An Interview With The Austin-Based Singer-Songwriter, SHERIDAN REED!

Photo Credit- Sterling Reed

Austin-based, singer-songwriter Sheridan Reed recently released his new video “Money Maker,” with a premiere on Singersroom, ahead of a new EP due out later this year. A follow-up to his acclaimed singles, “We Should Both Be Here” and “Twisted Up,” “Money Maker” is about recognizing and admiring the dynamic between confidence and uncertainty. Looks can be enticing but what motivates us at our core is what really matters.

WATCH “MONEY MAKER”
WATCH “WE SHOULD BOTH BE HERE”

With is debut singles, Reed garnered media attention from taste makers, including EARMILK, Cools, Singersroom, PopDust, Hypebeast, and more.  The video for “We Should Both Be Here” racked up over 200k views in just over 30 days upon its release. “Sheridan Reed is adept at fashioning songs fueled by his mastery of combining soul and pop with intense passion and quiet sentimentality…an exceptional example of his talent and of his storytelling.”(EARMILK)

Based out of Austin, Texas singer and songwriter  grew up in a household overflowing with musical diversity. Citing influences ranging from Stevie Wonder and The Jackson Five to more recently Billie Eilish and Allen Stone.

Coming off of his first major cross country tour, Sheridan Reed has set his sights on releasing his debut album in early 2019. The inspiration for his album comes from both a cathartic and passionate place. The music speaks to love lost, love found and the beautiful and mysterious events that lead to each. It’s a theme that plays over the tracks featuring notes of old soul and new mixed with highlights of pop!

Learn more about Sheridan Reed in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find you?

-Living life in Austin, Texas. Excited about the direction life is moving and the momentum I’m finding continuing to build!

Now that we are into the 5th month of the new year, how has 2019 been treating you so far? What are some goals that you have for yourself this year? How are those New Years Resolutions going?

-It’s been a strange year for me so far. After I got back from tour in September I took a break from performances to spend most of my time working on recording, which is the opposite to how my previous year went. That being said though, it’s going well and paying off. I had several goals, some of which were, “release new music video, release single, release EP, have release show, play in NYC and the West Coast again” and so far I’m on track! Ticking them all off slowly but surely.

Growing up, how important was music in your life? Can you recall the moment when you decided that you wanted to be a musician? Was it an easy or difficult choice to make?

-My mom and dad both loved music, my mom had a strong emphasis on classical music and I loved it. I’m not sure if it was one moment specifically, or if it’s been a build up over several years propelling me down this path. There were certainly choices I made in terms of putting more energy into music than other hobbies or passions, and those were done very purposefully, but it’s been a long road with lots of ups and downs.

Was there ever a time when you thought about doing something else? If you weren’t a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing? Would you be as fulfilled in life?

-It’s hard not to think about doing something else, especially when sometimes it feels like things are falling apart or not working out the way you planned or expected. I love to read, it’s my favorite thing to do besides music. Both transport you places in a different way, and if I wasn’t a musician I would probably be doing something in that regards. However, I’m not sure if I would be as fulfilled, because that’s an experience of consuming rather than creating. I’ve realized I’m a creator.

What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career? What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?

-The unexpected surprise has been the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and travel to so many places having unique experiences I otherwise wouldn’t have gotten. It definitely has it’s challenges, as I can tend to be a bit more introverted often these days, but I enjoy stepping out of my comfort zone.

Let’s talk about your newest track “Money Maker.” What was the inspiration for this song? How does this song compare to anything else that you have released before?

-This song was the second single from my new EP, “Serendipity”. The inspiration for it was a short relationship I had last year, and the dynamics surrounding it, specifically one night that stood out to me. It’s in a similar realm as my first single, “We Should Both Be Here”, but definitely a bit more down tempo and chill.

What was it like making the music video for “Money Maker”? How creatively involved were you with the overall process? 

-I was highly involved in the process from location scouting to wardrobe to color grading, it was definitely a lot of work that we ended up pulling off in an incredibly short amount of time!

How would you say that this song prepares listeners for your upcoming EP due out later this year?

-I would say it’s a good taste, but each song is pretty different as well. I wanted to offer something overall cohesive but with different flavors.

How do you think you have grown as a musician since you first started singing and writing songs?

-Immensely. I’m a million miles further down the road as a singer and songwriter. I’ve figured out the direction I want to go with my voice and sound, and that helps me narrow down a lot. In addition, I’ve nailed down the process for writing that works best for me.

What has it been like keeping up with your social media accounts and all of the different platforms? Is it hard to stay up to date on it all? What would you say is your favorite way to connect with your fans now?

-It’s incredibly difficult keeping up with everything and creating unique and genuine content for all the different platforms, that being said I essentially mainly use instagram at this point.

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? Who would you absolutely still love to work with in the future?

-Right now Anderson Paak is definitely top of my list, followed by Billie Eilish and Lianne La Havas.

Where can people see you perform live next?

-I’ll be having an EP release show June 29th at the Historic Scoot Inn! More details to come.

If you had an unlimited budget and your schedule was free, what would your dream music video look like?

-I mean that’s a big question, and there’s so many things that could go into it. I don’t even know if I have a song right now that I would want to use that for. I’ll have to get back to you when I write my Magnum Opus.

If your music was going to be featured on any TV show that is currently on right now, which would you love it to be on? Or if you prefer, what is a movie that you love that you wish your music was featured in?

-I think Empire would be a great fit for my music, as well as Daredevil. A movie I would love to have it on would be an acoustic version of one of my songs in Call Me By Your Name.

At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music?

-I hope that people can find something in my music that they can connect with, more than anything else. Whether it’s the lyrics and the story I’m telling, or simply the beat and the vibe as something to groove to.

Would you like to share anything else with our readers about your music?

-I’m just amazed and happy that I get to work on what I love. Cause even though I love it, nothing comes easy.