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Laura Reed & Deep Pocket - Press Article
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Diverse sound reflects South African roots
By
Jennifer Bringle,
Special to Go Triad
Published November 17, 2007
Laura Reed and Deep Pocket with the New Familiars
When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, 2007
Where: The Blind Tiger, 2115 Walker Ave., Greensboro
www.theblindtiger.com
As a child in Johannesburg, South Africa, Laura Reed was exposed to a variety of musical genres. That musically diverse upbringing influenced Reed as a performer and infuses everything she does with her band, Laura Reed and Deep Pocket.
"I grew up listening to a lot of South African music," Reed says, "...and so my singing style reflects that. And I've even been told my dancing onstage reflects it, and I don't even mean to; it's just subconscious."
Reed and her family moved to the United States in 1991 and eventually settled in Chatham County. As a teenager, she began writing songs and performing at coffee shops and open mics before moving to Boone to form the band Boot Leg. When that band eventually split up, Reed, along with band mates Jim Bonk, Ben Didelot and Ryan Burns, formed Laura Reed and Deep pocket in 2006. They recently released their debut album, "Soul:Music," which they recorded in two sessions, Reed says.
"The first session was last October and the band hadn't been together that long," Reed says. "It was all very upbeat, all horn driven and organ driven, faster and poppy. The second session was songs we'd written the past year. These songs are much more organ based — they were much more R&B and down tempo, almost like ballads."
The band's sound has international influences and socially conscious lyrics.
"We call it soul," Reed says. "It's very hard to categorize music these days because there are so many fusions in music. It's definitely drawing on Motown -- the old-school soul, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye -- and with the instrumentation of the music."
The band uses its music to send a positive message and connect with fans looking for something deeper than just a catchy beat.
"There's definitely a spiritual aspect to the music," Reed says. "I'm trying to reach people on a different level, that's why it's soul music."
The band is on tour to promote the new CD, playing a number of CD release parties in the Southeast, including Saturday at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro. Audiences can expect a lively show.
"With every show they (the audience) can expect to hear a lot of songs on the album," Reed says.
"But we also have so many new songs. We've been adding lots of new material. I'm all over the place onstage, and I'm interacting with the audience. It's a very interactive, energetic show."
Contact Jennifer Bringle at jenniferbringle@gmail.com.
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