Ricky Reed infiltrates pop music as Wallpaper
Anyone who’s ever started a band knows that the music business can be a tough and arduous road–even if you don’t have any aspirations beyond playing a few gigs and getting paid in free beer. If you stick with it, though, the rewards can be pretty awesome. Free beer, for one, is always good, but you could become a bona fide super star–or you could find yourself on any number of the rungs on the ladder of success in-between. If you’re looking for an example of sticking with it, look no further than Ricky Reed, the man behind Wallpaper, an Oakland-based electro-pop act. Reed started the project in 2005 as a sort of satirical look at pop music. Ironically enough, he now may be poised for some level of pop stardom in spite of himself.
With the release of Wallpaper’s latest album, #Stupidfacedd, Reed got the attention of MTV and even had the album’s single, the title track, played on the premier episode of this season’s The Jersey Shore. Maybe not the most auspicious venue to get his music heard, but it certainly opened some doors.
“Obviously, you have to be willing to deal with massive amounts of rejection. You have to be able to handle that,” Reed told Submerge over the phone from Los Angeles. “But when all these things came up, they were big and they felt good, but everything feels big and good the first time.”
Before his most recent breakthroughs, however, it was the small victories that kept Reed going.
“The first time that I played at The Press Club in Sacramento and had three to four attractive girls in the crowd, I thought I was winning,” he said. “The first time that I sold out Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco, I thought, ‘Wow, I’m doing it now.’ That’s the great thing about being a musician. As long as you work hard, in theory, things will get better, and every little milestone just feels a little bit better than the last one did.”
Reed’s recent successes have made him something of a sought-after commodity in the pop music world. Recently, he collaborated with Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo to write Cee-Lo Green’s new single “Anyway.”
“We took one shot at it, then took another shot at it, and the second shot knocked it out of the park,” Reed said. “Working with Rivers is crazy. I grew up listening to Weezer, and he’s a really special dude for sure.
“[Cuomo] came with an idea, and we just sort of built it outwards and it turned out great. He’s a class act. That’s the term to describe Rivers.”
When Submerge caught up with Reed, he was in Los Angeles, one night before heading to Las Vegas to play a show at Haze Night Club at Aria with Far East Movement. In Los Angeles, he was diligently working in the studio writing and producing. While he couldn’t divulge all that he was working on, Reed did tell us that he was putting the finishing touches on a new Wallpaper track. He shared some of the details on that and favored us with other words of wisdom in the following interview.
I saw that yesterday on your Facebook page you posted that you’re leaking a new Wallpaper song in a week or two. What’s that track about?
I can say that it’s sports related–jock jams. That’s all I can say about that.
Do you have an all-time favorite jock jam?
Oh dude, all-time favorite jock jam. There are so many good ones–from Gary Glitter… I really like whoa oh-oh-oh-oh whoa oh-oh-oh-whoa-oh-oh-oh whoa oh-oh-oh-oh… Whatever that one is [the aptly titled “Whoa Oh Oh” by Zombie Nation]. That’s a good one. You know what else is a good one? I’m pretty sure they put it on one of the Mortal Kombat themes, you know, “Gonna Make You Sweat” by C+C Music Factory. That was a weird time in music when pop house music was on the radio. Imagine being at a fucking Oakland Raiders game with all your tough cholo bros, and it’s like [singing], “Why waste your time? You know you’re gonna be mine.” The fucking ‘90s, bro. It was fucking unbelievable.
The ‘90s had all kinds of crazy things you’d never hear on the radio now. Like, Soundgarden was a pop band in the ‘90s.
Oh, I know, dude. You’re not going to hear “Spoonman” unless Dr. Luke produces it. I’d love to hear a Dr. Luke remix of “Spoonman.”
So on the scale of jock jams, would you say the song you’re working on is closer to C+C Music Factory or “We Are the Champions” by Queen?
Oh wow, I would say if you could merge those and sprinkle in a “Whoomp! There It Is” kind of flavor. That kind of “Whoomp! There It Is” energy I try to bring to all my records. I would say that “#Stupidfacedd” and “Fucking Best Song Everrr” definitely have a good dose of “Whoomp! There It Is” woven into them.
You’ve got the live show coming up at Ace of Spades in Sacramento. I was reading that your live show has two drummers and at least two other vocalists. Is that something you’d like to incorporate into the studio–having a bigger band?
In the studio, I just try to make the best songs however they want to be made. The live show, we’re trying to produce something special for people in that environment. There’s not a lot of carryover.
We’re going to do something even bigger and crazier for the Sac show. It’s going to be the debut of a new Wallpaper live set. It’s something nobody’s seen yet. We’re doing it that night and on New Year’s Eve with Kreayshawn in San Francisco.
Are you keeping that under wraps?
I want to keep that somewhat of a secret, but I will say that our live act is usually a four-piece setup, but the Sacramento show will be our first performance as a five-piece for those shows.
