Scottish-born, Sydney-based Katie Reid wrote her latest single, "July," on a vocal looper. The indie pop artist built it from a punchy phrase with the rest of the lyrics unfolding from the bitterness of a past relationship.
“The one lyric that never changed was, ‘you fooled me twice.’ It's simple, but it carried so much weight for me. I held a lot of frustration and resentment towards myself for giving someone a second chance when they truly didn't deserve it. At the time, I deeply believed the saying, ‘Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.’ That lyric became a reflection of the guilt I was carrying and the lesson I was learning about trusting myself.”
"July" looks at how we try to explain the person who caused hurt or pain. Katie put it plainly when we asked her about that headspace.
“Oh for sure, wouldn't recommend it! I really struggled to understand how someone who claimed to love you could treat you so poorly. As part of grieving that relationship, I found myself trying to understand what kind of pain someone must be carrying to hurt another person in that way.”
“It was a really challenging and dark place to be, but it ultimately taught me an important lesson, when someone shows you who they truly are, you have to believe them. Practising acceptance, rather than searching for answers that may never come is what allowed me to move forward and make space for healthier, more positive relationships.”
Katie Reid has demonstrated a disciplined approach to her music career. Years of backing vocals, showing up on time, hitting the notes, and leaving her ego at the door.
“I feel incredibly privileged to have worked alongside so many amazing artists over the past few years. One of the most valuable lessons I've taken from my session work is the importance of showing up with kindness and a positive attitude. Long rehearsals, shows, and tours can be exhausting, but I always remind myself how lucky I am to be in those spaces doing something I genuinely love. One habit I've had to unlearn is my perfectionism. I've always been very hard on myself, especially when it comes to performances, but I've come to realise that people are far more likely to remember how you made them feel than whether every note or moment was perfect.”
Sydney's winter got right into the bones of "July". You can hear the cold hard truth in the words, as if they were spoken at the time.
“The weight of the heartbreak I was carrying combined with Sydney's winter, took me to a pretty dark place. Looking back, I feel incredibly lucky to have songwriting as an outlet, it became the thing that helped me process those emotions and pull myself out of a dark mindset.”
“The lyric, ‘you've really gone and done it this time,’ actually came from a long text I wrote to that person while I was on a flight to Perth. I had no phone reception and five uninterrupted hours to think about how I wanted to move forward. In the end, I never sent the message (definitely for the best) but that trip to Western Australia ended up inspiring so much of the emotion and meaning behind the song.”
We asked Katie to share a bit about the origins of her sound and any influences that are important to her.
“Singing has always been my first love. Growing up, I loved to sing, play classical piano, and write poetry, so songwriting became a natural extension of those creative outlets. It wasn't until 2022 that I decided to pursue music as an artist and finally let the songs I'd been writing see the light of day. I always believed in my abilities as a musician and performer, but believing in myself as a songwriter took a little longer. Releasing my own music has helped build that confidence, and I'm really proud of what I've put out so far, as well as everything that's still to come!”
“I'm constantly inspired by my relationships and the people around me. I often find that I'm most honest in my songwriting, it helps me uncover what I'm truly feeling before I can even put those emotions into words. July took a lot of sonic inspiration from artists like Maggie Rogers, BANKS, and Lorde. I wanted lots of harmonies and dark synth sounds broken up by pops of acoustic guitar, Calvin Bennett produced this song as is such a talent, I loved working with him.”
What is next came easy for Katie. Dates, themes, and a bit of chaos are what keep her musically motivated.
“I have another single coming out in early September that I'm so excited for the world to hear. It's about my experience growing up with my queer identity and the religious guilt I carried for so long. Sonically, it's rocky, campy, and a lot of fun, it's a side of me that I can't wait to share.”
“I'll also be releasing my debut EP in October, which has been such a joy to create. It feels like a beautiful snapshot of my creative journey over the past year and a half, and I'm incredibly proud of everything it represents.”
“If anyone would like to keep up with what I'm working on or get in touch, here are all my socials!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katiereidmusic/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiereidmusic
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katiereidmusic
Website: https://www.katiereidmusic.com/
We asked Katie to share her favourite venues in Sydney to catch live music and the artists she thinks you should hear.
"I've lived in Sydney's Inner West for the past 6 years and feel so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing venues that champion emerging artists. I love watching music at Pleasure Club (Newtown), Lazy Thinking (Dulwich Hill), and Vic on the Park (Marrickville). Some of my favourite Sydney artists who are going INCREDIBLE things are FVNERAL, PEPTALK, jnr., and Liquid Zoo.”
Catch Katie Reid's "July" on Local Sounds Radio
https://localsounds.com.au/song/katie-reid/july
SoundVerge Editorial
Independent music journalism
