Review Fix Exclusive: Dru Cutler Talks Vibrate And More

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter Dru Cutler, who breaks down his new single, “Vibrate” and so much more. 

About Dru Cutler:

Indie-pop singer-songwriter Dru Cutler crafts a love letter to human connection on his new single, “Vibrate,” out May 19, 2022. Multi-instrumentalist, and singer, Dru Cutler is known in the Brooklyn music scene as the co-founder of the award-winning venue, Unit J, in Bushwick. But fans also know him as an inspiring musician and songwriter. He’s worked alongside Grammy-winning producers such as Dave McNair (Bob Dylan, David Bowie), Scott Lehrer (Philip Glass, Rufus Wainwright), and Andy Taub (Norah Jones, Ani DeFranco) and helped to organize the Brooklyn Museum’s sold-out “Night of 1,000 Bowies.” His influences are far and wide — stylistically, he enjoys merging the past and present in the form of what he’s coined “digital nostalgia.” That unique style is mirrored in spades on his new single, “Vibrate.”

Review Fix: What inspired Vibrate?

Dru Cutler: The last few years have shown us that there’s really no simple way to pass energy through the screen, the phone, or the camera.

When I wrote this track, I wasn’t sure exactly what it was about. But over time the message became clear: Sometimes you just need to hug another human being. 

Review Fix: Are you a better musician because of the pandemic?

Cutler: Well, in some ways probably not because I wasn’t able to play in from of crowds as much. 

But in other ways, yes. I was able to spend a lotta time in the studio alone, and I learned what it feels like to trust my gut. You know? Follow my instincts. I turned up the volume of my inner voice, which is really helpful for any artist. 

Review Fix: What singers have influenced you the most?

Cutler: My first CD was Prince’s “Diamonds and Pearls” which blew my teenage mind. 

I love great melodies, so I’m huge fan of Björk, Thom Yorke, and André 3000.

As a baritone myself, I learned a lot from Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, and Tom Waits. 

Review Fix: What has inspired you the most and is not musically related?

Cutler: I’ve always been inspired by shapes and colors and all types of art, and I started drawing when I was two or three years old. 

I recently visited Mark Rothko’s chapel in Houston, Texas. I sat in front of those incredible paintings in silence for an hour. It was a meditative experience. I think music deserves more breathing space like that. 

Review Fix: What are some lyrics on this track that stand out the most for you?

Cutler: “We share a wine over the line. Somehow I still feel alone”

Over the past few years, we’ve all tried to connect digitally in every possible way, but nothing really seems to compare to a physical connection. This lyric seems to sum up those feelings in a simple way. 

Review Fix: What is the Brooklyn music scene like? How has it made you, you?

Cutler: I love living in Bushwick. There’s a culture here of “if you can dream it, you can do it”. People don’t wait around for a blessing. Ya know? 

Over the last ten years, we’ve converted our industrial loft into a music space. We’ve hosted hundreds of shows. I’ve built a strong group of friends and artists here. It’s a second family for me. 

Review Fix: What does this song do that others you’ve done haven’t?

Cutler: It’s really simple. There’s only a few chords. A few changes. A few ideas. I was searching for music that was “healing” for me, and that happened by shaving the sound down to its essential parts. 

Review Fix: What’s next?

Cutler: Got a few cool things lined up: 

Music Video – I’ve collaborated with an incredible team (Trick Pony) to create a very “floaty” and visually stunning music video for this song. 

Songwriter Series – I’m hosing a songwriter series at my loft (UnitJBushwick.com) in Bushwick. It’s a very intimate way to get to hear a handful of NYC-based songwriters and storytellers. 

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

Cutler: My music can be found on all the streaming platforms. Follow me there for updates.

Also, try not to chew with your mouth open. :)

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 13819 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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