As we seemed to have fast-forwarded all the way to spring of 2021, we can’t help but get excited for what’s to come—summer. For some, that means endless trips to scalding sand and salty waves, and hopefully a lovely tan. For Carter Reeves, 28-year-old indie rock musician, the beach is not only an exceptional location, but a constant mindset. Fashioning himself in the likeness of beach rock giants, The Beach Boys and Jack Johnson, every beat sends us to tropical locations of utmost chillness. However, all these “good vibes” had a rather cosmopolitan start.
Carter is a native of Wayland, a small town outside of Boston, Massachusetts, and he spent a whole four years in the “empire state of mind” in New York City. Now, a full-blown southern Californian, you can be sure to see Carter catching some waves or crafting soulful songs faster than the sun sets into the horizon. Or tending to his plants and dog, Coogee, of course.
So, what’s it like to be “gone to the beach” and how did Mr. Reeves get there? Well, it was no easy task, as Carter is a 12 year music industry veteran. From his high school “Red Hot Chili Peppers wanna-be band” to his duo project “Aer” with long-time friend David von Mering, Carter rode the musical tidal waves of all different genres and eras. As The Beach Boys would sing, “I Get Around,” and that’s exactly what Carter does. Shall we head to the beach then?
With Carter’s musical inspiration being The Beach Boys, it’s easy to align his journey with the lyrics of the 1960’s psychedelia rock band. First off, we have to look at his roots. “When I Grow Up (I Want to Be a Man),” says The Beach Boys, but Carter would say, “when I grow up, I want to be a solo artist.” He might have started out in a four-piece band, and soon after found success in his two-piece group, Aer, but “we amicably decided to split,” Carter admits. His acknowledgment of the band’s “good run” is not to be neglected, as they toured nationwide with Chance the Rapper, Louis the Child, and Shwayze. You could say he was “Surfin’ U.S.A!”
As of 2017, Carter Reeves Schultz simplified his German name to “Carter Reeves” and took on the Californian persona, where music became his “main hustle.” Although he is yet to release a debut album, “the success of my last project afforded me the freedom to pursue music full-time,” he states. While it seems like Carter is saying “Don’t Worry Baby,” he still knows that making music is no easy task. “You need to be consistent…you need to have constant content. It can be an exhausting game to play,” Carter expresses. And that can include anything from new singles each month to visual content. This industry is not all “Fun, Fun, Fun!” and games!
But one aspect that brings sunshine to Carter’s career is in-person performances. He recalls his favorite showcase at the Freeland rooftop bar in Los Angeles, where he joined alongside other artists in an intimate festival-like setting. “You’ll hit a moment in time, and you feel like you’re killing it… and you have the whole world behind you,” he reminisces. And of course, he misses “hugging my fans and saying ‘hello’ and doing the whole thing.”
Speaking of which, Carter does have an appreciation for “Alone Time,” and it happens to be one of his hit singles. Based on relationships in general, Carter wrestles with the statement of wanting to focus on himself, but also craving the excitement of being with someone. Put in his own experience,“I stepped away because I wanted to give myself more alone time, and then I actually step away and I’m like ‘well, oh shit, am I lonely?’” His statement isn’t so uncommon. “Everyone can relate to relationships…we’re falling in and out of love at all times,” says Carter.
Well, what else inspires his beach rock melodies and catchy lyrics? Just as we “can hear music” so can Carter! Growing up on The Beatles, he states, “they’ve perfected the two-and-a-half minute song.” But perhaps it’s his acoustic Indie doppelganger, Jack Johnson, in which his audience can draw a parallel. At first, “he’s corny… he’s mom rock! The soft ass acoustic shit,” thought Carter. However, time told him, “he molded my style.” After all, “this dude has the perfect life,” he declares. We can’t forget the holy grail of “take me to the beach” music that Carter puts on a pedestal. If The Beach Boys were alive today, Carter would’ve jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with the fun bunch. “If Brian Wilson said, ‘Yo, Carter, we heard you’re sick. Come spit a verse on our song!’ that would be incredible,” he laughs. What we can say is, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.”
So, what is this beach boy up to now? He’s tending to his ever-growing garden, and not shockingly, surfing as much as he can. “It’s my church, my gym and my therapist…so corny, but it’s true,” Carter jokes. He also shares that some of his songs are birthed while drumming on his surfboard. The biggest obstacle with that is attempting to remember the “Good Vibrations” as he paddles back to shore.
Lucky for us, we get to hear those new beachy beats within the coming months. Carter’s newest single, “Super Bloom,” doesn’t stray from his SoCal, super surfer persona. “It’s a trippy, beachy, groovy record,” he says. And that’s only the beginning. A self-proclaimed “ever-revolving force,” Carter has a show in June in the ultimate beach town of San Clemente and hopes to be on tour in the fall. Also, “I’ll have a song out every month until I die, so let’s keep it rocking,” he hints. If this is no exaggeration, we’re enthusiastic for the perpetual blooming of Carter Reeves.
