Alaska Reid - 'She Wonders'
Alaska Reid releases fresh, bare-faced new single ‘She Wonders’.
Indie-pop singer-songwriter Alaska Reid is back with another track, following on from her March single Back To This, which is also the lead single from her upcoming sophomore album Disenchanter, arriving 14 July.
Reid hails from Montana and began singing when she was six years old. At age fourteen, she began performing her own music on the Sunset Strip in LA, playing venues such as the famed Viper Room.
She formed the band Alyeska, and their debut album Crush was well received. The band split and Reid pursued her solo career, releasing her debut single Quake in 2019. Her first solo album Big Bunny was arrived in December 2020, and was also greeted with much success. If these two new singles are anything to go by, Disenchanter is most certainly going to follow in its footsteps.
Opening with a strong, solid rhythm, section, with a bass that sounds deep and layered, a tinkly, distorted guitar comes in, elevating the song and propelling it forwards. “Driving through dust devils in the hot butter light/Swimming pool, holiday inn, nowhere Southwest again” she opens the song with snapshots of being on the road. Speaking on the writing process and the thinking behind the song, Reid commented: “Personalities of touring artists are like nesting dolls. People reveal different elements of themselves to fans, the touring group, the rest of the band, and so on. I grew up playing a shit-ton of dive bars, just me and my guitar. I wanted the song to reflect how psychologically exhausting it is, treating the chorus like an inner monologue cornered by how lonely and uncool live indie music can feel.”
The track definitely is laced with hints of exasperation towards the touring life, and how draining it can be. “Are you pretending? Cause you don’t have to for me” Reid sings in her ethereal and distinctive voice during the chorus, possibly to herself.
We reach the outro, where the song slows down and opens up slightly. “Being cool doesn’t mean anything when it’s just me” she sings, more like she’s delivering a statement.
Alaska Reid is one of the most exciting artists in the indie scene today, with a clear voice and a unique sound. Disenchanter is promising to be a compelling, invigorating record. It arrives 14 July.
Words by Lucy Skeet
