Hello and welcome to College Radio Charts, Reesethenyturtle! First off, can you tell us about that name and how you’d like us to refer to you?
“Reese” is in reference to my love for Reese’s cups. I was just going by Reese until I realized there were so many, so I added to it to differentiate myself. I added “NY” to show where I’m from (The Bronx). And the “turtle” addition is a bit extensive. Ok, so my favorite color is green and turtles are… you guessed, green. The combination of “NY” (fast paced city) and “turtle” (notoriously known for being slow) to me means that I move at my own pace. In Chinese mythology turtles are believed to have carried the Earth on its back. So another use for adding “turtle” was when the weight of the world is on my shoulders I can keep moving forward even if it’s at a slow pace. They also symbolize longevity, wisdom, tranquility, and they mate for life. But in person u can just call me Reese.
Congratulations on your upcoming EP The Wrisumer! Where did that title come from?
The title came from my opinion of a “writers” ear and a “consumers” ear. A writer will listen for syllable patterns, creative usage, things of that nature where as most consumers are just listening for the catchiness of a song. And with my EP I’m trying to bridge the gap and try to tune the consumers ear a little closer to a writers’
“Not A Big Fan” is the first single off the new EP. Can you talk to us about the inspiration behind this track? What was the writing process like?
So the concept was given to me by a TikTok friend after I asked for suggestions. The suggestion given was to make a “hate, love song.” At first I was kinda perplexed, like how does that even work? Lol. But then I hit YouTube, in search of a beat, and came across the one that was selected. Normally when I’m creating a song I’ll listen to the beat and say random words that I feel go with the rhythm. Then I branch out to the chorus so on and so on.
You’ve collaborated with a guest singer on “Not A Big Fan.” Who is this incredible performer and how did this collaboration come about?
So the featured collab is with Bluban. We met on TikTok and he told me that he does music as well. So once I got most of the song done; I reached out to him and asked if he wanted to be on it, and he came through. Now the vocalist Jay, I found on a music site. I listened to her demo tracks and was like, 1,000 times YES!! Lol
The Wrisumer is set to release on June 1st. What can fans expect from this new project?
They can expect variety of genres, feelings, perspective, and lyricism. I try to make music for every possible demographic. So if one song is not for you the next one will be.
You’ve been known to work across various genres including Funk, Pop, and Punk Rock. How do you approach blending these different styles in your music?
Well I blend hip-hop where I can in my songs. If that’s what the beat is telling me then I incorporate it. I also if possible add comedy to my writing, because comedy is a huge part of my personality. I like making jokes and making people happy.
Coming from The Bronx and now living in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, how have these different environments influenced your music and songwriting? What has it been like transitioning from the vibrant music scene of New York to the diverse culture of Texas?
As of right now the environment hasn’t changed my writing; even though I did start my songwriting career in Texas. But I presume somewhere down the line it might have some influence in some songs. What does help though is my perspective of life growing up in the Bronx. And the music scene is a lot different in the DFW because it’s mostly country and that’s not a big genre in NYC lol. Although it’ll help strengthen my writing ability for country songs.
You’re a managing member and songwriter for Bale Buddy, LLC. What can you tell us about Bale Buddy? How do you balance your solo projects with your responsibilities at the company?
Well a “Bale” is what you would call a group of turtles and sticking together like best buds. That’s as far as the name breakdown goes. Now the company that I’ve started is for music publishing. And I’m doing music publishing because initially when I started songwriting I wanted to get into sync licensing; which is trying to get music placed in movies, TV shows, video games, etc. how do I balance?, well I never over exert my brain past it’s limit. Whether it is me focusing on music or taking care of business, I will take a break watch a movie or two and then get back to it. You gotta have down time and life experience in order for your art to be visible.
Your music often touches on personal themes and experiences. Can you share a bit about what “Not A Big Fan” means to you personally?
So on social media you have a lot of trolls, and people out there that don’t want the best for you. So not a big fan to me is the checkmate song for the “unconventional supporters” as I’d like to call them. They can critique give their opinions but they’re still listening or keeping tabs on what you’re doing. So for people listening who have someone like this in their lives or experience this via Internet, you can play this for them as a reminder that you’ll always have their support.
Can you tell us more about the production process of The Wrisumer? Who did you work with and where was it recorded?
So I don’t have a set producer yet, hopefully that changes but I’ve used beats from Matthew May (not a big fan, out), Young Taylor (gotta run), South Harbor Music (Apple tree), 30HertzBeats (on guard), and Nathan Walters (Butt Burp). So the hired singers recorded in their own studios I don’t have that information but I recorded my vocals… In my closet. Only on gotta run; but on Butt Burp. I went to the Echo Lab and that was my first experience in a real studio. It was long, but legendary Nathan is gifted.
With the release of new EP on the horizon, are there any particular tracks you’re excited for fans to hear?
No particular tracks really, I would like for them to listen to the story mapped out for each track. Then they can tell me what their favorite song is.
What are some of the key themes or messages you hope to convey through The Wrisumer?
Positivity, self-awareness, and confidence.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences, Reese, and how have they shaped your sound?
I personally don’t feel like I have musical influences because there wasn’t an artist that moved me to do music beside my dad. But the musical influences that I respect and listen to religiously would be Kanye West, Ludacris, Paramore, musicals (Oliver, sound if music, Annie), blink 182, bowling for soup, maroon 5, and Michael Jackson. There’s more but that enough for now lol
You have been making music for quite some time. What has been the most rewarding part of your musical career so far?
I actually just got into songwriting in 2023. I started rapping at 20 but I wasn’t taking it serious at that time. But I will say my writing has astronomically improved from 20 lol. I used to just rap about stuff that rhymed and was comedic for the most part. I wasn’t painting pictures writing from a woman’s perspective until I got older.
Looking ahead, what are your plans for the rest of 2024 and beyond? Any upcoming tours or new projects fans should be excited about?
I do have an album in the making and I would like to release it no later than 2026 but we’ll see how things go. As far as tours I would like that but I got to see what’s available.
Thanks so much for spending some time with us today, Reese! Where can people go to stay in touch with you and find out more about your music?
Absolutely, thank you for having me. They can follow me on Instagram @Reesethenyturtle2 and on TikTok @Reesethenyturtle. I also have a LinkTree in my bio with all the other information that they’d need.
https://linktr.ee/reesethenyturtle
