Vans Girls Music Crushes: The Wild Reeds
Weâve all had our hearts broken at one point or another, and along with that we often seek out a band or album in hopes of finding comfort in a wistful thread of relatable lyrics. For us, that band is The Wild Reeds. This SoCal indie-folk band may have packed their last album, Blind and Brave with lovesick lyrics, but the female-fronted quintet is far from the damsel in distress type. Last month we caught up with Kinsey, Mack, and Sharon to chat about their new album, and itâs evolution from heartbreak consumed lyrics to empowering self-realization. We even got the skinny on a rather hilarious text message involving a photograph of underwearâŠ
So first off, what do each of you do in the band? Â
Mack: I play harmonium, electric guitar, and I sing.
Sharon: I play electric and acoustic guitar, and I sing.
Kinsey: I play harmonium, banjo, acoustic guitar, and I sing.
Kinsey: Well, we all met in college. Mack and Sharon went to the same college, while I went to school across the street. We actually met at a concert, to be exact; a Lisa Hannigan show.
Mack: I think Sharon and I briefly met at school, but it wasnât until we ran into each other at a Langhorne Slim show at the Troubadour, that we realized we liked the same music, and became friends.
Friendship aside, how did you decide to form The Wild Reeds?
Kinsey: We were actually solo performers, and would frequently play open mics. Sometimes weâd back each other up, and then one day we played a fundraiser show, and thatâs when people convinced us to become a band. We never would have thought that one day weâd be in a band with three singers. The concept just never really crossed our minds to become a full band.
So you guys have been neck deep in tour-land over the last year. Any funny or embarrassing stories from the road?
Mack: Ha! There are so many to choose from. Well, thereâs this one place we always stay at in Seattle called âThe Beery Houseâ, and the last time we stayed there we actually got a text message featuring one of our underwear.
Sharon: For context, it was because we were doing laundry.
Mack: Yea, but it was funny to get a photo of it through text from some random person who found it.
Happens all the time. What has been one of your favorite stops on tour?
Kinsey: Taos, New Mexico is mine!
Mack: I used to not like Nashville (and I still kind of donât love it), but last time we were there for five days, and we made some really really good friends, and we ended up going out every night and having a great time. I was just so surprised to see a different side to Nashville.
Sharon: I really like Chicago.
Dead or alive, who would be your dream bands or artists to tour with?
Kinsey: Weâve always wanted to tour with the Fleet Foxes. Their harmonies are inspiring.
Mack: One of the best shows Iâve ever been to was for Doctor Dog, and I felt like it was not only musically interesting, but also a party on stage. I also have always wanted to do something like the Last Waltz or Mad Dogs & Englishmen, where thereâs like 50 legendary people on stage together every night, partying and singing. I think that would be really fun.
Sharon: I feel like a Crosby, Stills Nash, & Young thing would be unbelievable. Â There are a lot of really great harmony bands right now, and I donât really want to limit ourselves to playing with just those type of bands. Weâd love to tour with Angel Olsen, that would be awesome. You know, with so many great songwriters coming out, it seems as though the music industry is taking a turn by looking back at the heart of songwriting, as opposed to just trends in genre.
For someone who doesnât know who you are, or what your music sounds like, how would you describe it?
Kinsey: I would say weâre very harmony driven, folk rock. We write a lot of lyric-heavy music.
Mack: Itâs hard for us to describe our music and genre, because we all have very different influences and different tastes, including the guys in our band.
Tell us a little bit about your new EP, Best Wishes. Is there an underlying theme?
Mack: Well actually all the songs on the EP came from a series of recordings we did at a friendâs studio after getting off work. So like whenever we had free time we would just go and record songs, and after about nine months of that we finally decided to just put something out. We chose three of our favorites from the ten we had done, polished them up, then mixed and mastered them. As far as the concept and name of Best Wishes, it was sort of a departure from our last album, and us just saying âwe sound different now, we are different now.â This was the album we did on our own, and sort of a gentle middle finger to the music industry. It was like a âthanks but no-thanks, weâll do this by ourselvesâ sort of thing.Â
Thatâs rad. We noticed that a lot of the songs on Blind and Brave have a slight heartbreak vibe to them. Do you feel your love life has an impact on the songs you write?
Kinsey: Oh yea. They definitely come out of a time of complete sadness, and are direct hits to our personal love-lives.
Thought so. Do you guys have a favorite âbreakup songâ youâre willing to come clean about?
Mack: âItâs All Over Now, Baby Blueâ by Bob Dylan.
Kinsey: âHowlâ by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, also âMotorcycle Drive-byâ by Third Eye Blind will ALWAYS make me feel great!
Tell us about your next album thatâs about to come out.
