Reo Cragun – Diary of a Loner

By starrymag | May 19, 2022

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) I try and dance on a line that doesn’t lean too far in one direction. I would say I’m between an electronic pop and hip-hop sound. It’s really something that I’ve specifically engineered to be unique and my own.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) A few of my musical influences are Local Natives, Kid Cudi and 2000s era Linkin Park.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “My Life.”

 

A) My life was written from a dark place after a major surgery that had knocked me back for about a year. I was taking a lot of prescription medication, a majority of things in my life hadn’t panned out the way I wanted them to at the time. Now that I’m able to look back on that period of my life, I look at it like a blessing because it’s really a timestamp on what I was going through at the time. It’s something to reflect on as a reminder that I made it through that place.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) My life is a very personal song and is this sense I feel like is very relatable. It’s easy to have self-doubt, feel like your life is in a downward spiral, and sometimes you need to hear the hard things that are difficult to digest. But it’s always nice to know that you’re not the only one feeling these things.

Even though I am expressing myself lyrically is a deep way, I always like to combine that with melodic production. I feel like a lot of times what you’re dealing with internally doesn’t always shine through on the outside. That’s something I feel most people can relate to.

 

Q) What are some themes you explore on your upcoming album Diary of a Loner?

 

A) Diary of Loner walks the listener through personal hardships, deep conversations, monumental life moments, vulnerability, the ability to be introspective and extreme emotions. It really was a rollercoaster, it’s a coming-of-age story where I was learning in real time during the process of making this record on what it means to become a man.

The new album is a window into my life. It’s really telling the story of the hardships and triumphs I’ve experienced in the last few years – my father was released from prison, being a new husband, really just trying to figure out who I am as a human. This album is really a reflection, a diary, of these conversations I have being completely honest and genuine with myself. It was what I was going through at the time and how I was processing these life changing experiences, raw and whole-heartedly. That’s why the project is called Diary of a Loner.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) I actually write, sing, record and produce mostly on my own. I like to switch up the process and order in which I do things often. Sometimes I produce and then I write. Other times I’ll do a full a cappella run for something that popped into my head in the shower and then I’ll go back and develop the beat around that. Other times the Executive Producer on the project, Jeremy Lloyd, would come in with ideas and I would just do melodies and work around that. I’m always trying to switch it up to keep me on a creative edge and be constantly doing these differently. I think this is what allows me to tap into my creative ability and creative different music. It was important to not put myself in to a box with this project because it was a really emotional album. I think if I would have approached every song the same way I wouldn’t have gotten the outcome that I did.

 

Q) How much of a hand do you have when it comes to the production side of your music?

 

A) I’ve produced/co-produced majority of my music but have collaborated with some others like Jeremy ‘Clear Eyes’ Lloyd who co-produced Diary of A Loner. Also, Kid Ink, Whethan and Sam from Marian Hill are on the new project.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) Oh man, one of my favorite shows I’ve ever done was in Mexico City. It was just so crazy to experience fans and people singing back your lyrics when English isn’t their native language.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) There are so many artists on my life but a few are Frank Ocean, Tame Impala, Local Natives and Drake.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thank you for being on this journey with me. The ship doesn’t stop sailing here. I hope all of you can take a piece from this project and relate to it in some way.

 

 

Explore Diary of a Loner