Ree Boado
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Ree Boado

Phoenix, Arizona, United States | SELF

Phoenix, Arizona, United States | SELF
Band Alternative Singer/Songwriter

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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Press


"Listening to Dearspeak"

"And I don't care if you don't live in Phoenix, keep an eye on this band!" ..."I wouldn't be surprised to see them make it big shortly." - The Useless Critic


"Local Limelight: Ree Boado is our hero"

"Beautiful pop singers tend to get by on looks instead of talent.
Ree Boado, front woman of local band Lesser Heroes, has both.
Boado is definitely a girl on stage. Her short, choppy bleach-blond hair, dark eye makeup and cute clothes compliment her genuinely fun and outgoing personality.
But you should hear her sing.
Her feminine voice brings a supple twist to the band's sometimes hard, driving guitar, bass and drums. But even so, Boado's vocals are just as edgy as her personality and presentation - a trait apparent in the band's debut EP, Falling Further Underground." - Arizona State University-WebDevil


"Local Limelight: Ree Boado is our hero"

"Beautiful pop singers tend to get by on looks instead of talent.
Ree Boado, front woman of local band Lesser Heroes, has both.
Boado is definitely a girl on stage. Her short, choppy bleach-blond hair, dark eye makeup and cute clothes compliment her genuinely fun and outgoing personality.
But you should hear her sing.
Her feminine voice brings a supple twist to the band's sometimes hard, driving guitar, bass and drums. But even so, Boado's vocals are just as edgy as her personality and presentation - a trait apparent in the band's debut EP, Falling Further Underground." - Arizona State University-WebDevil


"Dearspeak - CD Review"

Dearspeak
Tame the Hysteria

Oh, love and heartbreak. We've all been there and it always hits home. This time, quite literally.

Phoenix-based band Dearspeak has been a local staple of late, playing live shows all over the Valley, often for free. This time, they're out to turn a profit. The indie pop trio has finally put out a heartbreaking six-song debut EP packed with sweet, emotive songs of love lost.

While we'd never wish an ill-fated love life on anyone, lead singer Ree Boado's loss is our gain. Her light and pretty voice mixes with soulful-yet-relatable lyrics on Tame the Hysteria, often harkening to the downtown hipster scene. (See lyric: "cause we're living from a thrift store suitcase and keeping friends at arms length" on "Disappear.") Possibly the greatest song on the disc, "Famine for the Feast," shows off Boado's surprising vocal register, hitting those high notes that squeeze emotion from the hardest of hearts. Mix those pipes with pounding keyboards and almost tribal-like drums and "Famine" is sure to get stuck in your head...
- College Times


"Dearspeak - CD Review"

Dearspeak
Tame the Hysteria

Oh, love and heartbreak. We've all been there and it always hits home. This time, quite literally.

Phoenix-based band Dearspeak has been a local staple of late, playing live shows all over the Valley, often for free. This time, they're out to turn a profit. The indie pop trio has finally put out a heartbreaking six-song debut EP packed with sweet, emotive songs of love lost.

While we'd never wish an ill-fated love life on anyone, lead singer Ree Boado's loss is our gain. Her light and pretty voice mixes with soulful-yet-relatable lyrics on Tame the Hysteria, often harkening to the downtown hipster scene. (See lyric: "cause we're living from a thrift store suitcase and keeping friends at arms length" on "Disappear.") Possibly the greatest song on the disc, "Famine for the Feast," shows off Boado's surprising vocal register, hitting those high notes that squeeze emotion from the hardest of hearts. Mix those pipes with pounding keyboards and almost tribal-like drums and "Famine" is sure to get stuck in your head...
- College Times


"Performance Reviews"

"I think Ree's music appeals to anyone who has ever experienced any deep, personal struggle and made it through to tell the tale. It touched me at this level, and I found myself listening to "Mirror Won't Lie" repeatedly. She sings like someone who has experienced their fair share of sadness, but can still see the sun through the clouds. Her voice is very moving not to mention beautiful. She sings from her soul, and you can tell her lyrics come from a personal place. Being a person who is also searching for a higher meaning in life, I was immediately drawn to her music."
...Ryan Taylor, Market Rep for WEA (Warner/Elektra/Atlantic)