Mack:Â Well we had the opportunity to go to Bridgeport, Connecticut for a month to work with a really great team of people, like Peter Katis, who is an awesome producer. Weâre actually working with a label for the first time, which is exciting, because we have a talented group of people to really help guide us. We literally worked Monday through Friday for a month straight recording 15-20 songs, which ultimately got cut down to 11. It was a really cool experience because it was as if time stopped in this house that we practically never left. You know, you really learn a lot about yourself when youâre closed up in a space with a ton of people trying to be creative. Itâs interesting.
I can imagine. What can we expect with this album? Is there a theme?
Sharon: I would say itâs like phase two of Best Wishes. A lot less heartbreak, a lot more empowerment. Itâs not so much of a cry for help or pointing the finger, as it is a mark of independence.
How did each of you stay creative when writing the new music?
Kinsey: Just living. From relationships and friendships, to experiencing different places that force you out of your comfort zone and exploring places you wouldnât normally goâŠ. I think touring did that to us a lot, because we were in neighborhoods and towns weâve never been before. Youâre literally in a different world every single day.
Mack: I think another thing is realizing that, I wonât say the easiest, but the two most prominent things to write about are love and heartbreak, because those are times when youâre the most emotional. From when youâre falling in love, to falling out of love, thatâs when youâre the most vulnerable. However, I think thereâs something to say about writing songs about the other things in life, like the mundane moments, your job, and maybe the death of a family member. Or even to go further with it, like the Beatles, who wrote âLucy.â Youâre dog! When you think about some of the best songs written out there, they werenât necessarily written about love or heartbreak. You can literally write them about all kinds of bizarre stuff. With that said, I think weâve really challenged ourselves with moving past writing about the typical love and heartbreak stories.
Sharon: Weâre definitely growing and evolving as writers.
Are there any current female artists or female fronted bands you feel are rather underplayed in the industry?
Sharon: With festival season rolling around, weâve seen a lot of talented female performers, and mostly female fronted bands these days. Theyâre definitely striking while the ironâs hot. It seems as though the indie rock scene is becoming more in-favor for such musicians, more so than when we first started out 7 years ago.
Mack: Thatâs a hard one! Our friend, Natalie Carol from Valley Queen is one of our favorite artists right now. We play with a lot of women in town, like Kera & the Lesbiansâ weâre really big fans of both of those bands.
Kinsey: One more name Iâd like to add is Adia Victoria, she is amazing! Sheâs got this smoky voice and amazing stage presence. I donât think sheâs really out there yet, but sheâs honestly really great.
Do you feel your music reflects your personal style in any way?
Mack: I think those two things come from the same place. Just like songwriting, the way you dress is another way for you to express yourself. Even if itâs really minimal.Â
Sharon: Actually, I do think about that a lot when Iâm getting ready for shows. Like âdoes this outfit even match the song?â
What is something interesting most people donât know about each of you?
Kinsey: Well Mack can rollerskate really really well.
Mack: Oh yea, I think Iâm a better roller skater than I am a musician by far. Maybe Iâm in the wrong profession, ha!
Kinsey: I used to play a bunch of sports in high school. Soccer was my sport, but I donât get to play too often anymore.
Mack: Sharon is also really good at impressions.
Sharon:Â Yes, I can memorize movie lines very well.
Kinsey: Also Sharonâs backup plan is to have a dog farm. Like a rescue for dogs, I mean.
Do you have any musical guilty pleasures youâd care to share?
Kinsey: I love pop music. I can sing Third Eye Blind from beginning to end. I also love Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys. Boy bands mostly.
Sharon: I really nerd out to Lorde. Â Well, I guess thatâs not really a guilty pleasure, but I nerd out to the point where itâs embarrassing. Wait, and JoJo. She just came back with a new record, and I love it.
Mack: I was really into Hanson growing up, and then they made a comeback when I was in high school, and I was so deep in it.
Whatâs some advice youâd give another person looking to follow in your footsteps?
Mack: I guess I would say this industry is not very forgiving, and it doesnât always look for the right things in female performers. It takes a couple of years for people to realize that their originality is their best asset. Even if that means wildly original and under appreciated. Be as original as you possibly can. Even as a woman: wear what you want and do what you want. Donât feel like you need to conform to some other personâs expectations.
Sharon: Donât just think about being original, but also really think about what you want, and donât rely on approval by others. One thing thatâs really frustrating (in the indie scene) is that we have a lot of people serving up compliments like âoh, sheâs good for a girl.â Like, thatâs still a thing. It sucks! Just do what you want, because you canât please every single person.Â
And finally whatâs next for The Wild Reeds?
Kinsey: The road! Weâre going to be on the road for awhile. The longer weâre on tour the better weâll do in the long run. Like, say weâre on the road for the next two to three years, Iâd say thatâs a good thing. Weâre booked until next summer, and we also have a new record coming out. Next year is just going to be a lot of work for us. Weâre all excited!
Listen to the first track on their new album now!Â
Follow the Band: Tour Dates // Website // Instagram // YoutubeÂ
Photography: Genevieve Davis
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