Meet Victoria Reed

From Detroit, to Brooklyn, to Mexico City, Victoria Reed keeps spinning enchanting tunes. This singer-songwriter delivers ethereal and intimate music guaranteed to conjure connection and moments of clarity. We caught up with the artist fresh off the release of her new album, Aquamadre. 

Below, we chat about a shift to digital outreach, personalized Ben and Jerry’s flavors, and her relocation to Mexico City. 

A self-portriat by, Victoria Reed

Would You Rather

only be able to buy things with coins or by trading random objects? Please explain.

Trading random objects sounds great. I have all sorts of treasures that may not be worth a ton monetarily, but could make for a great trade to the right buyer; seashells, records, shoes, crystals, wigs, books and beyond!

Some questions with Victoria Reed

If you could create your own Ben and Jerry’s flavor, what would it be?

Mint Chocolate Chip with Oreo and rainbow sprinkles added in the mix

How have you been navigating the recent release of your new album, Aquamadre, in the midst of the pandemic?

It’s definitely been drastically different from the release of my first album in non pandemic times. It was super heartbreaking to have to cancel all of my shows in support of the album, and it’s definitely an odd feeling of being in limbo not knowing when (if ever!?) it will be safe to play shows again. So it’s obviously required some adapting, but the same could be said for virtually everyone on the planet right now, and there’s way more horrifically heartbreaking things going on in the world right now, so I’ve tried not to dwell too much on what could’ve been that wasn’t. Instead I found ways to roll with it and make the most of things. I’ve also ended up focusing way more energy than I ever would have on digital outreach, and have been really pleasantly surprised to see the ways in which it’s lent itself to forging deeper connections all around the world through my music. I’m now feeling especially excited for some more international touring someday when the world is back on its axis.

Compared to your past work, did your creative process differ when writing this album?

My first album ‘Chariot’ was written all on guitar, but for this one I switched to piano. My songwriting process is so deeply ingrained in my being that hasn’t changed much, but I’ve found that I can access a whole different level of emotion when writing at a grand piano than I ever have playing guitar. Having Autre Ne Veut along for the ride to produce the album was also really special and instrumental to this album. He’s so incredibly talented and is an absolute joy to collaborate with. We recorded all but one track at my home studio in Mexico City, between Autre, my husband, Erik Deutsch, and myself, and it was a total dream.

What do you hope listeners will take away from your work?

Connection, joy, understanding, catharsis, maybe even a bit of wisdom. My songs are like my personal diary, but they also serve as a way for me to sort of crystallize hard earned life lessons and growth, and healing. So it’s always my ultimate hope that people who listen to my music will find something healing or useful within it for themselves.

How has your experience as an artist in Mexico City differ from your time in Brooklyn?

I have more space than my loft in Brooklyn, which means I was able to build a home studio, which has been a major game changer. It allows for so much more flexibility and playfulness in the process, the kind that’s just a bit hard to come by when you're paying by the hour for a fancy studio. There’s also a certain laid backness here (in spite of the abundance of creative, frenetic energy) that lends itself to feeling at my full creative power in a really unique way. And while NYC is one of the most inspiring places on the planet and always will be, a solid change of scenery has always done good things for my creative spirit. There’s something so magical to me about being a bit outside of my comfort zone. I find it takes me out of any rigidity or know-it-all-ness and lands me into a space of deeper aliveness and curiosity. It’s one of my favorite feelings in the world. That was a big motivation in making the move in the first place, on top of all the things that already make Mexico City an infinitely magical place to exist as an artist. There’s a reason why artists from all around the world have been spending time here or relocating to Mexico City for centuries.

Have you done any live stream shows? Do you plan on doing any in the future?

Yes! I did quite a few in the spring when the album first came out, and definitely plan to do more in the future. Nothing’s as good as the real thing, but I’ve actually had a really great time doing them.

What do you miss most about performing live?

I mostly miss the shared warmth and energy that’s conjured up in a room during a show. There is nothing like making that connection through music, the immediacy, emotionality and ephemeral nature of it all.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

Black Lives Matter infinitely!!! Use whatever privilege you have to do whatever you can to help the cause of anti-racism. Even if you feel like your voice doesn’t matter, or that the brokenness of this world is too vast to make a difference- changing even just one person’s mind by educating yourself and speaking up can have a butterfly effect that can help make this world a better, safer and more inclusive place for BlPOC. And for the love of god, vote vote vote!