By Sydney Wills

The Bay Area-born, Los Angeles-based songwriter Tim Atlas seems to have measured his life and shaped his music through geography, tracing different versions of himself through the places he’s called home. His latest EP Reverso finds him returning to Los Angeles after years away. Across a warm blend of alternative R&B, soul, funk, and indie pop, Atlas explores the strange experience of revisiting a place that once defined you and discovering the changes that both you and the city have undergone. 

When we spoke, Atlas reflected on growing up amid the eclectic musical ecosystem of the Bay Area, specifically the exuberant hyphy movement that emerged in the independent hip hop scene and car sideshows of  90s Oakland. He discussed learning guitar on a battered hand-me-down instrument, the influence of cities like New York and Los Angeles on his creative process, and why he’s always preferred blending genres over choosing a single lane. Along the way, he muses on nostalgia, world-building, artistic reinvention, and the challenge of returning to an old version of yourself without becoming trapped by it.

Sydney Wills: What is an early experience with music that feels important to you?

Tim Atlas: I think I first started making music when I picked up an old guitar that my dad had since he was a kid. The strings were ridiculously far from the neck, and there wasn’t really any way to fix it. It was just this old, haggard guitar. I was about 13 years old, and I really wanted to learn how to write songs, so I toughed it out. 

SW: Do you feel there are any circumstances in particular that shaped the early stages of your music making? For example, a particular scene you were involved/nterested in, the people and family you were around, or maybe you just felt it a matter of necessity.

TA: Definitely. I was playing drums in the school band, and around the same time my church needed a drummer, so I ended up spending a lot of my time playing there as well. I’d play drums at church, drums at school, and then play guitar or drums in different local bands. Looking back, I think I just became obsessed with finding as many ways to make music as possible.

SW: I read that you’re from San Jose/Oakland, cities in the Bay Area which, of course, have a rich musical lineage. I think of old school soul, West Coast funk, of course the Oakland-based television station Soul Beat and the artists they’d highlight. I think of classic-yet-often-undervalued Bay Area hip-hop acts like Saafir, Motorcycle Mike, Hieroglyphics, Souls of Mischief, Digital Underground (the group that introduced 2Pac on their debut album). With that I also think of Mobb Music and G-Funk, two melodic subgenres out of that scene that revolved around incorporating slowed-down funk instrumentation. The way these genres would layer synth melodies and had this unique downtempo, funky feeling reminds me of a bit of your sound. I know a large part of the new project revolves around a return to LA, but do you feel as though this Oakland lineage (musical or otherwise) has seeped its way into your work at all? 

TA: Honestly, I’d like to think it has. I’ve always found myself somewhere between indie rock, R&B, soul, funk, and a bunch of other influences, and growing up in the Bay Area probably has a lot to do with that. I grew up listening to groups like Souls of Mischief, Earth, Wind & Fire, but I also grew up during the Bay Area hyphy movement. At the same time, I was listening to post-hardcore, alt-rock, and everything in between. Looking back, I think being surrounded by all of those different sounds made me comfortable blending genres instead of feeling like I had to pick a lane. I honestly hadn’t thought about the connection until now, but it makes sense.

SW: A few write-ups associate your sound with groups like UMO, Toro y Moi, and Rex Orange County. I think there is a definite tendency to simply clump together artists that have this similar neo soul-inflected bedroom feeling; this impulse is one I understand due to the cultural relevance of the era where that sound entered the mainstream, but I ultimately am interested in how you might separate yourself from this. If someone wanted to understand your music through references rather than other bands or genre labels, what kinds of things should they look at or listen to?

TA: I think I’d probably point people toward the different cities I’ve lived in. I was living in New York when I made Enchanté, and it’s a city that encourages people to be themselves without worrying too much about what others think, and I think that mindset found its way into the project. Outside of that, I’ve always been drawn to visual artists like Warhol and Lichtenstein, and I love seeing how artists build entire worlds around their work. I’m trying to do the same thing through music.

SW: I’ve spoken with a lot of artists who feel deeply shaped by the place they’re creating in, but what’s interesting here is that this wasn’t a wholly new environment for you, it was a return. Did being back in LA feel creatively generative in a different way than discovering a new city might have been?

TA: I think it sparked creativity, but in a pretty different way. When you’re in a new city, everything feels fresh and exciting. Coming back to LA was more reflective. There were places and experiences, even food, that used to mean a lot to me that didn’t carry the same weight anymore. But then other things became more important. I found myself constantly comparing who I was then to who I am now, so that ended up fueling a lot of the EP.

SW: Well for example, you’ve said “I tend to define different phases of my life by the city I live in.” What was different about specifically returning to a city that already held such a strong version of your past self for Reverso? There’s something almost haunting about that sort of thing. Did being back in LA bring old creative instincts back out of you, or did it push you to work against them?

TA: It’s interesting because I do think the California sunshine affects the music that comes out of this city. And I found myself missing seasons and some of the things that came with them. More than anything, though, I’m just a little older now. I’m not the youngest person in the room anymore, and that changes your perspective. I don’t think coming back to LA made me want to work against my old creative instincts. If anything, it made me want to embrace them and reinvent them in a way that better reflects who I am today.

SW: In the same quote, you describe moving back to LA as “putting on an old sweater.” Something comforting, but also maybe a bit disorienting. How did that emotional contradiction seep into the sound or writing of the EP, if at all?

TA: I think it showed up as tension. On one hand, I was returning to a place that felt comfortable. On the other hand, I was realizing that I wasn’t the same person who had left. I’ve always been drawn to contrast in music. That emotional contradiction was fun to explore because that’s literally how the experience of coming back to LA felt.

SW: What were you listening to a lot of throughout the process of working on Reverso specifically?

TA: Sault was a big one. Jungle. Daniel Caesar. The newest Clairo record. Also a lot of ‘70s funk and soul.

SW: I really love the music videos for “Compromised” and “Courtside.” Do you plan on releasing any videos to accompany songs on this project?

TA: The music video for “Reverso” was just released! Other than that, we’ll have to see. I love creating in this world, but I’m sort of thinking about the next thing.

SW: How collaborative was the media and cover art making process for Reverso, and if so, who do you usually work with?

TA: My childhood friend and one of the most talented artists I know, Andrew Agutos, painted all of the artwork by hand. He also created the Spotify canvases made up of even more paintings. I gave him as much context as he needed as far as what I was looking for, but honestly, I trusted his vision and let him do what he does best.

SW: What are you most looking forward to now that Reverso is out? What’s next for you?

TA: I’m excited to see how people connect with this project over time. Also so excited to play these songs live on tour and to see a few people sing them back to me. As far as what’s next, I’m currently scheming. My favorite part is the world building, so I’m just planting the seeds and as always, seeing what happens.

Interested listeners can hear tracks from Reverso live on Tim Atlas’ Fall tour, which features stops across California, New York, DC, Chicago, and Seattle.