Local Reno Music Artist Tej Reddy Shares His Music Story

Anthology, the name of 18 year old music artist Tej Reddy’s new album. After years of experimenting and practicing, Tej released his first album in September of 2023. A collection of sentiments and emotions or as he describes it, “A loose collection of media, little stories, and narratives” that he’s compiled.

Tej is from Reno, Nevada and he says that music has always been a part of his life. He started by playing the piano/keyboard and from there he progressed to learning the guitar. His music motivation only increased when he began using GarageBand and Logic, which are Digital Audio Workstations that allow you to create music from a laptop.

At 13 years old Tej discovered a band that would change his entire perspective on music as he knew it. Animals As Leaders became his main source of inspiration, but more specifically their guitarist, Javier Reyes. He would frequently listen to their song Cafo, one of his all time favorite songs five years later, and create music that was similar.

As time went on, Tej had to balance school with music. From 2022–2023 he trained as an EMT, and got certified at 17 years old. He also gained new experiences while playing in a band and learning how to play drums in highschool. He hasn’t collaborated with other music artists since but he says he is interested and willing to do it again. For now, he remains a solo artist.

Pictured above is Tej Reddy. Photograph taken by Jack Barrington.

When it comes to a genre, Tej isn’t quite sure what label best suits his music. “If I had to pick a genre, I’d say my music falls under a lofi, bedroom pop, indie electronic sound,” however that is subject to change because Tej is hoping to create more digital, heavy electronic music. “I gravitate towards abrasive sounds, djenty guitar tones, and distorted synths,” Tej says.

When it comes to creating music, he typically begins with a chord progression; he refers to this as a song’s “backbone.” After he’s developed the chords, he creates a drum loop followed by a bassline and melody. He doesn’t normally add lyrics but he decided to experiment and add them to his song, “Silicon,” which ended up being his favorite song on the album. His other favorite song is “I Want To Know” which was actually the reason this album came to be.

Tej had been making music for years but it wasn’t until his friend suggested that they make a music video for “I Want To Know” that Tej began to think about seriously releasing his music. So, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tej recorded a music video and published it on YouTube. He then gained the motivation to create new songs to finish his album.

Tej has never performed his music in a live setting but he is interested in pursuing that opportunity in the future. “I’d even be interested in performing covers,” Tej says. And to other artists trying to create music, Tej encourages them to do their best and collaborate with others. “Utilize those outlets, get involved, and be persistent until you get lucky.”

Reporting by Lauren Juillerat

with photos by Jack Barrington

Originally Published Tuesday 03.05.24