"Dearspeak will lyrically and melodically surprise the listener. With their contemporary yet innovative sound, Dearspeak has intrigued local indie radio audiences since being featured. If there is one band out there that has broken out of the independent scene to provoke the music enthusiast, Dearspeak has accomplished this, with a sense of unique inspiring music unlike anything we’ve come across, that has the pulse of real world issues, belief systems, and possibilities. The album titled "Tame the Hysteria" will stay with the listener for years to come. We here at KWSS FM are very pleased to be airing Dearspeak and look forward to more material in the future."
Program Director for KWSS 106.7FM, Frank M. Magarelli

"Ree has the best voice I've heard in a long time, and I don't just mean locally. I'm a big fan of her music, lyrics and all-around performance."
...Lauren Henschen, local promoter, Give A Care Phoenix

"Ree's voice is like angels dipped in honey."
...Justin Witte, Avant Garde Entertainment, OKC

"Ree has one of those voices that leaves the hair standing on the back of your neck throughout the entire performance. Her solo act is a perfect example of simplistic beauty. Ree is also one of the easiest musicians that I have ever worked with. We had her move her equipment three different times and she didn't complain once. Her work ethic is admirable and her voice just blew us away!"
...Erin Cook, Manager of Cafe do Brasil restaurant in Oklahoma City

"Ree Boado brought an edgy, soulfulness to her Lawrence, KS appearance at Signs of Life Books. With moments that switch back and forth between the whimsy of Tori Amos and the honest emotion of Aimee Mann, her voice and presence draw audiences to a place that is hers and hers alone. Everyone at Signs, myself included, can’t wait for Ree to visit again."
...Ryan, employee at Signs of Life Books in Lawrence, KS (near Kansas University) - Online


"Performance Reviews"

"I think Ree's music appeals to anyone who has ever experienced any deep, personal struggle and made it through to tell the tale. It touched me at this level, and I found myself listening to "Mirror Won't Lie" repeatedly. She sings like someone who has experienced their fair share of sadness, but can still see the sun through the clouds. Her voice is very moving not to mention beautiful. She sings from her soul, and you can tell her lyrics come from a personal place. Being a person who is also searching for a higher meaning in life, I was immediately drawn to her music."
...Ryan Taylor, Market Rep for WEA (Warner/Elektra/Atlantic)

"Dearspeak will lyrically and melodically surprise the listener. With their contemporary yet innovative sound, Dearspeak has intrigued local indie radio audiences since being featured. If there is one band out there that has broken out of the independent scene to provoke the music enthusiast, Dearspeak has accomplished this, with a sense of unique inspiring music unlike anything we’ve come across, that has the pulse of real world issues, belief systems, and possibilities. The album titled "Tame the Hysteria" will stay with the listener for years to come. We here at KWSS FM are very pleased to be airing Dearspeak and look forward to more material in the future."
Program Director for KWSS 106.7FM, Frank M. Magarelli

"Ree has the best voice I've heard in a long time, and I don't just mean locally. I'm a big fan of her music, lyrics and all-around performance."
...Lauren Henschen, local promoter, Give A Care Phoenix

"Ree's voice is like angels dipped in honey."
...Justin Witte, Avant Garde Entertainment, OKC

"Ree has one of those voices that leaves the hair standing on the back of your neck throughout the entire performance. Her solo act is a perfect example of simplistic beauty. Ree is also one of the easiest musicians that I have ever worked with. We had her move her equipment three different times and she didn't complain once. Her work ethic is admirable and her voice just blew us away!"
...Erin Cook, Manager of Cafe do Brasil restaurant in Oklahoma City

"Ree Boado brought an edgy, soulfulness to her Lawrence, KS appearance at Signs of Life Books. With moments that switch back and forth between the whimsy of Tori Amos and the honest emotion of Aimee Mann, her voice and presence draw audiences to a place that is hers and hers alone. Everyone at Signs, myself included, can’t wait for Ree to visit again."
...Ryan, employee at Signs of Life Books in Lawrence, KS (near Kansas University) - Online


"Dearspeak's Ree Boado talks sexism in the local music scene"

While Ree Boado is having a blast fronting her current band, Dearspeak, things haven't always been smooth sailing. Sexism is still a hurdle that women have to deal with and it is in the music scene. Boado has dealt with misogynistic band members and pulled through despite their pinhead ways.

