Jason Reeves has enjoyed a successful behind-the-scenes career as a songwriter, penning multi-platinum hits such as “Bubbly” and “Realize” with Colbie Caillat and other tracks with music industry mogul Kara DioGuardi. Simultaneously, though, Jason has also made a name for himself as a singer and performer. His latest work, Caged Birds Set Free, was independently released in November 2011.
Upon first listen of Birds – before I was aware of Jason’s collaboration history with Colbie – his simple, mellow sound and romantic lyrics made me immediately think of her music. Needless to say, I was delighted when I got to the beautifully written track “Wishing Weed,” on which Colbie lends her voice for a perfectly meshed duet.
Jason and Colbie met through a producer in L.A. and quickly became good friends. “Neither of us had ever co-written songs before, so it was kind of just a crazy, magical accident,” Jason explains to The Groove. “I’ve been lucky to write with a lot of people, but she’s still my favorite.”
With the help of longtime collaborator and producer Mikal Blue, Jason delivers heartfelt lyrics with dreamy guitar and piano accompaniment. However, he has a difficult time defining the sound of his new album: “I just try to capture the emotions of the songs. I guess you can say it’s honest music, but beyond that I’m not sure how to describe it.” Whatever the genre may be, it’s the kind of music that simply makes you feel at peace. It’s the perfect album to listen to if you just need to put life on pause for a few minutes and breathe.
With Caged Birds Set Free, Jason takes his next step by returning to his signature style of raw, earnest songwriting and instrumentation. “Song for a Waitress” is the kind of song that every girl wishes her crush would sing to her. “Bicycle” grabbed my attention immediately with a unique and poetic opening line: “I wanna build you a bicycle faster than life / So you can keep up with your dreams.” Also included is the single “Rescue,” a longtime fan favorite that is being offered as a studio track for the first time.
More than anything else, Jason hopes that after people listen to his music, they can relate to it and reflect on their lives. “Even if it’s just one line in one song, that’s good enough for me,” he says. “One of the reasons I think music is so powerful is that it helps people understand the way they’re feeling by relating to it.”
Caged Birds Set Free is available for download from all major digital retailers, including iTunes and Amazon.