I listened to your album a couple of times through, and the first time, I definitely picked up on the beats and the energy, but the second time around, I was paying attention to the lyrics, I picked up on some really good lines in there, especially in “#Stupidfacedd” with that bit about the awkward silence. Is that something you throw in just to see if anyone’s paying attention?
You could definitely say that. I think my lyrical philosophy is just try to get people to pay attention to anything, you know what I mean? Like, hear something and realize you just heard it. Pop music is wallpaper. If you ask somebody what was the patterns or the colors on the walls of the rooms they’d been in today, of course they wouldn’t know what that is. They wouldn’t be able to answer you. That’s what pop largely feels like to me. People just run around with their thumbs up their butts, not paying attention to anything.
You say that, but Wallpaper’s music is obviously in that pop vein too. Is this one of those instances where you can be more rebellious inside the system than you can be outside the system?
I think you can stand on the outside and hurl rocks at it, or you can be the Trojan horse. I’ll leave it at that.
I wanted to ask you about the song you did with K Flay. I’d seen her play at a random club a while back. It was one of those instances where you go out and you don’t even know who’s playing and end up really enjoying it. I was wondering how that song came together and if you wrote it with her in mind.
Yeah, well I knew that K Flay was as broke as me… [laughs]. I wrote that record, and I knew it needed something. I think I met her just before that, and it was just the right timing. I thought, “This is perfect, why don’t you get on this?” She did a great job representing herself on that record, but she contributes to the song in such a great way. She’s just super talented and has also become a really good friend of mine.
Like you said, when you’re coming up you have to deal with a lot of rejection, but I’m sure that now that you’re making some headway, some of those nos are probably turning into yeses. How does that feel when that starts happening? Is it off-putting at first?
That was definitely the case. This sensation I feel pretty often is that I’m putting one over on people, you know? I know that my shit is dope, and I stand behind it, but also with how the rest of this stuff is, the rest of this stuff that you guys are signing off on–the powers that be–do you really think that you want to sign me? Are you really sure? Because I’m going to be a big problem for you guys.
Dev and The Cataracs Tour with Usher, Ready to Take the Pop World by Storm
Small town boy (or girl) makes good. It’s a familiar story–pretty much the basis for the American dream. Rising pop star Dev fits the mold. Raised in Manteca, Calif., she was working a 9-to-5 and attending junior college before her life changed forever. An Amy Winehouse cover recorded on her MacBook that she posted on her Myspace page–a diss track aimed at her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend–caught the attention of producing duo The Cataracs (comprised of Cyrano and Campa). Now just a few years later, she finds herself touring the country with Usher on his OMG Tour. It’s true that in the Information Age, things happen very quickly.
“My life has taken a complete 180,” Dev says. “It’s the gnarliest thing.”
Fear not, though; this isn’t the typical sad little rich girl tale. Dev isn’t crying about her normal life being turned on its ear. The luster of her burgeoning fame has yet to be tarnished, and during our interview, she expressed nothing but gratitude.
“I’m blessed and I couldn’t be happier,” Dev reports from the Rhode Island stop on the OMG Tour. “I’m getting opportunities to work hard and to travel, and it’s really fucking cool. I’d never even been on a plane like that before, and now I’m on one every day.”
Under The Cataracs’ guidance, Dev quickly became something of an Internet sensation. She sang the hook on the deliriously catchy electro-pop-infused hip-hop track “Like a G6” by Far East Movement. The single was released in April 2010 and its video has amassed well over 65 million views on YouTube. The hook from that song is also featured on Dev’s own single with The Cataracs, “Booty Bounce,” which came to light just four months later.
At the end of 2010, Dev and The Cataracs released a new single, “Bass Down Low,” a slickly produced and sexy party anthem. But the young singer/songwriter doesn’t want to be known simply for dropping it like it’s hot, as she’s hoping her upcoming album will attest. The Night the Sun Came Up, Dev’s anticipated debut, will be released on Sept. 20, 2011. On the album, you’ll get the club hits you’d expect; but according to Dev, you’ll also see her and The Cataracs moving their sound deeper, lyrically and musically.
“It’s really fun for me to write a lot of sassy lyrics and stuff like that,” she explains. “We’re young, but [the album] is my chance to show who I am and what I’ve been going through. It’s definitely a youthful album for sure. I grew up in Manteca for 20 years of my life and moved to Los Angeles and got to travel around as I turned 21. You get to feel all these little adventures, all these little journeys I’ve been going on.”
The music also takes Dev to her roots. Her latest single, “In the Dark,” noticeably diverges from the almost sci-fi sounds featured on “Bass Down Low,” showcasing horn samples and a Latin flavor.
“I’m Mexican and Portuguese, and I’m really close to my family,” she says. “The Cataracs knew that would be important. I wanted to somehow add that flavor in there and be really personal… It was important to me to do that on the album.”
