We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Libby Reed a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Libby, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I have created yet would be my first studio album, “Lucky Star”. I have spent the last two years writing and recording this ten track project about my experiences with a one-sided relationship and the challenges that came with loving an idea of someone. I had never recorded in an actual studio before this year, and I collaborated with other fellow SUNY Fredonia students to create the album.
Libby, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a nineteen-year-old independent artist from Syracuse, New York. I am currently based in Fredonia and am a full-time college student and Music Industry Major. I have always had a love for music since my childhood and my family was constantly surrounding me with singing, dancing, and music in general. I started singing and writing songs from a very young age, but started recording myself and uploading the tracks onto SoundCloud in high school. People from my community became very supportive and pushed me to keep creating. During quarantine I released an entirely self-made EP called “In Orbit”, that gained traction with my small fan-base.
In high school I faced some criticism from my peers about what I was creating and the aspirations I had, especially being a woman wanting to emerge into a male-dominated industry.
I have been a dedicated fan of tons of unique musicians and artists ever since I can remember, and I think being a passionate fan of creators firsthand has helped inspire not only my music, but my entire creative vision. I love writing music and singing, but I also love creating worlds around my songs and specific aesthetics for each release.
I love vocal stacks and harmonies, which are insanely time-consuming, but so fulfilling for me. They paint a picture and add depth to music in a way words cannot. I have never had any formal vocal training and do everything by what I have learned by ear, and I think my musical-ear has really improved over the course of creating “Lucky Star”.
I want people to know the amount of time and effort that goes into being an independent artist, on top of a full-time college student. I was running on four and five hours of sleep for months, working to squeeze in studio time in between homework, studying, social engagements, and early class times. I spend most days glued to my computer before a release, making promotional posts and advertisements, and trying to get the word out about my projects in general.
I am really proud of my growth as a creator throughout the past eight years, and I can’t wait to see how my vision continues to evolve.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think society can best support artists by supporting their local music scene. Going to shows, paying for tickets, buying physical media created by artists and musicians, tipping performers. Anything that spreads the word about music you love or musicians you find inspiring is so appreciated by independent artists of all sizes.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I wish I knew about how important “word of mouth” is in general. I hid my music from so many people when I was starting out because I was embarrassed of it and scared about what people would think of my songs. My biggest regret is that I did not start creating sooner, because my life has felt so much more full of color and vibrant after finding my creative niche. The love has always outweighed the hate and negativity, and hearing people’s stories who have connected with my music has meant the world to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.libbyreed.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libbyreed
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/libbyreed_?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBy0U1LQpX_YqGY1uTav7fA
Image Credits
Emma Christopher