Eli 'Paperboy' Reed is Getting There

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Eli 'Paperboy' Reed made his way from Brookline, Massachusetts, to Clarksdale, Mississippi, as a teenager, honing his chops while immersing himself in the juke joint culture of the Delta. In Mississippi he earned his nickname Paperboy because he used to constantly wear a vintage, eight-panel newsboy cap that belonged to his grandfather. After a stint playing with famed gospel singer Mitty Collier on the south side of Chicago in his early twenties, Reed returned to the Boston area and began turning heads with a series of albums that earned widespread acclaim. The New Funky has been following him since 2010, when the classic album Come And Get It came out. If you want to catch the vibe of that period in Eli's career, watch the episode of Live From Daryl's House. Daryl Hall (from Hall & Oates) and Eli 'Paperboy' Reed are from different generations but with kindred spirits and a shared love for soul, rhythm & blues. Since then, Eli established himself as one of the most compelling and consistent soul men of the modern era.

On his latest record, Getting There, Reed explores a more grown-up kind of love, contemplating what it takes for two people to go the distance through good times and bad. Produced by legendary R&B iconoclast Swamp Dogg, the album is a joyful dose of timeless soul and roots music, but it’s also a deeply mature work of lyrical craftsmanship. The hype sticker on the new vinyl album quotes Swamp Dogg uncensored: "One of the top five artists I've ever worked with, Eli is a motherfucker.”

We had a chance to ask Eli a couple of questions about the start of his career, the new album and the upcoming tour.

TNF: This must be a special month for you with the new album coming out and the start of the release tour. You played in the Grand Ole Oprey in Nashvilleback in 2022 at the time of your album Down Every Road with songs of Merle Haggard, now you will be back in September. Are you working on a special set?

Eli: "This album has more of a country bent than just about anything else I’ve ever done, so I don’t need to change much to make the songs fit. Playing The Opry the first time was an incredible experience, but this time I’m able to go back and play my own songs which makes it even more special. Swamp Dogg will be on the show with me as well so it promises to be quite an evening."

TNF: Our favorite video of you is the appearance in Live From Daryl's House back in 2010. The atmosphere feels so relaxed and the sound is very natural. You mention there that you admire Hall & Oates for their soulful work in the eighties. How did it feel for you as young man to play and sing together with the distinguished Daryl Hall?

Eli: "It was a long time ago now! I was 26 when that was recorded so I don’t think I quite grasped the gravity of it. Daryl was great, but his musical director, the late T-Bone Wolk really made the atmosphere special. My set was actually the first time they ever had a full band on Daryl’s House so I think everyone there was excited."

TNF: Your new record is produced by Swamp Dogg. I read that he advised you and the band to let the song play itself when you sometimes got overexcited. What else did you learn from him while working in the studio?

Eli: "Swamp is just a great listener, he keeps his ears open all the time. He’s big on not overthinking parts and making sure that everything fits together the way that it should without anything extraneous. I could go on and on about what I learned from Swamp, but suffice it to say that he brought his 70 years of wisdom to bear."

TNF: What can the European audience expect from you when you come over in autumn and which band members will join you on the tour?

Eli: "I’ll have a full 6 piece band with horns, bass, drums, organ and myself on guitar. We’ll definitely play a lot of the new LP but I’ll likely play something from every album! It’s fun to make set lists these days since I have so much material to choose from.'

The vinyl album can be ordered in our record store. Several tracks are placed in our Spotify playlists. Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and his band will come to Spain and The Netherlands in October/November and to the UK in March (check out Eli's website for the US tour and additional European dates):

29 Oct 2026 - Sevilla, Spain - Sala X

30 Oct 2026 - Madrid, Spain - Changó Club

31 Oct 2026 - Murcia, Spain - Teatro Circo

2 Nov 2026 - Valencia, Spain - Loco Club

3 Nov 2026- San Sebastian, Spain - Dabadaba

4 Nov 2026- Barcelona, Spain - The Wolf

5 Nov 2026- Alacant, Spain - Sala Stereo

6 Nov 2026- Sittard NL - Volt

7 Nov 2026- Groningen NL - TakeRoot Festival

8 Nov 2026- Breda NL – Mezz

9 March 2027 - Leeds, England - Brudenell Social Club

10 March 2027 - Nottingham, England - Metronome