Today we’d like to introduce you to Reece Gustafson.
Hi Reece, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My music journey began when I was 5 years old and my grandmother ‘forced’ me into taking piano lessons, however this did not last too long as I was essentially turned down from taking any further lessons as I refused to read music and I wanted to play everything by ear. Fast forward to 2023, I was attending Houghton University near Buffalo, New York. I was in my senior year and I was graduating with a degree in biology with hopes of becoming a dentist. In the house that I lived in throughout college, there was a piano in the basement, and often times when I had friends over I would play the piano casually as a ‘party trick’ but never really had the confidence to sing in front of anyone. In March of 2023, my good friend Brianna Blankenship who had been playing a lot in the western NY and PA areas, asked me if I could cover for her at a local bar that night because she had laryngitis and was scrambling to find someone to play in her place. I hastily said yes although I had never really sang in front of anyone prior to that and now I had to muster up three hours worth of songs.
Luckily I had a friend of mine, Selah Kurtz who also attended Houghton, agree to help me out that night. I was extremely nervous but we made it through the night and when leaving the manager approached me and asked if I would be interested in coming back and playing again.
Since then, my career in music has moved faster than I had anticipated. I graduated college with my biology degree, however I was turned down from all dental schools that I applied to. I began to play some small solo shows in NY before moving back home to FL in August of 2023. When I moved home, I started off doing a couple solo shows a week locally. I then decided I would like to have a band with the goal of eventually touring and playing at venues all around the country.
I played my first ever ‘unofficial’ band show in February of 2024 and slowly started to pick up more band shows locally. By May of 2024 I had booked my first small tour playing in states like GA, SC, TN, MS, among others. Shortly after that I was able to book a larger tour spanning from the southeast all the way to Wyoming, playing in cities like Kansas City, Chicago, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Memphis, etc.
We ended our summer by playing at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row in Nashville, TN for the well-known Whiskey Jam event. We followed that by playing in the Sing-Out-Loud fest in St. Augustine which hosted artists such as Noah Kahan and Eric Church.
We now have another tour booked starting in February of 2025 that we are very excited about as we will be playing in larger venues than previous times. I have also been working on new music and I am looking forward to being able to share this with my fans, followers, and friends!
I am extremely grateful for how this journey has unfolded and it has been awesome to see how much the size of our shows have grown since just February. I would not be able to do it without the friends and family that I have around me who are always supporting my passion of music.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It is not always a smooth road being in the music industry in general. In my career specifically, although I am relatively new to the music field, I have gained a great appreciation for the work that it takes behind the scenes to be able to do what we love. Being on stage is the fun part. There have been many hours that I’ve spent calling, sending emails, sending DM’s over social media, driving to bars/clubs/ music venues, just so I can try and take advantage of every possible opportunity there is available to grow as a musician and band.
There are also some sacrifices that are needed to be made in order to take the next step, whatever that step may be. For example, being on the road for 2 months straight is tough sometimes. While we mostly have fun, being away from family and friends back home can definitely weigh on you at some points along the trip.
There have also been sacrifices of certain opportunities that may look better or pay better on paper, when in reality the better opportunity is the one that better fits what we want to accomplish as a band and our goals long term.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a 23 year old country musician who goes by ‘Reece’ . As a band we are known for our high energy performances and our unique sound that has helped us gain a sizable following in Central, FL as well as parts of NY, PA, and OH.
I am most proud of how much we have grown in such a relatively short period of time. We have not reached a full year being together as a band yet, but we have had the opportunity to play in cities around the country and in venues that would have seemed out of reach when we first started.
I believe what sets us apart from others is our crowd involvement. Our favorite part of our shows is making sure our audience is engaged and constantly being integrated into what we are doing on stage. I also believe that the guys that I have surrounding me on stage are some of the best musicians in the area and their talent and dedication have been a big reason why this has grown significantly in such a small window of time.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I believe the one characteristic that has contributed the most to my success has been my persistence. I believe that no matter the situation, outcome, or setback, I try to continue to do everything in my power to set myself and my band up for success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.reecegusmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reecegusmusic/profilecard/?igsh=M3ZsZm1pY3MwcDFl
- Other: https://linktr.ee/reecegus
