserve the most credit. My mom has always let me be as creative as possible and fostered all my crazy ideas. She showed my how much fun it was to make something from nothing like our own halloween costumes as kids, or the sets we made for our plays and home movies. She has always been someone to remind me it’s okay to not conform and to be my own person. My dad has always supported me since I can remember. He was at most of my sporting events as a kid like swim meets and a lot of my friend’s dads didn’t take the time to be there as much as mine did. I’m really grateful for him being the one I can call to discuss my music, the business of it all, and just a great friend to have.

I’ve had a strong work ethic exemplified in my family from grandparents and I see it in my siblings and parents as well. It was really important for me to see at a young age that I’m not going to be handed everything that I want and that If I want this music career to thrive I have to put in the work to make my own luck.

I’ve had a few professors at Belmont that helped me in my career and give really great advice even after I’ve left school. Professors like Kris Lamb and Cristi Williams-Gilbert are two that come to mind when I think of great teachers and not just professors. They are both tied to the music industry closely and it was really beneficial to have them take an interest in my career and take the time to help in any way they can.

Friends of my dad have also been some of my biggest supporters. They’ve known me since I was a kid and they help support in any way they can.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://reevestimpson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reeve.music/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ReeveStimpson/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/reeve_music
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@reevestimpson