Sub-Brain

Present yourself to the readers

Hi. My name is Eleanor Reid. I am a Scottish singer songwriter and have just released my debut album, LIVING ROOM in January 2021. I was stunned and delighted when the album went to No 1 in the Amazon UK Country charts. I play piano, guitar, flute and saxophone and so the musical styles of the album are a fusion of country, Celtic, folk rock, pop and jazz.

What’s the story for LIVING ROOM ?

LIVING ROOM is a collection of songs which I wrote over many eras of my life. The songs journey through emotional highs and lows and distinct life experiences, therefore many musical moods. The order of tracks is not strictly chronological but there is a sense of a rite of passage from innocence to experience. It was recorded between lockdowns so it was a proud accomplishment considering the current climate.

Your texts and your compositions ?..What are they talking about ?..How does inspiration come ?

My inspiration for songs can come from dealing with anxiety, which I’ve struggled with since I was in my early teens – songwriting has been an amazing therapy for me. My Inspiration can also come from simple things in life – like the unconditional love and loyalty of a pet, a sunny day, a coffee with friends, a gorgeous sunset etc. Grief has been another main theme for me (after losing my mother) and some of the songs explore the heightened perspective that comes along with it.

Are you day or night ?

Definitely a night person – I’m the classic stereotype musician.

What’s your top 5 albums of all time ?

Cyndi Lauper - She’s so unusual,
David Bowie - Hunky Dory,
Tori Amos – Under the Pink,
Stevie Nicks – Bella Donna,
Crowded house – Wood-face.

In the shower or in the bath, do you sing ? If yes, your songs or those of others ?

Yes, I love to sing in the bath. Depending on my mood I sing songs I’m writing and sometimes others’ songs.

In studio, what was the atmosphere for your album ?...etc.…

We traveled to Black Bay Studio on the Isle of Lewis, between lockdowns, so the recording experience was quite removed from daily life. We were tucked away in a remote corner of the island (facing the Atlantic Ocean). This meant our group of family/musicians were in a bubble of our own, and immersed in the beautiful landscape of Lewis. The whole experience was incredibly liberating, – to have nothing else to do but live and breath music. We took sometime to play around with songs, - my son Anton on drums and guitar, my brother Jami on percussion and production and our engineer, Pete Fletcher who gave us great creative input.

How does it work for the great design of the CD ? and why this title ?

We had amazing views from the studio, onto the coastline, and this gave us a strong connection to the landscape. The sky was constantly changing with amazing vistas and we found ourselves spontaneously grabbing moments here and there to take photos/footage for potential art work and video content. The image on the album cover happened just like that and we knew as soon as we saw it , that it captured the themes of the album. The title LIVING ROOM, comes from the final track ‘In my mother’s living room’, but I shortened it for the album title, because I liked the idea of this mundane phrase, which can also have other interpretations e.g room to live. The title and the image also has some link to our current situation in the pandemic and the kind of questions and challenges that have faced us all during this time.

How was the shooting of the clip GIVE ME A SIGN ? and why this choice ?

Thanks for featuring it on the Rock Your Brain website. I hope your readers enjoy the beautiful landscape of the west of Scotland. it was actually filmed on the beach of my home town, Troon. My daughter, Mhairi shot and directed it. She has an eye for a great visual and a good sense of camera movement, which probably comes from her being a choreographer/dancer/aerialist. The clip you can see is a sneak peek as we haven’t release the song as a single yet. The full video will be out soon and has even more breath taking footage of the West coast of Scotland. The next single will probably be ‘In the distance’, which has a video shot near the studio in Lewis, where we managed to capture images of rainbows, seals, beaches and also co- stars my brothers dog Thistle. I chose GIVE ME A SIGN as one of the singles as it exemplifies the themes of the album - grief and hope.

With Management and booking, how do you work ? And with whom ?

I’ve released this album as an independent artist during lockdown, so my brother Jami is currently managing booking interviews, radio and PR, but I’m hoping to link up with a management company for when it becomes possible to gig again.

Would you like to work with an artist ? If so who ?

I’d love to collaborate with my musical heroines, Cyndi lauper, Tori Amos Stevie Nicks and Neil Finn from Crowded House.

What are your projects ?

I’m currently getting set up at home for live streaming concerts /gigs and planning more video shoots. More and more people are asking for radio interviews, so I have to get used to talking to people which doesn’t always come easy to me. I’m also rehearsing the full live set that I would like to perform after the current lockdown, and I’m always working on new song ideas too.

What do you expect from the future ?

More music, more connection, more joy!

What's your motto ?

I have a few that I use depending on my mood and situation. It’s never too late. Keep on keeping on. Go for it. Onwards and upwards.

Website to remember

www.eleanorreidmusic.com

What would you like to say to the readers ?

Music makes the world go round. I really hope you enjoy mine and please share it if you do.