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Reuben Hollebon talks forthcoming debut album ‘Terminal Nostalgia’

Jon Berrien
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British alt-folk musician Reuben Hollebon is gearing up to take his fans on a powerful and emotional journey through his life stories with the forthcoming debut album ‘Terminal Nostalgia‘. He just released some fresh new visuals for his track “Faces” and is building momentum for the big release.

GroundSounds recently caught up with Reuben to talk about his latest project, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.

 

For those just discovering your music, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started?

I was a music lover early on but far from a musician, so I bugged a studio owner for a fair while to teach me how to record, eventually he succumbed. We were recording a new band everyday, mixing the tracks in the afternoon and setting up for the next act. I learned music from that side of the microphone first, but my own songs started piling up, and I had to learn to perform. Now my own material takes precedent.

What was it like growing up in Norfolk?

It’s a beautiful place, many kind hearts, but it is somewhat restrictive on opportunity, particularly before the internet was common. The stunning landscape and social stories seeped into me, and formed most of my songs. I can’t say its inferior to a city or vice-versa as I only have the one childhood to compare.

INVurnp2We are excited for your upcoming debut album Terminal Nostalgia, can you tell us about working on this project and bringing it to fruition?

I had a lot of songs, they were raw and exciting but far from ready, working with them taught me which were important. Lots of the recordings were done on my own; however I took the opportunity to work with other producers as often as I could. There’s an enigma to the way others work, it’s great to have someone to perform to, and the results are frequently better. Each record that made the cut has such significance to me, I’m hoping that this translates to others.

What made you decide on the name Terminal Nostalgia?

It’s easy to suffer from a terminal case of nostalgia, we all do, but I feel that pulls the focus away from life. For me the songs wrap up some of the past moments at the same time as discussing today and the future.

Can you tell us about the writing and creative process involved with your track “Faces?”

“Faces” is my attempt to sum of the many personalities a single person is formed from, with the more extreme being more exiting. When the lyrics talk about me, you and it they all refer to the self. This was a two day recording session with two friends, who i admire greatly as producers, the song was formed and we all jumped on new ideas to push it further. The studio felt charged and the track reflects this.

What musicians/bands are you currently listening to?

This week the main bands have been At the Drive-In, Bill Withers, Kendrick Lamar, and The Maccabees. I tend to spin through many albums each week, there are more great albums out there already than I’ll ever get a chance to listen to.

What was the inspiration for your track “Common Table?”

It’s the great hope of meeting everyone after we die, the place or form this takes doesn’t matter so much to me. It’s appropriate that the track contains my obsession for spinning patterns, is relatively simple in form, and hymnal in verse.

When you’re not playing music what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I follow Kurt Vonnegut’s advice to be tribal, spending time with others, the activities are somewhat superfluous. However, I do spend a lot of time seeking other music and art, doing  tactile activities, like building and fixing anything, and writing a lot.

After the album release, what’s next for Reuben Hollebon? What can fans look forward to?

It’s all about touring, the plan is to be on the road, both on my own and with the full band. I’ll still be writing the next set of songs, and working on a few records for other musicians.

Stay in touch with Reuben Hollebon: FACEBOOK | WEBSITE