"I love being a female lead singer of a band, but I have definitely had some challenges in the past," she said. "I have come across male ego in former bands, and that can be really tough to work with. Some guys cannot take direction or suggestions from a girl."

Seven years ago, Boado joined a band where she encountered an "alpha male" band leader.

"He didn't like me giving suggestions and seemed to always find a way to shut them down. They were normal things like ‘Hey, let's get a website set up; I can help with that,' or ‘Hey, we really need some good pictures; I know someone who will do it for free.' He always seemed to shut me down when I was just trying to move the band forward."

It should go without saying but there is no need for a lack of respect when musicians are collaborating. Boado said she is comfortable at the wheel of a band and does the booking herself. "I consider myself pretty easy to work with and always asking for input, but you definitely have to find the right members who are not sexist and are okay with a female having the final say," she said.

Despite dealing with misogynists, Boado said she has become more feminine over the course of her musical career. Her beginnings as a pop/punk Hayley Williams-type had her dressing masculine and acting tough. However, the boyish charm in Paramore and Avril Lavigne's rebellious attitude faded away and she found her voice through music and songwriting. "It just so happened to be more feminine and softer than when I started, though I do like to mix in some edgier sounds here and there to keep [people] guessing," she said.

These days, Boado plays with her husband, David Boado, on bass, guitar and keys, and Justan Jesse on drums. Being in a happy, respectful band can make all the difference in the world. "We all get along really well and we have the same ridiculous sense of humor, so I'm surprised we get anything done with all our silliness," she said.

As for any other alpha males that might have issues with women in charge? "Please let people be who they are. If a woman is the band leader because she's a good leader, then you gotta accept that and seek to understand instead of control, or your band will only suffer," she said. "If you can't do this, please join another band instead of making yourself and everyone miserable." Wise words to live by.

Dearspeak is currently recording a new EP with Rob Kroehler, of Ladylike, and it is due out in May. They will also be touring this summer so check them out.

Yearning for some more female artists? Check out Ree's favorite singers.

Carina Round– "She is very unique and diverse in her songwriting and singing. She puts a full range of emotion into her songs. She can be very breathy and tender one moment, and then angry and gritty the next. Her lyrics are deep too; she really wrestles with things in her life. True artist, I love her!"



ReginaSpektor – "She's also very unique and she does cool rhythmic stuff with her voice. I love that she has really fun, silly lyrics, but also very moving and thought provoking lyrics in other songs."



Sia – "Again, very unique. I love her contrast of breathy sounds and powerhouse vocals. Sia is awesome at mixing ethereal, indie sounding music with soulful stylings. She is a brave songwriter and artist, always trying new things, always staying outside the box!"



Laura Marling – "I've just started listening to her but I am loving this girl's soul! It seems to pour out of her songs. She's pretty young but she has this old, familiar sound that's kind of comforting. Her lyrics seem wise beyond her years. She's toured a lot with Mumford & Sons (one of my favorites), which is how I heard about her. " - College Times


"Ree Boado - Pretty Little Flies"

"There is something mystical about Ree Boado - whether it is her angelic physical presence walking through life or commanding an audience's attention on stage, the open and honest way she talks about how she wrestles with her life's demons each day, or the way the sky splits as ray's of heaven pour through her music...."
- Java Magazine


"Ree Boado, You Got Something"

"This local singer-songwriter, who we featured in print this week, is probably the most radio-ready local act going right now." - Phoenix New Times


"Ree Boado's Radio Ready Tunes Come From Her Dreams"

