Spreading the Word of Mouth with John Reuben
02-09-2007
by Brenten Gilbert

It's been seven years and still John Reuben presses on. With the release of Word of Mouth, his 5th studio project, John has proven that it's possible to continually grow musically as you grow in other aspects of your life.

A few weeks before the release, CMCentral.com's Editor brenten gilbert caught up with John Reuben (after a hair appointment, if you must know) and chatted about the new album, being comfortable in your own skin and the importance of being honest. It was a fun interview, filled with laughter and reminiscing.

Below is that conversation.

brenten gilbert: So, I guess "Happy Birthday" is in order. . .

John Reuben: Thank you very much.

Did you get any good presents?

Yeah. Let's see. . . Yeah, I got some solid stuff. I got a back massager - you know, from one of those little stores in the mall. . .

Sharper Image?

Yeah, something like that. It's good. Now I can stop getting my wife to hook me up and just plug that thing in and sit there for hours. I also got a few Starbucks gift certificates, so that was nice.

Those always work well.

Always.

Now, you sent out a message saying what you really want for your birthday is for people to buy your album. . .

(laughs)

Yes. You saw it at the website.

I even saw the hidden message, the one that colorblind people probably couldn't see. . .

(laughs) Yeah, we pulled that together last minute. That was a random thing we shot a while ago. It was kind of one of those things that my brother was in town doing some filming for some music videos we are going to use for the album as well as some other sketch comedy stuff. We just threw that together since it was a couple of weeks out from my birthday and that kind of came together, kind of nice to have, we didn't think we would actually get to use it but it's kind of fun to use and to encourage some pre-orders, marketing.

That's right, it's all about marketing now a days. So why don't we talk a little bit about the album. It's called Word Of Mouth. So what is the "word of mouth," straight from the horse's mouth?

From the horse's mouth. . . I like my record .

(laughs) You do know that the bass drum is supposed to go on your stomach and not on your back right?

Yeah. I'm trying to be unique

(laughs)

That's probably why your back hurts and why you need the massages

Good observation. I should take that into account.

(laughs)

No, the drum on the back. . . We had originally. . . A while ago, I did a photo shoot for a "one-man band" and that was actually going to be the photo shoot for Professional Rapper. We had shot it and the album cover - it was originally going to be called "one-man band." That's why I had cymbals on my knees, a big drum on my back and kind of random things all rigged up as kind of one-man band costume. I never ended up using the shoot, but when I was watching Mary Poppins a few months ago, I saw Dick Van Dyke with the one-man band thing and I was like, "We need to bring that back." It didn't necessarily turn into that, but hat was the original idea for the drum being on the back.

Very cool.

You probably didn't want me to go into that much detail about it. . .

You know what, I never know what to expect when you're the one talking. . .

(laughs)

So I expect the unexpected. Speaking of expectations, tell us a little bit about the album. What can we expect from it?

This is where I get the chance to tell everybody how incredible the album is, how ground breaking it is.

Tell us why it's your best album ever.

It's the most me. This album is different. I think that people who've followed my music expect every album to be a little different. This one is definitely different than The Boy Vs. The Cynic. I actually did not produce this record - I worked very closely with the producer Joe Baldridge. There were a handful of guys - quite a bit of people - who lent their talents to the album, so it has a really unique feel. I was happy with the way it turned out because I felt like it has a lot of variety on the album without sounding scattered. [The songs] kind of make sense with one another. It's definitely my most focused album.

And the lyrics kind of continue your trend of pointing out hypocrisy and show some concern for the human condition. . .

Yeah.

Is it safe to say that the cynic defeated the boy then?

No, I wouldn't say that. I think sometimes in order for people - even from the faith perspective - to get back to that childlike faith, you've got to face a lot of really ugly things head on and be honest with yourself. Just where you are in life? That would be the whole idea with The Boy Vs. The Cynic. I don't encourage cynicism. I know it's kind of popular, even in Christian circles, to be cynical when you are in your twenties, but I don't encourage it. I tend to think of it as a dead end. I think people can be brutally honest and can be very vulnerable. At times that can appear like cynicism. I don't advocate being bitter or jaded. It's easy to take on that attitude and rally behind that attitude and have a sort of angst about how you see the world, but I'm a firm believer that you can be completely aware of what is going on and be engaged fully in the real world and still be optimistic and happy and have freedom. Some people look at joy and happiness as being ignorant or as this. . . I don't know how I'm going to finish that, but I think I'd probably keep repeating myself right now.

(laughs)

With the album, if anything. . . Yeah, sure I'll point out some observations, but I hope the overall theme when people really dive into it is that it has hope in it.

