Class 14: Laura Reed
Laura Reed Bio:
Where She Started
Laura Reed relocated from Johannesburg to North Carolina while she was still just a child, but her family carried their culture and traditions (as well as their love of writing) with them wherever they went. At nine years old, Reed saw her first poem published in print, and at fourteen, she picked up her first guitar.
“I actually taught myself how to play on my own,” Reed explains. “At that age, I was always getting into trouble and being grounded, so I’d spend hours every day in my room just learning chords and deconstructing songs.”
Open mics and cover sets led to original recordings and homemade CDs, and before she’d even finished high school, it was clear what Reed was meant to do with the rest of her life. She took her singular blend of rock, blues, and funk on the road with her band, Deep Pocket, performing more than 200 pulse-pounding shows a year and making her own breaks along the way.
Big Names & Big Breaks
George Clinton heard about Laura Reed from band members who saw her performing on the streets of New Orleans and were so taken that they suggested he bring her into the band, while Lee Oskar found the versatile musician on YouTube and invited her to be an ambassador for his ubiquitous harmonica brand. Reed would go on to collaborate with everyone from Killer Mike and Robert Randolph to Karl Denson and Jewel, sing the national anthem at Madison Square Garden twice, and share bills with Mali Music, India.Arie, Miguel, Valerie June and Anthony Hamilton among others.
When Deep Pocket broke up, Reed was living in Atlanta and ready to launch a solo career. Life seemed promising at the time: she’d landed a production deal, gotten married, and given birth to a beautiful baby boy. One night in the studio, though, she received a surprise visit from a childhood hero with some prophetic words.
“I was in singing with my back turned and suddenly someone grabbed me by my arm,” remembers Reed. “It was Whitney Houston. She was holding a small little dog and she told me to keep singing. I continued to sing and she grabbed my hand and started dancing with me. At the end, she asked my name and said, ‘You have great talent. You’re as real as collard greens.’ Then she looked in my eyes, really close to my face, and told me, ‘Never stop singing. It’s gonna get hard, but whatever happens, never stop.’”
The Road Less Traveled
Things did indeed get hard, harder than Reed had ever imagined. Her marriage and production deal both soured, and she soon found herself scraping by as a single mother on welfare, struggling just to make ends meet. With nowhere else to turn, she called famed producer Paul Worley (Lady Antebellum, Dixie Chicks), who’d become a fan and a mentor, and asked his advice. “I played him some of my demos, and he told me, ‘Put your stuff in storage and get to Nashville,’” remembers Reed. He told me that my one-year-old and I could come live with him and his wife while I finished writing my album.”
Over the next six months, Reed poured her heart and soul into writing and recording what would become her solo debut, ‘The Awakening,’ reinventing herself personally and professionally with the help of GRAMMY-winning producer Shannon Sanders (John Legend, India.Arie). The songs earned her a major publishing deal, and upon its release, the record was a critical hit, with Blurt raving that it “showcases Reed’s astonishing pipes” and SoulBounce calling it “a refreshing blend of retro- leaning soul and pop with hints of gospel and R&B.”
The album’s lead single, “Wake Up,” landed in rotation at Nashville’s Lightning 100, which led to public praise from the likes of Sheryl Crow and Debra Messing. Songs from the album, meanwhile, turned up in a slew of films and television shows, including Cold Light of Day (Sigourney Weaver, Henry Cavil), Chloe and Theo (Dakota Johnson, Mina Sorvino), and Alicia Keys’ The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete (Jennifer Hudson, Jordin Sparks).
Laura & Laur
Laura recently teamed up with Widespread Panic’s Dave Schools (bass/ production) and Grammy Award-winning Vance Powell, known for his work with Jack White, Chris Stapleton, and countless other iconic acts. She released the first single from the new project, “Milk & Honey” in November 2019 and is garnering attention as a “not to miss” live show with her powerful vocals, harmonica prowess, and timeless songwriting. She formed a new collaborative project in February 2020 with guitarist Laur Joamets, “LORE” and has announced plans to release a new album and tour dates in 2020.
Follow Laura Reed
Laura Reed Socials
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Laura Reed Music
Youtube | Spotify | Apple | Soundcloud
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