(June 23, 2026) Acclaimed soul artist Eli Paperboy Reed releases “Getting There,” the heartfelt title track from his forthcoming album Getting There, due out September 11 via Yep Roc Records. Produced by legendary songwriter, producer, and iconoclast Swamp Dogg, the album is a rich and deeply personal exploration of enduring love, commitment, and the long road of life shared with others (click here to pre-order or pre-save single).
A singular figure in American music for more than six decades, Swamp Dogg has built a career defined by fearless creativity, genre-defying records, and groundbreaking work as both an artist and producer. His influence stretches across soul, country, R&B, and rock, making him the ideal collaborator for Reed’s most mature and personal work to date.
While much popular music celebrates the thrill of falling in love, Getting There turns its attention toward what comes after: building a life together, weathering hardship, raising families, and choosing love again and again.
“There’s plenty of music out there about falling in love,” says Reed. “I wanted to write about staying in love. I wanted to get to the heart of what it takes to go the distance, of what it means for two people to walk side by side, through good times and bad, and still choose each other every single day.”
That philosophy finds its clearest expression on “Getting There,” an earnest and reflective song that follows its protagonist through different stages of life while subtly shifting the meaning of its title. As wisdom passes from one generation to the next, Reed reminds listeners that life itself is a continual journey rather than a destination.
“We’re always ‘getting there,’ right?” Reed says. “That’s what life is, especially when you realize that even when you’ve got a family and kids or whatever the ‘goal’ was that the race isn’t run and that it won’t ever be.”
Musically, “Getting There” showcases the mature artistry that has made Reed one of contemporary soul music’s most respected voices. Blending soul, gospel, country, and rhythm & blues, the track embodies the album’s broader vision: music rooted in tradition yet deeply relevant to adult life and modern relationships.
Produced by Swamp Dogg, the album was recorded largely live with Reed’s band over ten days at Restoration Sound in Brooklyn. The collaboration marks a remarkable meeting of two kindred musical spirits whose friendship spans more than a decade.
“I knew Swamp Dogg was the first person I wanted to make this record with,” says Reed. “If anybody knows how to make grown folks music—how to weave all these genres together, how to be serious but also tongue in cheek at the same time—it’s Swamp Dogg.”
For Swamp Dogg, Reed’s songwriting represents a natural evolution for an artist now writing from lived experience.
“This is grown folks music,” says Reed. “I’m not 25 anymore, and I don’t want to make records that sound like I am. I want to make music that’s reflective not just of where I’ve been, but where I’m at right now.”
Across Getting There, Reed examines the subtle acts, grand gestures, joys, and heartbreaks that define long-term love. From the devotion of “Every Once In A While” and “Love You More” to the bittersweet reflections of “Knock, Knock Memories” and “Asking For A Friend,” the album offers a nuanced portrait of adulthood rarely explored in modern soul music.
With “Getting There,” Reed delivers not only the emotional centrepiece of the album, but also a reminder that the most meaningful journeys in life are often the ones we never truly finish.