A childlike hope with the matured perspective of what's going on around you.

Absolutely.

Now given the different style of music that you've kind of moved towards, do you still consider yourself a "professional rapper"?

That's usually how it works.

I actually think this [album] might have a more appealing [sound]. This one might appeal to the hip-hop community a little more.

Does it bother you that people might still just see your name and write it off as just, "John Rueben - yeah, he's just that funny hip-hop guy" or whatever preconceived notions that they might have had of you?

Does it bother me? At times, yeah. If I'm being completely honest. I think for me. . . I don't really take myself that seriously. I don't think what I do is that brilliant or amazing. You kind of have to deal with your insecurity issues head on. I've become very comfortable with who I am and the music I've made and what my goals were when I was making the music. Even at a young age, I had the ability to be negative or I had the ability to, I don't know, write more serious songs, to have more of an aggressive attitude. But I think I was more specifically, I don't know how to word it. . . I guess if you don't know how to word something, maybe you shouldn't try to word it. . . maybe it's not what you're really trying to say.

What are you trying to say?

I think I always knew what I was doing. Now, just because I'm getting older, I'm writing more serious music. But I think if anybody is willing to take the time to listen, then whatever preconceived ideas they have. . . If they are well-rounded individuals, they'll be able to make up their own mind.

Fair enough.

I think the worst thing you can do is to tell somebody [who you are]. If they think you are somebody and you go out of your way to tell them that you're not. I think people need to come to those conclusions on their own, you know? I have a pretty good conception. Certain communities of people might think [they know] who or what I am. But you can't just say, "Hey, I really am legit, give me a shot."

(laughs)

You just end up making yourself more foolish. In the end you've got to ask yourself, too, "Do I even really want them to get it?" Do you know what I mean? Because I think people who get what you are doing. . . As I'm saying this I realize that it might sound a little arrogant, as if I'm doing something so amazing that only certain people get it. That's not what I'm saying, but I guess the point would be that you don't want to beg people for respect. If people don't respect it, they don't respect it.

Yeah, that's Biblical, too. You know, where it says not to put yourself in a place of honor, because then the host will make you sit at the end of the table.

That's some good Proverbs right there man.

I'm quick with it, man.

(laughs)

What would you say are some of the biggest challenges of maintaining your career and moving forward with each album?

How to maintain and enjoy what you do. When you first start out making music, you make it because you like it. You're having fun making it. You're not analyzing anything too much. For me, I wasn't paying attention. I had no concept of critics or how quickly [they react] if you do something. For me, I was just having fun. I didn't realize that if I did something, it might come back or that people would hold it over my head for a long time. You understand this kind of stuff in theory, but you don't really understand it fully. I was just doing anything and everything as I had the opportunity to do it - there wasn't a ton of strategy to anything I was doing. Someone offered me a record deal. I was a follower of Jesus, I had nothing else going on in life, and I didn't have any management, so nobody was giving me warnings or anything like that, I just did it.

I always knew enough about the music industry to not get myself in a bad predicament. Obviously, I signed with Gotee [Records] and they've been very good to me. But as you get a little older, you get a little more years behind you, and you start realizing what might have been a good decision or a bad decision or what you probably should have done differently. Then every negative comment that comes your way, you start thinking about it when you are writing music. I just don't think that's the way we're meant to write and create. I try my best not to write music out of insecurity or fear, but sometimes that definitely leaks into what you are doing - fears you might have had, past experiences, critisms or anything. I'm being vague right now, I don't know how specific I want to be.

Evasive.

And if I'm being completely honest, I'd say the hardest aspect is to figure out how I can make more money, you know what I mean?

(laughs)

No, I'm just joking.

That's why you started doing all of the videos and all of that kind of stuff right?

Yeah, I'm desperate. I'm begging people on MySpace to buy my album. . . I promise it's good.

So, you mentioned some mistakes you made. In hindsight, would you have done anything differently over the course of your career?

I don't know. Probably. Definitely.

(laughs)

There are definitely things here and there. I probably would have acknowledged what I had a lot more. I think when I was younger, I definitely worked hard for what I had, but it happened so quickly. By saying all of this, you kind of take on the tone that you've been this large success which I really haven't, but any amount of success from nothing - paying your bills, traveling through Europe and having people [who are] really into what you do. It was a whole new world for me, so I don't think I fully grasped how hard it was to get people on board with your music. To be able to have a label push you and get people to really be into what you are doing is quite a task. I realize that more and more.

