RVA is a city that has always been overrun by every type of music imaginable and Richmond local Sam Reed’s new album, This Is L
RVA is a city that has always been overrun by every type of music imaginable and Richmond local Sam Reed’s new album, This Is Love, is a lot like the city where it was created. From gospel to hip hop, no two tracks sound alike, but what is consistent is Reed’s unique style and voice.
Reed’s new record dropped yesterday, and she is ready to show Richmond and beyond what she can do.
“There are so many musicians in Richmond that are doing their thing,” Said Reed. “It’s just a music haven. It always has been, but there is something about this time… right now… it’s a very important time for us. As musicians, we are living folklore to a lot of people.”
Reed decided to stay true to her roots and sign with the up and coming Jellowstone Records, A Richmond based record label. “Recording at Jellowstone Studio, it has been incredible just having Corey, Andrew, Keith and Devonne around. They will say things like, ‘She’s bringing the church back into it.’ And church is where I learned the kind of love and passion that comes through music. Music is church for me.”
Reed received the nickname “church girl” when she first ventured out into the Richmond music scene. She adopted the name proudly, and it has stuck with her.
“I met fellow musician, Mark Ingraham, at church, and that’s where I sang. I didn’t even know that the music scene was going on…and everyone in the scene started calling me ‘church girl.’ The DJ Williams Project was the first live band I was ever able to see.”
While church was where Reed found her voice she found some inspiration came from a range of artists to help develop her unique sound. “Janis Joplin, Jill Scott, Tina Turner. Especially Jill Scott. She is an artist that made me feel comfortable with myself. She made me think of my voice as an instrument.”
In keeping with her allegiance to Jellowstone, Reed’s record features several artists from the lavel – DJ Harrison, Kelli Strawbridge, and Keith Askey to name a few.
Reed said it was important to “…stay within the Jellowstone family to keep the process cohesive and close.”
Singing is something that has always brought Reed joy, an emotion clearly felt when listening to many of her songs. Reed said, it has been this way for as long as she can remember.
“At times I don’t really understand where my voice comes from, but I know that I really just love to sing. So much that I have been on stage and gotten teary eyed. Music just brings something out of me. It can be overwhelming in a good way.”
As for the This Is Love, Reed describes it as a “Soul umbrella” that encompasses all different genres of music.
“We wanted to record an album where not one single song is the same,” she said. “But it all comes together under a soul umbrella. Rock, blues, R & B, hip hop, and even gospel.”
And after her anticipated release date, Reed and Jellowstone records have a lot to celebrate.
Jellowstone has given Reed an outlet to make a an album her way, a unique sound that is anchored by a talented singer. As far as Reed is concerned “Each year is better than the last.”