"she's not just another chick whose music would be played at Starbucks...though songs like the delightfully catchy "You Got Something," which is simultaneously wise and inspirational definitely could... her good vibes are contagious, and it's easy to tell that she's inspired by music and life in general." - Phoenix New Times


"Art for Starters Is a Startup Operation That’s Barely Gotten Started"

"Boado's sweet voice and synth add the hymnal quality that painstaking overdubbing of the album can't approach."... - Phoenix New Times


"Dearspeak"

"Many local bands would be wise to take a lesson from Dearspeak’s professional approach to song craft. Front femme Ree Boado leads the charge with her concurrently sweet and smoky voice and also contributes keys and guitar."... - Yab Yum Music


"Dearspeak"

"Many local bands would be wise to take a lesson from Dearspeak’s professional approach to song craft. Front femme Ree Boado leads the charge with her concurrently sweet and smoky voice and also contributes keys and guitar."... - Yab Yum Music


"Arizona natives Dearspeak aim for pop glory"

“Tame the Hysteria” is a fantastic debut from a band with a lot of talent. It’s a record that deserves a lot of listening to because once you do, it’s pretty much impossible to resist nodding your head and singing along to its infectious pop tunes."...

- ASU Statepress


"Arizona natives Dearspeak aim for pop glory"

“Tame the Hysteria” is a fantastic debut from a band with a lot of talent. It’s a record that deserves a lot of listening to because once you do, it’s pretty much impossible to resist nodding your head and singing along to its infectious pop tunes."...

- ASU Statepress


"Dearspeak Speaks Dearly About Unspeakable Things"

"...the most comforting music on the scene, music that makes you feel at ease, while the lyrics sink into different depths of your soul, and strike dissonance in your consciousness like you wouldn't believe."
<<Click on the URL for full article - Java Magazine


"Dearspeak Speaks Dearly About Unspeakable Things"

"...the most comforting music on the scene, music that makes you feel at ease, while the lyrics sink into different depths of your soul, and strike dissonance in your consciousness like you wouldn't believe."
<<Click on the URL for full article - Java Magazine


"Q&A: Dearpseak talk about new EP"


Recently, Dearspeak played First Friday outside Holga's Gallery. And if you'd stumbled across them setting up and seen a petite Ree Boado dialing in her keyboards and adjusting the lone vocal mic, you may have assumed you were in for some twee pop along the lines of Keane - in which case you'd be partly right. There is a twee side to the sound, but it's surrounded by a lot of things you may not have expected - for example, songs about "schizophrenic delusions, panic attacks, world perspective, infidelity, child prostitution, our economic situation, isolation, and grace," as they proudly tout in their bio.

And those topics are addressed with the solid assurance of a vocalist whose versatility can drop from pensive calm to strong and forceful with ease and whose enunciation you could almost imagine hearing on a Broadway stage or in a jazz supper club.

Then, you talk to the members of Dearspeak - who also feature guitarist/bassist Benjamin Tietgen and drummer Justan Jesse - and you find out in a matter-of-fact fashion that two of the members come from cult families, and you realize there's a lot more to Dearspeak than meets the eyes and ears.

We caught up with Dearspeak to talk about their new six-song EP, "Tame the Hysteria," and this is what they had to say.

Question: Do people expect a different sound from you - especially having a female and keyboardist out front? Do they expect to hear something twee or quietly introspective, instead of hearing, well, rock.

Tietgen: We do have an element of introspection for sure, but we like to balance that with moments of fearlessness and grittier sounds too.

Q: Your list of recent venues is pretty strange. Tempe Marketplace, the Waterfront. Is there any place you've played that isn't conducive to your music?

Boado: There have been a few venues that we were unsure of how they would handle our music, being that a lot of our lyrical topics are not your typical feel-good/Top 40-type song. But, we've been lucky enough to gain attention most anywhere we play while still staying true to who we are as artists. We do try to stay closest to venues where our music is a better fit, but we've been able to fund our recording project by simply staying open-minded to other possibilities. Not a lot of bands can say that, especially on their first album.

