 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Laura Reed & Deep Pocket - Press Article
|
Digging Deeper With Laura Reed and Deep Pocket
Local Songstress and Band Appear at Murphy's October 21
Story by
David Brewer
For the last four years, singer-songwriter Laura Reed has been in and out of Boone, studying at ASU and playing in various bands around town. After a stint with local band Boot Leg and travels that took her to Central and South America, as well as California, Reed is back and fronting new unit Deep Pocket.
Fast gaining the attention of Boone music fans, Deep Pocket features Reed's slinky and sexy vocals akin to Eryka Badu and Lauren Hill over pulsing modern r&b and polyrhythmic world grooves.
Driven by the on-point rhythm section of drummer Barrett Helms and bassist Ben Didelot, the band also features Ryan Burns on keyboards and vocals and Miquela Lokilani DeLeon.
If the names seem familiar, the members of Deep Pocket have made the rounds in local venues in such bands as Heavy Bread, Hail Mary & The Burning Bushes and a recent collaboration with hip-hop group N.B.C. as Bigga Fire.
"All the music is just very soul-driven," said Reed.
Originally hailing from the Johannesburg/Natal area of South Africa, Reed saw apartheid first-hand while growing up. Part of her mission as a songwriter and musician is to spread her positive "One Love, One World" message to all within earshot.
"That's a big reason as to why I'd like to see a little more unity in the world," said Reed. "We're depending on each other and we are all working together. 'One World' is kind of our mission statement."
Collectively, the band has been playing together for a short time. A few live shows and a recent trip to the recording studio have helped the members merge such influences as the reggae guru Bob Marley, funk masters Parliament Funkadelic, groundbreaking hip-hop band The Roots, soul queen Aretha Franklin and old blues masters Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Son House.
While many singers have tried and failed over the years to tame their voices into instruments that passionately convey their message, Reed's natural ability and clear creative vision give Deep Pocket an advantage. Using her excellent phrasing, acute sense of timing and tight vibrato, Reed sings her songs as if channeling the spirits of Badu, Billie Holiday and Mary J. Blige in a voice that is uniquely her own.
According to Reed, the band's on-stage persona is that of a tight r&b unit, sticking relatively close to the arrangements of the songs. However, with many of the members spending time in improv-heavy bands prior to Deep Pocket, the ability to go with the flow at a moment's notice is not a problem.
"There's a lot of communication on stage", said Reed. "There's a basic structure, but within that is a lot of free-form improvisation."
With the planned release of an EP of original material, Reed and Deep Pocket are growing stronger as a band with each show. If the band can retain their current tight line up, they are sure to be turning heads in the High Country and beyond.
"Every show is amazing," said Reed. "Everyone is on point."
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
