Your single Dance Warrior is such an incredible song. What was the inspiration behind it?
Thank you for your kind words!
Reverend Doctor is the first solo project I’ve ever done. Before I’d come up with the name for the project, I had these themes, almost like principles floating around in my head. I also found they made great hashtags. For me, the phrase #dancewarrior all at once evokes this idea of a wild, reckless abandon, and a fierceness. Yet, it’s also purposeful, controlled, and has a sense of celebration about it. It was two words that evoked all these things for me and when writing pop music this is a huge plus.
I never sat down to write a song about being a dance warrior, but knew that somewhere in the ethos of this project I was developing that dance was central to it. I also knew movements like Occupy Wall Street, and railing against the idea of the Black Bourgeoise (which I think Dr. Cornell West would categorize me as), and non-violent protests exemplified by Mahatma Ghandi and Dr. Martin Luther King were all swimming in my head.
Like a true creative hoarder, I had an old guitar riff that I wanted to turn into a song. What began to come out was this anthem about being “unarmed, but dangerous”. I liked that sentiment: not to be feared because of violence, but because you are not violent. (To see an example of this in popular culture, we don’t have to look very far: Look at what a lightning rod of feelings Colin Kapernick has become). And that idea turned out to be the key to the hook and to my understanding of what being a Dance Warrior meant to me.
Look at how bi-partisan we’ve become. There is only more tribalism and enmity between people and groups. How unsettling for those people driving us further apart than to arrive as Dance Warriors; People in whose wake there is mourning, celebration, and community. There is power to be consolidated in separating us. In our unity corruption should be afraid.
You have a really unique story. Can you share more about what led you to music and performing?
I grew up the only son in one of the only black families living in a small white college town in the middle of Iowa. My parents bought me a guitar when I was 16, but didn’t really play it until I was 19. When I was 19 I wrote my first real song. And I realized how powerful that was. I realized music had this uncanny ability to bypass people’s rational thoughts and arrest their feelings almost against their will. That’s why every commercial has music: to make you feel passion for a mop, a car, an app.
Playing music with a group of guys in my first band was the first time I’d ever felt something like love between brothers. Now I can say this is because of toxic masculinity (particularly in team sports I played growing up), and that I have never presented myself as traditionally masculine. I was a target of a lot of grief for a lot of reasons. But between the connection I felt to my bandmates and the joy of playing, I was hooked. I played in bands in Iowa and then eventually moved to Minneapolis, the closest metro area I heard had a “music scene”. There was a point I was in 5 different bands at once just to make ends meet. Ultimately I’d move to LA.
My reasons for continuing to play music have changed. My connection isn’t to my bandmates, but to every single person that hears my music, live or otherwise. I’ve decided to take the wonderful emotionally-charged power of music and my confusing journey about why it’s important to love yourself, or care about your community, or what it means to be American.
That sounds heavy and preachy, and I play in some pretty deep red places. But my message isn’t one of accusation, but celebration. Of differences, of struggles, and a celebration of us as individuals. The thing that drives me now is connecting with people I know would call me an enemy and showing them that there is nothing in me but love and compassion. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for?
If you could tour the world with another artist of band (living or non) who would it be and why?
Wow. Big question. I love it. I miss Bill Withers. I miss his voice and the things that he taught us to feel through the songs he created. Ain’t no Sunshine, Grandma’s Hands, Lean on Me. I’m certain that Bill was filled with peace, shared that with the world, and the world wanted to commercialize it. I don’t think commercialization is wrong, but I don’t know that’s what Bill wanted from his music and what he does. Musically, he’s the closest thing I have to an idol. He won’t ever go down in history as the worlds best guitarist, or even the best songwriter. But we teach his songs to children. Played in public spaces they still reanimate people powerfully. Most people don’t even know his name, but we all know how we feel about his music. That’s a legacy I want to leave.
What is your dream stage to play?
Cutting my teeth in Minneapolis, First Avenue is my shrine. Prince has always been a musical inspiration for me and every act that comes through gushes about First Avenue from the stage. I’m convinced that the people that run that place respect its legacy, what it meant to Prince, to the Twin Cities, and what it means to music. Hopefully I’ll play it soon.
Can you give us the inside scoop on any new music you plan to release?
#BuildItUp and #DanceWarrior were among a handful of principles I had. I plan to release a song, “Pledge of Allegiance” which was featured on the soundtrack to the movie “Black” which had a limited theater release and can be streamed on Amazon. The other principles I’m working on next are #BetterTogether and #WomanBeing
Those 5 songs I plan on being the first EP I’ll release. I’m hoping for Q1 2020.
Tell us where we can support you on social media and Spotify.
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/_reverenddoctor/
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/revdrmusic/
URL: https://reverenddoctormusic.com
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/revdrmusic
SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Th32rWw6IjuwcUTk9YA74?si=E051vZuNS0e8hR0N5L7trw
End of Interview