Q: The song "Light of Doubt" is about cults, and two of you were in cult families. What can you share about those times?

Boado: I grew up in a house in Maryvale. Things in my family appeared fairly normal on the outside, other than the fact that my dad was 22 years older than my mom, he stayed home with us while my mom worked, and we never had a car or celebrated Christmas. I believe my father (who died in 2008) was a schizophrenic with delusions of grandeur - hence the song title "Disappear (Delusions of Grandeur)." He raised us believing he was a prophet of God and that most everything he said was from God. There was some other detailed stuff about aliens and moving to another planet. The song "Disappear" is pretty literal in that we actually lived out of suitcases for several years when I was a kid, thinking we'd be "leaving" at any moment. This was my reality until I turned 17.

Jesse: My father grew up in a cult known to some as The Secret Sect or Two-By-Twos. It is a very active house sect which rejects any name, and has become worldwide through the activities of its homeless preachers who go out, two by two, conduct missions and organize annual conventions. Its members believe that it originated in the first century when Christ sent his disciples out two by two. This cult has torn apart my family and exposed me to the reality of mind control.

Q. Is there any subject matter off limits? Could you write a song about food or home decorating? And is there any musical setting where you will not go?

Boado: Anything is worth exploring if there is some depth to be found in it. I'll use your example of food. What about the food? How does it affect the person eating or not eating it? Does it bring back a memory? Does the person have food issues perhaps? For me, songwriting has to dig deep enough to get to an emotion. - AZ Central


"Q&A: Dearpseak talk about new EP"


Recently, Dearspeak played First Friday outside Holga's Gallery. And if you'd stumbled across them setting up and seen a petite Ree Boado dialing in her keyboards and adjusting the lone vocal mic, you may have assumed you were in for some twee pop along the lines of Keane - in which case you'd be partly right. There is a twee side to the sound, but it's surrounded by a lot of things you may not have expected - for example, songs about "schizophrenic delusions, panic attacks, world perspective, infidelity, child prostitution, our economic situation, isolation, and grace," as they proudly tout in their bio.

And those topics are addressed with the solid assurance of a vocalist whose versatility can drop from pensive calm to strong and forceful with ease and whose enunciation you could almost imagine hearing on a Broadway stage or in a jazz supper club.

Then, you talk to the members of Dearspeak - who also feature guitarist/bassist Benjamin Tietgen and drummer Justan Jesse - and you find out in a matter-of-fact fashion that two of the members come from cult families, and you realize there's a lot more to Dearspeak than meets the eyes and ears.

We caught up with Dearspeak to talk about their new six-song EP, "Tame the Hysteria," and this is what they had to say.

Question: Do people expect a different sound from you - especially having a female and keyboardist out front? Do they expect to hear something twee or quietly introspective, instead of hearing, well, rock.

Tietgen: We do have an element of introspection for sure, but we like to balance that with moments of fearlessness and grittier sounds too.

Q: Your list of recent venues is pretty strange. Tempe Marketplace, the Waterfront. Is there any place you've played that isn't conducive to your music?

Boado: There have been a few venues that we were unsure of how they would handle our music, being that a lot of our lyrical topics are not your typical feel-good/Top 40-type song. But, we've been lucky enough to gain attention most anywhere we play while still staying true to who we are as artists. We do try to stay closest to venues where our music is a better fit, but we've been able to fund our recording project by simply staying open-minded to other possibilities. Not a lot of bands can say that, especially on their first album.

Q: The song "Light of Doubt" is about cults, and two of you were in cult families. What can you share about those times?

Boado: I grew up in a house in Maryvale. Things in my family appeared fairly normal on the outside, other than the fact that my dad was 22 years older than my mom, he stayed home with us while my mom worked, and we never had a car or celebrated Christmas. I believe my father (who died in 2008) was a schizophrenic with delusions of grandeur - hence the song title "Disappear (Delusions of Grandeur)." He raised us believing he was a prophet of God and that most everything he said was from God. There was some other detailed stuff about aliens and moving to another planet. The song "Disappear" is pretty literal in that we actually lived out of suitcases for several years when I was a kid, thinking we'd be "leaving" at any moment. This was my reality until I turned 17.

