Betty Reed
Interview conducted August 30, 2021
By Dan Locke
Drawing on life experiences, Betty Reed relates stories of everyday life through her music. Struggles. Triumphs. Journeys. Her expressive vocals and clever lyrics resonate throughout her EP Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned, out September 3, 2021.
What is your upbringing?
I grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. My parents divorced when I was young, so I split my time between their homes, but in high school spent more time at my dad’s house because it was closer to my high school. I was very close to my grandmother, who died of cancer when I was seven. She was a creative free spirit. Her name was Betty Reed (she preferred we call her Betsy) and my career in music is an homage to her — which is why I took her name.
How did you discover music?
My parents have very eclectic tastes so at a very young age I was exposed to practically every genre from classic rock to indie rock to Grateful Dead to alternative to new wave to punk! If I took a road trip with my dad, I would listen to Pearl Jam, Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin. If I was with my mom, I would hear Pixies, PJ Harvey, and The Decemberists. And when my older sister, Hayley, was in the car she insisted on tuning into pop music — we owned quite a few of those Now That’s What I Call Music compilation CDs. At School of Rock, I was introduced to The Doors, Radiohead, David Bowie, funk, reggae, and arena rock. In college, I took a lot of music history classes and fell in love with Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald. This probably explains why my own music is not genre-specific.
How did you start to write music?
I wrote my first song, Invisible, as a teen. I probably didn’t realize it at the time, but it was like therapy — getting my private thoughts down on paper and singing them to myself. I started guitar lessons a year before and my guitar teacher worked with me to put those words to music. In high school, I filled journals filled with songs and ideas. But it was at Berklee College of Music (where I majored in vocal performance) that I had the opportunity to really learn the craft of writing a song by taking a lot of classes in music theory and songwriting.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
I constantly bugged my parents for a guitar. Eventually, my dad bought me a small “child’s” guitar. My aunt Cate taught me three chords: C G7 and Am. At ten, I asked my mom if I could take guitar lessons, and she found a great guitar teacher who advertised his services in my elementary school newsletter. He took me to a music store where I picked out a black Fender, acoustic-electric for $150. The first song I learned to play was Rockin’ In The Free World. I still have it and play it at gigs.
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make, and model? And what is her name?
When composing new songs, I tend to play my Martin Custom X Series. It has such rich tones. She doesn’t have a name.
Describe your music.
When I first got to Nashville, I wrote and recorded songs that leaned more to the country than pop (“Drunk On You,” “Good Days,” “Her”), but I wouldn’t categorize them as country songs. I embraced the sounds of country artists that I admire, such as Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, and Gabby Barrett, and just lent my own pop sensibility to them. I decided to do something totally different with the second batch of songs I wrote and recorded — and worked with producers who were squarely in the pop/EDM space who gave my songs a more electro-pop feel.
For Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned, I wanted to create an EP of songs that encompass various genres of music, and my producer, Bill McDermott, understood my vision and brought his depth of music knowledge to the project. By not picking any one genre for the EP, I felt I could stretch creatively and not feel boxed in by having to produce a certain kind of song. I’m still experimenting with what works for me and what resonates with my fans. “Misunderstood “and “Happy” lean toward country. “Karma” and “Let It Out” have more of an indie-folk vibe. “On My Mind” feels like adult contemporary pop. And “This Time” can probably be categorized as pop-rock. I’m already thinking about my next project, and my sense is that it will be a departure from what I’ve done so far.
What was your first performance like?
I’ve had a lot of “firsts.” My first theater performance. My first School of Rock performance. My first vocal recital. My first gospel choir solo. My first paid gig. My first singer-songwriter round. What they have in common is this rush of adrenaline I get as I take the stage (and also when I get off) and this feeling I’m where I’m supposed to be.
Do you belong to any songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI, or ASCAP?
I belong to BMI.
What makes a good songwriter?
Definitely having an understanding of song structure, rhythm, and chord progressions. Knowing how to tell a story through lyrics is key—you have about three minutes to tell a compelling story with two or three verses, a bridge, and a chorus. And, it’s important to be authentic, staying true to yourself, and finding what’s unique to you.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
My first original song was “Invisible,” which I wrote at eleven. The first song I thought was worthy of recording was “Her.” Although it sounds like I’m singing about a guy who left his girlfriend for another woman, the “her” is actually short for heroin — but the lyrics could be interpreted as anything that drives a wedge between two people, be it work, an affair, or in this case, drugs. If you listen carefully to the lyrics, you’ll get the hidden meaning.
