British alt-folker Reuben Hollebon hopes to embrace all dimensions of the dynamic music industry, and he instinctively found the right group of people to support such high ambitions.
Hollebon recently signed a deal with the San Francisco Bay Area’s independent Bright Antenna Records. And despite interest from big-name labels, Hollebon finally sensed an “ah ha” moment: “It felt like a solid foundation. Bright Antenna has the same ethics in regards to how I want to make music.”
Praised for engineering artists including Basement Jaxx and Courtney Barnett, Hollebon is ready to experiment with a unique and personal sound, which means expanding his creative skills beyond just singing, songwriting, guitar playing and performing. Basically anything to avoid the “one hit wonder” curse.
“If you’re a musician you have to do music every day if you really want it.”
“I've chosen to try and make music for a long period of time. That doesn’t mean just writing one good song–it means learning how to put more out. [Bright Antenna] was prepared to join me in this. It felt quite fresh [because] things keep changing constantly.”
And Hollebon is comfortable enough to appreciate this steady learning process. He now understands when to staunchly push for what he wants, and when it’s best to back off and patiently wait things out.
Initially, Hollebon doubted his own talents and almost quit making music altogether. But once the smaller moments (practicing and working with friends in the studio) led to bigger accomplishments (recording and recruiting a strong management team), he finally felt satisfied enough to accept his struggles as a growing musician.
“You will only find out if you do it,” he states, “so you have to do it right. If you’re a musician, you have to play or record or perform. Do music every day if you really want it. Only by doing [so] do you really achieve and get to where you want to be.”
After releasing a handful of hit singles including “Faces” and “Clutch” while independently based in London last year, Hollebon is now working on his debut album.
– Danica Bellini