Jesse: My father grew up in a cult known to some as The Secret Sect or Two-By-Twos. It is a very active house sect which rejects any name, and has become worldwide through the activities of its homeless preachers who go out, two by two, conduct missions and organize annual conventions. Its members believe that it originated in the first century when Christ sent his disciples out two by two. This cult has torn apart my family and exposed me to the reality of mind control.

Q. Is there any subject matter off limits? Could you write a song about food or home decorating? And is there any musical setting where you will not go?

Boado: Anything is worth exploring if there is some depth to be found in it. I'll use your example of food. What about the food? How does it affect the person eating or not eating it? Does it bring back a memory? Does the person have food issues perhaps? For me, songwriting has to dig deep enough to get to an emotion. - AZ Central


Discography

"Pretty Little Flies", Ree Boado, LP

"You Got Something", a digitally released single, Ree Boado

"Oh For Freedom", Dearspeak, EP

"Princess Lost: The Story of Our Daughters", compilation LP

"Tame the Hysteria", Dearspeak, EP

"Drugs Made My Favorite Bands, Drugs Ruined My Favorite People", Art For Starters, LP double disc
(I played in the live band)

"Falling Further Underground", Lesser Heroes, EP

// RADIO PLAY //

Dearspeak & Ree Boado:
ASU's The Blaze Radio - Live Appearance
KWSS 106.7, Phoenix, AZ - Interview
KPXQ 1360AM, Phoenix, AZ - Live Appearance
KYTE 102.7, Newport, OR - Live Appearance
RadioPhoenix.org, Phoenix, AZ - Live Appearance
KKNT 960 AM, AZ Music Cafe, Phoenix, AZ - Live Appearance
KISU, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID - Live Appearance

Lesser Heroes:
EDGE 103.9, Phoenix, AZ - Live Appearance
College Radio play at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and University of Arizona.

Photos

Bio

Vivid, adventurous, fun loving, and strikingly transparent.

With emotive musings on the life of others and her own, Ree Boado brings a fresh and honest approach to Indie Pop with her compelling mix of ambient articulations and soulful outcries. Her lyrics reveal a unique perspective, having grown up in a family with a mentally ill father, whose delusions were the backdrop for her early years. “My songs tend to have a psychological element to them... I definitely like to challenge ideas that we hold to. When you grow up like I did, you kind of have to.”

The self released album, Pretty Little Flies, is an optimistic reflection on the aftermath of such an upbringing, and the frailty of humanity in general.
This catharsis of music, search for meaning, and tenacity to rummage through the ruins to find the gems, will surely resonate with anyone who has sought to understand the confrontations of life.

Although Ree has been singing most of her life, the pursuit of a solo career began about three years ago. Much of her experience was gained from co-writing, performing, and touring with two former rock bands, both of which saw some local success and radio play.

Ree has shared the stage with acts such as Taking Back Sunday, Brooke White, Dear and the Headlights, Mr. Gnome, Audrey Assad, JJ Heller, Chris August, New Year's Day, Sophie B. Hawkins, Envy on the Coast, and Austin Gibbs, and was named by Phoenix New Times music editor as "the most radio ready, local act going right now". Her contrasting history of pop, r&b, 80's soft rock, big band crooners, and 3 years of singing in a black gospel choir, have given her a rich vocal texture and musical style that makes for difficulty in comparisons.

Over the years, Ree has played music venues, coffee shops, houses, bars, churches, universities, festivals, and arenas, nationally and internationally.

In 2011, Ree donated several songs towards a compilation album designed to help the victims of sex trafficking recover. In 2012, this album was featured in a documentary called Volviendo that won the MTV Exit and UNICEF International award for best documentary on human sex trafficking.

Ree also heads up the Phoenix-based Indie Rock band, Dearspeak. They are currently writing for their third album.