As I keep making albums and see so many bands come and go so quickly, having never really gotten off the ground, [I realize that] I've been very fortunate. I think I've done my share of dumb things. . . I was the kind of guy who would rap on anybody's album or do anything. If people wanted me to shoot a random video or anything like that, I just never really thought about. I would always adjust what I did as a person and as an artist based on the people I was performing in front of. Not because I felt like I was selling out, but because I always respected the audience and people's difference of opinion or difference in taste enough to know. I thought that if I came out doing exactly what I wanted to do, it might fly over some people's head, that they wouldn't grasp what I was trying to go for. So I toned it down or tamed it depending on who I was in front of. Things you don't realize nowadays and even more so in the last few years than ever. Anything you do will either end up on the internet - especially with YouTube. So if there are any regrets, it's one of these stupid videos I shot. It was tailor-made for something small, but now people can go on YouTube and see me making an idiot of myself.

There is an art to being an idiot and there is some quality stuff up there. Then you make a fool of yourself and you are like, "Why did I ever do that?"

(laughs)

But any complaints I have. . . Truthfully, if Gotee would have never given me the chance. . . I guess what I'm saying is that at least I'm in the position to have complaints.

That's that optimist in you. Alright, so what's back for Johnny Reubonic? You've got a handful of tour dates on the site and videos in the works, what else you got?

Big things, man. Big things are happening. I'm putting out 4 videos out from this album. Actually, coming here soon - in the next week or two - a buddy of mine has been working nonstop the last three months on a animated video for "Word Of Mouth." So, an animated video for that and a handful of other videos - some really random music videos and some sketch comedy stuff, which I'm really excited about. We are putting all of that out along with the album. And we're going to be touring. My brother and I are working on a script right now and we are hoping to be able to film something this summer. A low-budget movie. So there is a handful of things that I'm doing creatively and I'm excited about.

That's good. Now for a fun question. What five albums last year were your favorites or most influential?

Five albums last year. . . Do they have to be from last year?

I'll give you some leeway. As long as you were listening to them last year.

I listened to the Amelie Soundtrack quite a bit. There's this guy named K-Os. I had his album, but I didn't really dig into it until last year. That album, Joyful Rebellion, is a great record. I guess it's an older album, but I really dug into last year.

I think he's got a new one coming out this year, in a month or so. . .

Yeah, the guy's really solid. I was really, really into Sufjan Stevens. I know a lot of people like him, but I can understand why a lot of people like him. His record was really good. The handful of records I've gotten from him - Michigan, Illnois and I have his Christmas album. I really enjoy his stuff. Let's see, five albums. I'm rummaging through my car right now. I don't know, can we leave it at three?

If that's all you got. . .

Fergie's record was really good. . .

(laughs)

Nah, I'm just kidding. I really do like her singles, though. I joke with my wife, I joked about her getting that for me for Christmas. I probably really would have enjoyed it if she'd gotten it. I didn't want to, but I really liked the single on the radio.

Guilty pleasure?

I'm not even embarrassed about it. They are really good tunes. "Fergalicious." That's really good. That's quality.

(laughs)

Let me think for a minute, I need two more. I liked Omega Watts album. I'll throw that in there.

There you go, that was a great album.

Yeah very good. I'm trying to think of some others, 'cause I was really consumed with my own beats this year, messing around with my album. A lot of the spare time in my car, I was writing or thinking through what I was going to use. I feel like I should be plugging a Gotee artist.

(laughs)

Oh you know what, man? Now I forgot their name. . . This is ridiculous. This album is amazing. I've listen to it three or four times already, but I've misplaced it. . . Gasoline Heart.

Gasoline Heart?

Gasoline Heart is a Mono vs. Stereo release and it is phenomenal. That's the five

That's your five and you are sticking with it.

That's my five.

Well, if you've been paying attention, you already know my final question.

And that is?

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet? Until I put a million in the bank, we are not there yet.

(laughs)

Is there anything else you wanted to share?

No, not really. Check out the record it comes out Feb 6th

And check out JohnReuben.com to find out what he is "dippity doing."

Classic.

Definitely, and those videos were quite entertaining.

Well, we enjoyed it. It was fun. Those were the days when we were young and naïve. . .

. . .

I'm being silly now. Just trying to dialogue. . . Apparently, you didn't want to play along. . .

(laughs)

I'm sorry, dude.

I'm just kidding, man.

My trick knee is telling me that a storm is coming. . .

. . .

So, we should wrap this up. . .

Oh! Now you're dialoguing and I'm not playing along. . .

You left me hanging man. . . We are just not clicking today.

(laughs)

Alright, thanks for taking some time to chat with me.

Yeah, thank you

I wish you the best with this album. I think it'll do pretty well for you

I'm sure I'll talk to you again. . .

Find out more about John Reuben and Word of Mouth at JohnReuben.com or MySpace.com/JohnReuben