What is the process of writing your music?
My writing process is different every time I sit down to compose something new. Sometimes I start messing around with the guitar and hit upon a melody, sometimes I start writing lyrics about something I feel strongly about, and sometimes a tune pops into my head and I think of lines that would match that melody. Then I’ll pick up the guitar and start thinking about the chord progressions and melody. When I feel I’ve got something special, I start to refine it. Does the song need a bridge? Is the hook strong enough? Is the chorus memorable? I’ll get advice from friends and family. I’ll even test it out on social media.
How was it to reach No 36 on the Billboard Dance Charts with “Drunk On You: The Remixes”, which was featured on the hottest EDM remixers release?
It was pretty thrilling to watch my song climb a Billboard chart. “Drunk On You “is such a fun song in its original version, but the DJs/producers (Dave Aude, Stonebridge, Silvio Carrano, Scotty Boy, David Lei Brandt, Jadion) who joined this project, created some very cool club remixes. But when it hit No. 36 in March 2020, so did COVID. Due to the pandemic, which caused the closure of clubs, Billboard temporarily suspended the Dance Club Songs™ Chart, and it remains frozen on that March 28, 2020 chart at No. 36. It never had a chance to rise any further.
What have you been doing in self-quarantine?
I continued to write new material. But I also took the time to learn more about music marketing and social media. There are a lot of ways to spend your marketing dollars, both wisely and foolishly, and it’s a bit of a minefield for independent artists. After a few missteps early on, I surrounded myself with trustworthy allies who act as sounding boards and reality checkers to help me make better decisions.
Tell me about your new EP Mistakes Made, Lessons Learn which comes out on Sept. 3rd. Is there a theme running with your EP?
Each song on the EP addresses this overarching theme (to varying degrees) of learning from past mistakes (or at least coming to terms with them) and finding the strength and desire to move forward.
Sometimes it’s hard to determine if my past missteps are my fault, or the fault of others who I trusted and led me astray. Probably a mix of both. Either way, it has become clear to me that I must embrace my past mistakes as necessary steps on the road to future accomplishments.
As someone who suffers from depression, my overriding thought is that these mistakes and failures have defined me and there’s no redemption. But in a more enlightened state, I place myself in the mid-point of my personal movie, knowing that there is a third act that holds a lot of promise, and quite possibly, a happy ending. So all those mistakes I’ve made in relationships, career, and life at this young age are really just lessons learned on my journey to realizing my dream.
How was it to work with Bill McDermott?
Working with Bill is very collaborative, and we bounce ideas back and forth about which instruments to use and when they should come in or fade out, my vocalization at certain points in the song, what we are aiming for in the overall vibe of a particular song, and then how to make the EP cohesive while still giving each song a unique sound. He’s flexible with both his ideas and mine — so if something is not working, he is quick to come up with a fix. He really understood how to bring my vision to life.
Tell me about the day you shot the video for “Misunderstood” at Bold Patriot Brewing in Nashville, TN?
As an independent artist, I’m operating on a shoestring budget, so it’s not like I can hire lots of extras or more than one camera guy or even film more than just one day. Todd Hood, one of the owners of Bold Patriot, not only gave me the use of the place, but he was the obnoxious guy who hit on me. I had a blast shooting the band scenes. Because of COVID, I hadn’t been able to perform, so it felt really good to be on a stage rocking out (even though there really wasn’t anyone in the audience and we weren’t really playing). Unfortunately, we shot those scenes first and I ended up sweaty and gross after that — so probably should have started with the bar shots first. Mistake made, lesson learned, LOL.
Did you get the idea for “Karma”, after you did the cover “Karma Police” by Radiohead?
No, but I love Radiohead. My “Karma” came about when I was writing lyrics for a different project, and the lines “Got all this noise, all this noise out of my head/Pushed the devil, pushed the devil out of my bed” came to me. It didn’t work for that song, so I set it to a different melody. I continued to hum the melody line and when I got to the chorus of the song and sung, “I hope you see, I won/And you got your…” The word ‘karma’ just came out.
Out of the 6 tracks, which is your favorite track on your album?
I can’t pick just one! But…. if I had to choose, I would say “This Time.” I love the vibe, it’s got great energy and has a cool modulation at the end where I change keys and let it rip. It has this kind of bad-ass attitude about it, making it fun to perform.
