Photo credit: Bill Aquino
Lil Rev
After a decade and a half on the road, multi-instrumentalist Lil Rev cools his heels, but is still inspired by all the news that is fit to sing.
How has the lockdown affected your creativity?
The lockdown has amplified my creativity. It has been really fascinating to step away from this and reflect on how life events alter your muse. At the time of the pandemic start (I mark it as March 13, 2020), I had been on the road for over fifteen years straight, touring and teaching all over North America.
This year was to have been my best year in terms of high-quality gigs booked. When that all washed away, I scrambled to set up everything online. The first three months were brutal in terms of P.R. and content creation. But as things fell into a schedule, I realized that being home was a real blessing.
To be honest, I am a family man who just happens to be a touring musician. My family comes first. So, I was delighted to have become my kid’s music teacher, to garden with my wife and to have more time to write songs, read music history and create a lot of teaching content for my ukulele classes. I have taught online every Monday night since March.
The songs have continued to come, and I am aiming to record a garage album with Jeff Hamilton this Fall. So the creativity, which, can often be stifled by the traveling life—worn out from the road—has blossomed due to COVID.
Do you have a routine or schedule for staying in practice or working on new material?
I don't have a routine for new material. I like to juggle many balls at once. I court the muse when it comes, I don't take every Tuesday to write like Peter Mulvey. I log my originals on my iPhone and type them into the OnSong app, then file them in a big giant binder for whenever I want to work on them later, via a performance or a record.
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The times are such that, given political happenings, this stuff is just pouring out of me. I wrote a tune called: “Unheard (The Ballad of George Floyd)” and continue to write a lot of topical music like my old local hero, the late Larry Penn.
Are you making plans for when you can resume playing in front of people again?
Presently my plans to perform are all online for the entirety of 2020. I even cancelled outdoor gigs! I have a family. Thanks to a lot of online work teaching I was able to make those choices this year.
I am taking bookings for 2021 festivals, though most are doing so with the understanding: If things get better, I'll be there in person. If they don't, it'll be held virtually. To be quite frank, I have found a boatload of silver linings to this pandemic:
- I am glad to be home.
- I am glad to have more time with my family.
- I am doing a lot of private lessons and its reinforcing my musical skills in ways I couldn't have imagined.
- I'm connecting with new fans online.
- I made a pact with myself to use this time to deepen connections with fans by video chatting with them, calling them, emailing personal messages and I’ve done some anniversary and birthday surprises songs for fans via FaceTime.
- I'm getting a lot of P.R. for my classes and zoom webinars.
- I'm planning to record and am writing a memoir, so I feel satisfied with my artistic life right now.
I'm keeping the bills paid despite this precarious dance we are all doing from month to month with tips. It’s all working out and 20 years of touring has created a massive support network that has risen from the COVID ashes to support musicians like me. God Bless Pay Pal, FB live and Zoom.
I know other musicians are struggling and I've sent money to friends in New Orleans, Seattle and San Francisco. Whatever I got, it’s still enough to share!
To read more stories of Milwaukee musicians dealing with lockdowns, sheltering in place and more, click here.
To read more stories by Blaine Schultz, click here.
