Rusty Reid is an American independent, indie folk-country-rock singer-songwriter. Born and raised in West Texas, he came of age in the late 1960s, and still carries the spirit of that revolutionary era in his head and heart. Rusty was born and raised in Midland, Texas. He graduated from Midland High School, and from the University of Houston with a degree in Communications. In addition to Midland and Houston, he has lived in Austin, Nashville and Los Angeles. He is currently based near Seattle, Washington. Rusty writes melodic, guitar-powered songs, many of which are philosophic, political and/or spiritual (not religious) in thematic content.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Rusty Reid, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
When I was about 12, I looked around at what my father and other men were doing for jobs and such, I couldn't see anything that I wanted to do. I didn't want to be like them. But then the Beatles came along and other groups and singers like that who were having so much fun, and I thought, "Whoa, you can do THAT for a living?" So I started playing guitar and writing songs. I was terrible at both for a long while, but just stuck with it - what else was I going to do? - and eventually things came around.
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a musician.
I don't really think of myself as a "musician." I can play some interesting guitar licks now and then, but it would be an insult to real musicians to think I belong in their lofty ranks. I'm a songwriter first, and a singer second, I think. Both of those jobs have their highs... when you finish the process of writing a good song, you're on a cloud for a few days... and when you hit that near-perfect phrase with your voice that carries with it a little bit of your soul, you know you're doing what you are supposed to be doing.
Your latest song is 'Corner of My Mind'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
Yes, "Corner of My Mind," has an interesting history. My latest album, "Bayou Line" is a collection of the best of my early songs, all recently re-recorded. "Corner of My Mind" was one of the earliest of the early songs. I wrote it with a high school friend, Paige Kemper Innerarity. Initially she wrote the lyrics and I wrote the music. Coming from a teenager, at the time, the words are pretty remarkable. I recorded it way back in the day, but it seemed to me there was something missing in this philosophical discussion of a lost love. Not addressed originally was WHY this ex-love was stuck in the "corner" of the singer's mind. So I came up with the bridge vacation in Ireland/Northern Ireland as a "flashback," which depicts the magical bond that was somehow lost. I think the philosophical, time-traveling lyrics make this song quite unique.
How do you differ from most other artists?
Well, my style is pretty retro, vintage... and my voice is matched up to that. It seems to be a pretty unique voice: listeners either love it or hate it right away. The lyrics are usually straightforward, not abstract, but they are never predictable. The themes of my songs are often very deep. My second album (the one released just before this new one) was titled "Head to Heart," and I called the album a "Revolutionary Manifesto in Song." If you want to know the Meaning of Life, go listen to that album. It's not that I have left love and lust songs entirely behind, but there are more things in this Universe to think about than just our sexy bodies. The musicality of what I'm doing is fairly standard, but I'm going places, lyrically, thematically, in my music where few others care or dare to tread. One reviewer called my style "Buddy Holly floating on clouds," and another termed me "A cosmic cowboy of the first degree." I like both of those descriptions.
Where are you from and do you have a stable home or do you prefer travelling?
I am originally from West Texas, the land of Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison (thus the influence), but went to college in Houston in Southeast Texas (a TOTALLY different region). It was in Houston that I began to write some decent songs. Later I had stints in Nashville and Los Angeles before moving to the Pacific Northwest (the best part of the U.S. in my opnion), near the city of Seattle. I'm mostly at home recording these days, so only sporadic live shows out on the road.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
I call my style "indie-folk-pop-country-rock." That covers some territory. My songs are usually guitar-based instrumentally, and I've been lucky to have some world-class players help me out. There's a twangy, country tinge to many songs, but not all. On this latest album, "Words Don't Come Easy" is the closest to "modern pop." While "Oh Well" is pretty much straight-up rock (think, maybe Dire Straits). I try to differentiate every song, musically. The only common denominator is my voice, which I do try to vary to serve the individual song.
How do you nurture your own creativity?
Great, great question. My personal philosophy is that we are all "artists." If we aren't creating anything else, we have our "Self" as an "art" project. The goal of that "project" should be to create the best version of ourself. This means, of course, that we should avoid thinking of ourselves, at any time in life, as a finished product or "just what I am"... we should always be open to change for the better, always striving to learn, to grow, to improve, to practice, to polish, to perfect our "being" in this world... leaving it a better place because of our presence. In my songwriting and singing and playing guitar, I'm doing much the same thing... always alert of what is going on, willing to change, striving to be better than before, reaching for the best part of me to give to the world.
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
Oh, gosh... I would have to say Paul McCartney. Sir Paul is the single individual I have tried to model in certain ways: melodies, lyrics, vocals, just the way he carries himself. So that would be the highest honor I can think of.
Who's your ideal musician to collaborate with and why?
In my various bands, and nowadays with recording partners, I like to give my players a lot of freedom to create. I always tell them to make my song "theirs." And they rarely disappoint. On "Corner of My Mind" the guitars are by crack Nashville player Jason Roller, who has played on dozens of my songs, and he lifts this song to another level of sweetness.
What are your plans for the future?
I have three other albums almost completely recorded. For the most part, they just need to be mixed and mastered. One is comprised of studio recordings from my old Houston band, the "Unreasonables." Another is a batch of cover tunes which were written by Texas songwriters. That has been a joy to work on. And then my next album of new-ish originals, tentatively titled "Other Lives" is almost done. I call that album "happily dark," in that it continually dances with the theme of death, but with meaningful, beautiful life as the protagonist. I'm also an essayist (on Medium.com), and I'm working on two different books. And, hopefully, I can get out on the road and play some of these songs. Hope to see you out there.