Dev gave us more insights into The Night the Sun Came Up, her relationship with The Cataracs and how she and the duo are holding up on their arena tour with Usher.
The venues are a lot larger on the OMG Tour than what you’re accustomed to. Did you and The Cataracs do a lot of work on the stage show to translate your energy into a bigger room?
Yeah definitely. We spent a couple days just working on the set. Me and the Cataracs, it’s perfect when we perform together, because we’re featured on each other’s songs, and we work together almost every day, but it definitely is a little different doing it together this often. So yeah, we definitely spent time putting something special together, I guess you could say.
In an arena show, there’s not a lot of intimacy. It’s harder to make that connection with the audience. Is that something you’ve had to adapt to as a performer?
A little bit, yeah. The first day that we did this, I thought I was a lot more prepared than I really was mentally, I guess. Then I went out there, and I was like, “Holy shit, there’s all these people out here!” I love performing, though. It’s my favorite part, and usually I don’t get too nervous or shook up because it’s what I enjoy most about what I do. But these shows definitely woke my game up, that’s for sure.
I read that you used to compete as a swimmer. Does that kind of competitive mentality stick with you on stage?
It does. It’s so strange how much my tour life reflects my work ethic from being a swimmer for like 14 years. It’s real, and I guess I’m kind of grateful for dedicating so much of my life to something, even though it’s a totally different thing, because they relate in a lot of weird ways. So yeah, thank God for all those years of swimming.
I even read that you write songs at the same time you used to get up for swimming.
Yeah, it’s so weird that it worked out that way. It’s like my favorite time, it’s so strange.
So you’re an early bird then? I heard you like to write around 6 a.m.
Yeah, it’s so weird! You’d think I would be more of a late person, but 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. is my favorite time.
Is it difficult to keep that kind of schedule when you’re on the road?
For sure. It doesn’t always happen. But when I do get the time to enjoy the morning, it’s always really nice.
I wanted to talk about the album that’s coming out. You recorded the album in Costa Rica, and I was wondering if the experience of being there played into the sound of the album at all.
We were there the whole month of January, you know, setting up the skeleton of the album. We recorded roughly around 13 to 15 songs, I think. The whole Costa Rican vibe definitely influenced our flavor on the album. There are a lot of interesting sounds and references. You can definitely tell we were in another place. It was cool to go someplace where we could relax and be open-minded and channel into a different style than what we were all comfortable with being in the city all the time. I’m really excited for everyone to hear all the different sounds and textures on the album. I hope everyone likes it.
I saw an interview where you or one of the guys said that the album goes a lot deeper than what people might be accustomed to from the singles you’ve released so far. Is that a lyrical statement, or the music?
I think it’s a little bit of both. Me and the Cataracs grew up being influenced by a lot of different genres and musicians. We were really free when we started recording this album. I work with them every day. We lived together for two years. They know what I want to come across on this album, and we were finally in a place where nobody was bothering us and in our heads and we could finally just do that. We have a lot of really good dance tracks and hip-hop-influenced electronic pop music or whatever that we’ve recorded over the years, but I never thought that millions of people would listen to. I was like 19 years old and recording in my bedroom. And now, based on the millions of views on YouTube… And it’s great. I like that I can put out these fun and sassy songs, but it was important to me to show that I am a human being, you know? I’m not just a degenerate. I got to be a little bit more in touch with my feelings for once, which is great.
Did you work with any other producers on the upcoming album?
No, not right now. Right now it’s produced and featuring just The Cataracs. I might do something–I haven’t really told anyone this I don’t think–with Timbo [Timbaland]. Me and him got along really great in the studio. I spent a few days with him in Miami a couple months ago and we worked on a lot of tracks together. There was some really cool chemistry. I’m a really, really strange individual, but we got along really well. That might happen. We’ll see. Right now it’s just The Cataracs. That was important to me, to keep it just me and The Cataracs since they’ve helped me and taught me and guided me in figuring out who I am as a human being and an artist. Whether they know it or not, those two crazy boys have done a lot for me. It was important for me to keep it in our little indie pop squad.
In that regard, since you and The Cataracs work so closely together and have a tight bond, when you work with someone else do you feel a sort of separation anxiety?
Right? Like I start throwing up [laughs]. I guess it is, but I try not to look at it like that. I’m just glad I get to write with people who know me so well, so everything comes off really real, I guess. But I don’t usually freak out too bad. I try to take little bits and pieces from every artist that I’ve met… But I only like working with The Cataracs [laughs].
Dev and The Cataracs currently are on the road supporting Usher on his OMG Tour, which hits Sacramento’s Power Balance Pavilion on May 28, 2011. Akon is also performing. Tickets can be purchased through Usher’s official website, Ushernow.com. Dev and The Cataracs will also host the official after party at District 30. Go to District30sacramento.com or call
(916) 737-5770 for details.
