An Inspired Chat with laura reed

laura reed shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

laura, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
These days one of the callings I feel strongly is being “useful” and at service to community. I wouldn’t say I was afraid of this before but perhaps thought I didn’t have more to offer other than entertainment or performance and have realized that we all havve so much we can offer simply by showing up. I’ve always cooked, since I was very young cooking for my family, cooking with my mom, grandma and aunts and cousins. I was always feeding people when touring, sometimes even setting up a makeshift kitchen in a parking lot with a camping stove and cooking rice and beans for the band during our soundcheck, or making shrimp and grits for musicians in the studio while we were working. I didn’t have any training other then just being a homecook and never thought this was something I can do to help until recently. I’ve been lending my time and hands to many different community dinners and events lately, not only to sing but also to cook and serve and clean and make sure people are getting fed, especially in underserved areas.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am at my core a creative. Always have been. Originally from Johannesburg, South Africa but I grew up primarily in rural North Carolina outside of Durham. This really shaped me, especially when it comes to the source I draw from. African music and food and harmonies and rhythms, meeting southern soul and blues and black american music traditions, simmered in laid back melodies influenced by Mexico and Brazil. A combination of all the people and cultures around me. All of this music and creativity standing on the foundation of social justice and protest, reaching hopefully. Especially coming from South Africa I have always seen music as a tool for change, for being a voice for the voiceless and resistance to unjust systems and oppression. My lyrics are as much personal as they are protest songs and hopeful anthems for empathy and humanity.

Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I believed as a child that we chose a path or who we would be and once that happens never stray from that. That we are defined by it and have to commit or we become lost. As I have gotten older, I see the importance of defining that path and our sense of self, however now I also see the resilience involved in also being able to redefine ourselves, pivot, and leave our comfort zone to push ourselves and also remain expansive. It’s a constant movement and ability to remain authentic, while also knowing when to leave a unhealthy situation and when to push through.

When you were sad or scared as a child, what helped?
When I was sad or scared as a child the biggest thing that helped me was singing, writing, and being outside in nature. Not much has changed really, I still escape to music and writing as medicine in my darkest times and hardest battles. Not to mention it is a instant nervous system reset for me just being still a few moments in the woods or near a river or in a field, even just a patch of wildflowers growing on the side of a highway. When I was a child there was a creek near me that I would run to when upset and had a “special rock” I sat on that always seemed to catch the sun and was warm and I felt gave me power and kept me safe. I still think about that and how I would tap in to that natural energy and recenter.

Another major source os resilience also came from my grandmother. She lived with us for a time and we were incredibly close. She always had my back and would comfort me. After she passed when I was 19 she became an ancestor and still comforts me knowing she watches over me as I go through the world and life. In difficult times I can feel her presence and protection. It’s a comforting acknowledgment, often even calling on her when I would go on stage and felt nervous, I’d feel a surge of energy and confidence.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I would say the music industry is famously lying to itself when it comes to who is welcome, who is safe, and how one can be successful. It is also an industry that really can’t always be predicted and is having the playing field leveled and equalized more and more. I say it is lying to itself because we like to believe that it is talent alone that rises to the top, that if you have enough talent and dedication you will be rewarded. Any many cases that is true, however there is still so much work to be done in response to systemic racism, sexism, classism, and ageism and ableism.. There is still a high value put on being youthful, having financial resources, proximity to whiteness, and fitting into social beauty standards and beliefs. All industries face these constructs to dismantle and rebute, however in the entertainment and music world they are still upheld systemically while claiming that everyone is welcome. I have witnessed and experience first hand how many times that is not the case, and so many talented people are not given an opportunity because they did not fit in a box deemed marketable.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope when I’m gone I’m remembered for being honest, authentic, and kind. That is the kind of legacy I would love to leave and the story I strive embody. I hope they don’t leave out the low points and the struggle and the mistakes, because those are very much part of the journey. As they say you can’t have a testimony without a test. I hope my story includes my love and dedication to my children and community, as well as dedication to my career and art. We are all multidimensional and complicated, weaving many threads into our story.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurareed.com
• Instagram: @laurareedmusic
• Facebook: @laurareedmusic
• Youtube: @laurareedmusic
• Soundcloud: @laurareedmusic

Image Credits
Mark Bogazzi
Erin April Allen
Sebastian Smith
Sandlin Gaither
Tiit Konnussaar