Reef Boii
Brooklyn, New York, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2018 | SELF
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Cody Simpson is debuting new music with his band The Tide.
Combining music with environmental and ocean activism, the Australian singer, 20, has joined forces with bandmates Adrian Cota and Reef Boji for a debut EP.
Simpson, drummer Adrian Cota and bassist Reef Boii stopped by PEOPLE Now to chat about Wave One and revealed they are major oldies fans.
After spending more than 12 months creating the EP and narrowing down their easy-breezy summer tunes from over 40 songs to just four tracks, Simpson says it’s a project “we’re all pretty stoked on.”
“Well, we thought that these four that we put out first, we wanted to put them out as a package of four because we thought it was a great representation of the different facets and aspects of our sound and the blend that we were trying to achieve,” he says. “It’s just about figuring out what’s the most cohesive and what makes the most sense together.”
By Nicole Sands - Nicole Sands
When you think surfers, there is a connotation of bleach blonde hair, wet suits and long summers on the beach. Popdust got the opportunity to have catch some of that California sun in New York City. Cody Simpson, best known for his pop music and Justin Bieber collaborations, has undergone a transformation. As a musician grows, they are challenged to evolve. The level of his musicianship has jumped to the next level, due in part to the band which he is now a part of. I say it this way because the band is something more. Cody embraced the band dynamic and seems even more mature with his artistic sensibilities, which speaks volumes to an already successful artist. So what give him him the unshakable creative ethic, so few share.
We were so excited to have this very well known performer on Popdust Presents, although we didn't know exactly how lucky we were. It was a serious lesson in the way it is supposed to be done! Brent Butler spoke with the band about the Wave One EP and an acoustic performance that blew us away. I was struck by how philosophical Cody's approach to music as he was. It was as serious as it is fun. The songs evoke a different era but through the prism of today. Following a positive attitude, the music reminds me that it's coming from a higher place. These sounds course through my veins as thick as a wave that overwhelms me. An undertow pulling me closer to the music on the beach, near a fire, plenty of drinks and a beat that wags my head.
The band mates we sharing a genuine enthusiasm to each other's energy. It is part of what makes a band different than a solo artist. Like parts in a machine, vital to the other. Cody feels very strongly about establishing the rebrand from him as a solo artist to that of a collective. So it is not just Cody alone. Adrian and Shareef join him, not simply to accompany him, they elevate the music. That chemistry is apparent as soon as you see them live.
The story of began one summer in Venice Beach. inspiration washed over Cody Simpson like a tidal wave. Early morning surf sessions, poetry under the sun, and jamming at midnight gatherings, he experienced the kind of summer Bruce Brown immortalized in The Endless Summer. Following the release of his 2015 independent full-length Free, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist underwent a series of revelations that manifested his new band, Cody Simpson & The Tide and its 2017 debut EP 'Wave One.'
"This was a transition in so many ways," he admits. "I came out on the other side feeling quite liberated. I spent my childhood listening to folk, country, and acoustic, and I ended up working on Free with guys like Donavon Frankenreiter and G. Love & The Special Sauce. After all this time on the West Side, I moved up to the Sunset Strip in 2016. Soon, I found myself listening to a lot of sixties music from the psychedelic era and embracing rock 'n' roll such as The Doors and Elvis. My voice and guitar playing have developed. This is the next natural step for me. I pulled out for a while and let all of this manifest in my mind. Now, it's fulfilling to see everything take form."
Joined by drummer Adrian Cota and bassist Shareef Addo, Cody wrote four songs that would become Wave One. For the first time in his career, Cody got behind the board and personally produced the studio sessions in Santa Monica, Newport Beach, and Hollywood. To give audiences the full scope of that vision, he releases the project in its entirety during the fall of 2017.
On the EP, opener "Waiting for the Tide" rides a crest of robust guitars and breezy beats as he carries a powerful and provocative hook before breaking on the refrain, "I'm just out here waiting for the tide." - Dan Victor
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Shareef Addo, aka “Reef Boii”. Shareef was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York to a relatively small family. He got his first start with music at the age of 10, and has not looked back ever since. His first instrument was drums, and he slowly transitioned to guitar before finally landing at the bass guitar as his primary instrument.
Reef attended Berklee College of Music from 2011 onwards. It’s thanks to the school that he earned his first touring position, as the live bassist of the duo, Aer . From there, he has toured the world and played festivals for many different artists of different styles, ranging from playing briefly for Son Little to playing a house party with Justin Bieber.
Currently, Reef Boii spends a lot of time producing for other artists such as Cody Simpson, Caroline Grace, and others. He is on an exciting journey of which you will want to keep an eye on !
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