REID
With a loveable boy-next-door charm paired with sexy, refined vocals, REID is an up-and-coming artist you need to look out for. Massive sat down with REID ahead of the release of his debut single, Savannah, to chat about his journey as a student songwriter.
Savannah is an unrequited love story that incorporates the best of pop (guitar solo gems, impressive vocals, romantic clichés) over a trap beat, elevating an acoustic sound to a fun, catchy tune that everyone can get behind. Savannah was birthed out of the first Covid-19 lockdown back in 2020. During the lockdown, “I challenged myself to write a new song every day and I wanted to just make it a little bit interesting, a bit separate from my usual acoustic sound.” REID describes Savannah as a stand-alone song that doesn’t necessarily reflect his upcoming EP later this year, but rather his introduction as an artist to the world. “It’s a tune that doesn’t push me into one particular box as an artist. I want to introduce myself the way I feel I am as a person; fun and upbeat.”
I then reminded REID that Savannah’s lyrics are about being into someone who’s in a relationship which is kind of … sad. The song itself is anything but. “A choice was made … I wanted to make it as uplifting as possible. I guess that’s kind of what people need when they’re in a sad situation.”
REID is currently in his last year of a Bachelor of Commercial Music majoring in Music Practice at Massey’s Wellington campus. Studying music while pursuing a professional career in music has proved a valuable choice. “Coming [to Massey] was a real eye opener. I really got thrown in the deep end pretty early on in first year. Just collaborating with all these people you don’t know, learning to think on your feet … I think it’s also helped in terms of coming up with ideas and meeting different people who have completely different styles and techniques, and then I can apply that to my own creative process.”
The friendships and connections he’s made through Massey have been vital to the release of his single and upcoming EP. “YOHAN and JPEC produced, mixed, and mastered [Savannah]. I met YOHAN in first year and throughout the music course. [JPEC] was doing the music tech side of stuff and I built a relationship with him. Bonnie’s got the business side of music that I have no clue about. To work with her and see how far it can go is awesome. Liv, who’s doing the music video, is Bonnie’s flatmate. And Louis, the photographer, I met in the halls first year. He’s a good mate but he’s such a good business partner as well. Hunter and I have collabed a bit and we met in first year as well.” It takes a village, so they say.
“Embrace the friendships and connection you make with the people you meet, because you will need them down the line. You want to go into it with people you trust. You’ve got to be careful, but at the same time appreciate all the different people you meet.”
REID aspires to expand the way that a singer-songwriter is seen. “It’s more than just a guitar and singing. I want to try add more elements that normally may not go together but that actually work well.” REID rates Aotearoa’s recent international success stories of Benee and Six60, and is keen to make his own mark on the global stage. “When was the last time you heard of a hugely successful male artist from New Zealand make it and break into the international scene?” REID is confident in his abilities, but never cocky. I believe him when he says he’ll do big things, and I’m eagerly awaiting the day that I can tell people I’ve been listening to REID since day one. “I’m just a dude making music for the hell of it because I love it. I want to make music that people can enjoy and relate to. I have fun with it, but I feel like I am strong enough and good enough to be present in the industry.”
“Ain’t no plan B with me. I’m sticking to it through thick and thin. I’ll find a way no matter what.”
REID is set on being New Zealand’s next big thing, a goal well within his reach which he attributes to the community supporting him – both in Wellington and back home in Hamilton. REID says his parents are his greatest inspirations. His mum takes credit for his phenomenal vocals, having sung to him all the time when he was little, and his dad bought REID his first guitar and taught him his first chords. “They first introduced me to music. They’ve always had that belief in me, so I want to pay them back for all the support they’ve shown me. I want them to be proud of me, and they will be.”
The Massey and Wellington community has given REID the freedom to explore his sound, pursue his career professionally while balancing his studies, and rub shoulders with like-minded, equally driven people. “The Wellington Sound is a reflection of Wellys. It is accepting. You can do whatever the hell you want here, it is so freeing. You’re allowed to try to do anything and people will support it because we’re all here to be ourselves.”
REID is definitely someone you want to keep your eye out for. “I’m trying to break boundaries as an acoustic artist. I don’t want to settle for playing it safe. I’m not afraid to think outside the box and just see what happens. I hope that can be something people can get behind.” He’s absolutely “buzzing” about the release of his single, and sees Savannah as the “start of whatever the hell this journey is gonna be”.
Savannah is out April 8 on Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, or wherever you listen to music. With the EP coming in Spring, find REID on Instagram at @reid____ and on TikTok @rreid__.