Biography
Eli "Paperboy" Reed, a soul-blues revivalist who steers clear of strict traditionalism, wove together multiple threads of 1960s soul by fusing raw Southern funk grooves with bold Chicago blues drive. His 2008 breakthrough album Roll with You leaned heavily on vintage textures, yet two major-label projects, Come and Get It! from 2010 and Nights Like This from 2014, showed he could weave in newer touches such as drum loops, while 2019's 99 Cent Dreams brought rapper Big Daddy Kane aboard for a guest verse. This same impulse toward stylistic fusion runs through his discography and resurfaces on Down Every Road, his soul-infused tribute to country legend Merle Haggard.
Born and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, Eli Reed absorbed a wide range of sounds from his father's extensive record collection, which the critic shared with his son and which sparked a deep pull toward gospel, soul, blues, and R&B releases. After teaching himself piano, guitar, and harmonica, he honed his technique and stage presence by busking in Harvard Square, then headed to Clarksdale, Mississippi for work once high school ended. When that opportunity collapsed upon arrival, Reed connected with the local music scene, performed regularly at area clubs, and studied under drummer Sam Carr. During his Mississippi stay he acquired the nickname "Paperboy" from the newsboy cap he wore, yet after nine months he headed north at his parents' urging to enroll at the University of Chicago. There he crossed paths with soul singer Mitty Collier, whose 1964 hit single "I Had a Talk with My Man" preceded her shift into ministry, and his impromptu dormitory piano audition so impressed her that she appointed him Minister of Music at her church, a role he kept until returning to Boston after one year of study. Back home he assembled his band the True Loves and, in 2005, issued the self-released collection Sings "Walkin' and Talkin' (For My Baby)" and Other Smash Hits, which mixed covers and originals. The group steadily built local notice through Reed's fervent, high-energy vocals, and a 2007 SXSW set drew label attention. Boston-based Q Division signed Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves, who delivered their second album Roll with You in 2008, every track written or co-written by Reed. Two years later came his first major-label outing, Come and Get It.
Although it earned solid notices, Come and Get It failed to reach the Billboard 200 and instead peaked at number 36 on R&B Albums; Reed moved to Warner Bros. in 2012. His debut for the label emerged gradually, beginning with the 2013 Record Store Day 7" "Woo Hoo," which signaled a shift toward a polished, contemporary sound. That direction continued on the 2014 album Nights Like This, released that spring and shaped by a modern-soul approach that echoed Mark Ronson's collaborations with Amy Winehouse.
When Nights Like This did not elevate Reed into broader commercial view, he left Warner Bros. and returned to independent labels in 2016 by joining Yep Roc for the gospel-tinged My Way Home. He stayed with Yep Roc for 2019's 99 Cent Dreams, tracked at Sam Phillips Recording studio under producer Matt Ross-Spang.
In 2022 Reed reappeared with Down Every Road, a lively tribute to Merle Haggard cut live to tape alongside his backing band and producer Vince Chiarito.
Born and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, Eli Reed absorbed a wide range of sounds from his father's extensive record collection, which the critic shared with his son and which sparked a deep pull toward gospel, soul, blues, and R&B releases. After teaching himself piano, guitar, and harmonica, he honed his technique and stage presence by busking in Harvard Square, then headed to Clarksdale, Mississippi for work once high school ended. When that opportunity collapsed upon arrival, Reed connected with the local music scene, performed regularly at area clubs, and studied under drummer Sam Carr. During his Mississippi stay he acquired the nickname "Paperboy" from the newsboy cap he wore, yet after nine months he headed north at his parents' urging to enroll at the University of Chicago. There he crossed paths with soul singer Mitty Collier, whose 1964 hit single "I Had a Talk with My Man" preceded her shift into ministry, and his impromptu dormitory piano audition so impressed her that she appointed him Minister of Music at her church, a role he kept until returning to Boston after one year of study. Back home he assembled his band the True Loves and, in 2005, issued the self-released collection Sings "Walkin' and Talkin' (For My Baby)" and Other Smash Hits, which mixed covers and originals. The group steadily built local notice through Reed's fervent, high-energy vocals, and a 2007 SXSW set drew label attention. Boston-based Q Division signed Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves, who delivered their second album Roll with You in 2008, every track written or co-written by Reed. Two years later came his first major-label outing, Come and Get It.
Although it earned solid notices, Come and Get It failed to reach the Billboard 200 and instead peaked at number 36 on R&B Albums; Reed moved to Warner Bros. in 2012. His debut for the label emerged gradually, beginning with the 2013 Record Store Day 7" "Woo Hoo," which signaled a shift toward a polished, contemporary sound. That direction continued on the 2014 album Nights Like This, released that spring and shaped by a modern-soul approach that echoed Mark Ronson's collaborations with Amy Winehouse.
When Nights Like This did not elevate Reed into broader commercial view, he left Warner Bros. and returned to independent labels in 2016 by joining Yep Roc for the gospel-tinged My Way Home. He stayed with Yep Roc for 2019's 99 Cent Dreams, tracked at Sam Phillips Recording studio under producer Matt Ross-Spang.
In 2022 Reed reappeared with Down Every Road, a lively tribute to Merle Haggard cut live to tape alongside his backing band and producer Vince Chiarito.
Albums
Singles
