Local muso Stuart Reece answers 24 questions

Cape Town – Eastern Cape-born musician Stuart Reece recently released his EP, Broke Down Beat Down and is currently on tour in SA promoting it.
While on his stop in Cape Town, we got to ask him a few questions.
Check it out here:
1. What was the first thing you did when you got up this morning?
Coffee! Yes it was definitely coffee!
2. What was the last thing you ate?
I ate… it’s called Amy’s Bar Basket. I ate that last night, I haven’t had breakfast yet. I woke up and went straight to Kfm.
3. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?
My fiancée Jean.
4.What’s the most exciting thing in your life right now?
Probably this EP launch that we’re doing. We’re trying to promote this EP and just being able to play it live and sell it.
5. What is the last movie you watched?
I watched… a Will Smith movie called Focus.
6. What is your favourite instrument to play?
Guitar.
7. How old were you when you performed in front of people for the first time?
I was 13 years old.
8. What is the one song that you don’t like to sing live?
One of my own songs, called Falling For You, it’s very very high for me. If we’re talking covers, I don’t like to perform Wonderwall by Oasis, but everyone seems to ask for that song. I think I’ve played it too many times in my life. It’s a good song, don’t get me wrong!


9. What inspired the songs on your new EP, Broke Down Beat Down?
The EP is a feel-good EP, so I wanted to write stuff about the good things in life. So the inspiration behind the songs were just trying to make some music that will be catchy, and have a coastal sort of feel and you can tap your feet to it, that type of thing. So the inspiration was, let’s make something happy!
10. Can you describe your sound in one sentence?
Someone described it the other day as beach pop. And then someone else described it as surf rock. So beach pop surf rock.
11. What is the fondest memory of your childhood?
I guess it was when I was around 13 years old and I didn’t have a worry in the world. Me and my friends were all skateboarders, and that’s what we used to do every single day after school. We just wanted to get through school so we could go skate. We had this like corner where we would hang out and skate every afternoon. So I guess that is one of my fondest memories.
12. What has been a career highlight?
It was probably Algoa Live, which was last year, it’s sort of the equivalent to K-Day, but it’s an Eastern Cape thing, where I’m from. That was probably my best gig, and then we released a song, it’s called Silver Rocket Cadillac from my EP, and Algoa FM played it and they’ve have been so supportive, it went to number 1 on the Top 30 once. So both highlights have been Algoa related, they’ve really been very supportive.

13. What is your favourite drink on a cold, rainy night?
I don’t want to say coffee, I do like my caffeine! You know those instant cappuccinos? You know those little sachets? That’s probably my favourite drink.
14. What do you order at a drive-through?
I’m a burger and chips guy, keep it simple, cheese burger and chips, nothing fancy…
15. What do you never travel without?
My phone, my wallet… I’m trying to think of something else… You know what it is? It’s this jacket (points to jacket he is wearing), I wear it every day of my life, I don’t go anywhere without my jacket, my black leather jacket.

16. Do you have any rituals before going on stage?
I do yes, I stretch! It’s very strange, and then this is quite strange… I was playing at the Grahamstown festival once, it’s cold there and you play like four shows four days in a row, you maybe do eight shows in two days. And I’m a little bit superstitious, so I believe if you wear the same underwear you wore the day before you’ll have a good show. That’s very strange ja!
17. What’s been the best advice you’ve ever received?
I think it’s just, never give up, if you want it badly enough just keep on doing it until something gives.  So it's plain and simple.
18. Who is the one person you would still like to collaborate with?
Jeremy Loops. I will absolutely go mad if I can get that right.
19. Have you ever googled yourself and what did you find?
You know what I have actually, uhm, there was like a couple of photos, basically from different shoots I’ve done, nothing embarrassing.
20. What’s your favourite TV show of all time?
The Office. The American Office is the best!

21. If you weren’t a singer, what would you be doing?
Carpentry, woodwork.
22. What is the best compliment you’ve ever received? 
It’s a difficult question to answer! I mean if you play a gig people would say like you have a nice voice, nice songs. I guess someone once told me that I’m a good person inside.
23. If you could go on a holiday right now, where would you go?
Thailand.
24. What’s next for you?
Well, it’s this EP launch and tour. We’re going to the Eastern Cape to promote the EP and continue pushing through with the singles we have recorded. But when I get back to Joburg I’m actually doing an internship, at the Hit Lab recording studio. So, basically they’re going to teach me how to record properly and I’m going to produce a little bit here and there.
Tour dates:

6 July – Champs Action Bar, Grahamstown
8 July – Rock Lily, St Francis Bay

insert2 ads here