Disconnected - Press Kit

My second EP has just dropped! What?!

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Disconnected is an EP made of dark moments in my life, moments that make me feel like my brain has become… disconnected from the rest of me. Made of 7 tracks, Disconnected is the most raw and open project I’ve worked on to date, looking at relationships, friendships, loss, fear, confidence, anxiety and sass. The inner workings of my brain explored in 19 minutes and 48 seconds.

So, what are the tracks and what do they mean to me?

1) Disconnected

The title track of the EP, Disconnected was influenced by an experience I had with my friends one night in spring. Sat by the sea at night we saw a continuous line of ‘stars’ floating through the sky, stretching right back and over the cliffs behind us. For a few seconds, before we realised the ‘stars’ were hundreds and hundreds of drones floating on the edge of space that Elon Musk had organised, we hypothesised what these lights could be. We stared in shock and awe at these lights, and I had a weird twinge of melancholy, insignificance and weightlessness as I watched them move across the night sky. Disconnected was written with that very feeling in mind; for me to hold on to that feeling, as melancholy as it was.

2) Spilt Feelings

In a totally different mood and feeling from the track before, Spilt Feelings is a sassy, confident ‘f*** you’ pop banger about people taking me for granted. Spilt Feelings was based was based on the saying ‘don’t cry over spilt milk’ which I had altered to ‘don’t cry over spilt feelings.’ I added milkshake sounds throughout the songs to add to the pink bubblegum, milkshake theme. Spilt Feelings is my most popular track to date, with three plays on BBC Music Introducing, features in online magazines and over 700 streams, which is mind blowing to me.

3) July

The track and half the lyrics for July were written back before I even released Gone Now (Okay) from my first EP. July is written about a relationship that never even started from a couple of years ago. The person I was talking to didn’t understand me, or how I was so we ended up calling it quits after a particular conversation in my car. The song is a journey from the start of the relationship to the sudden and necessary end. The rainy, echoing sound of July was the basis for the whole EP being as dark, rainy and melancholy as it is.

4) Twenty Twenty

Twenty Twenty is an upbeat, satirical track about the madness that was the year 2020, poking fun at politics, lockdowns and trends from last year. I started writing Twenty Twenty in May 2020, and that was before the first lockdown was even finished. I wanted to say something about what was going on, I felt like my head was going to explode watching Covid-19 case numbers sky-rocket, seeing how the UK government was handling things and hearing people talk about conspiracies.I wrote this song using heavy influence from the news, Tik Tok trends and what was going on in my own life which makes Twenty Twenty one of my favourite songs on this EP. I added sarcastic lyrics like “a vaccines come to take our freedom away” to really make a point about how crazy conspiracists online had become. Twenty Twenty was released on August 13th 2021.

5) Don’t Wanna Go

Don’t Wanna go had its own blog post about the meaning and lyrics back when it was released in July 2021. Click here to read that post.

6) A Secret I’ll Never Tell (Acoustic)

A Secret I’ll Never Tell is the most popular track from my first EP, and when playing around with my ukulele in June of 2020, I found an acoustic way to play this track and put it on the back burner for a future YouTube or Tik Tok video. In May of 2021 I remembered I’d planned to do an acoustic version of ASINT and instead recorded it while recording the EP in June, with my producer Pete Turtle. For more about the meaning of ASINT, click here!

7) Twenty Twenty (Crow Remix)

After the success of my first collaboration with Crow, I had to work with him again. Not only as my dear friend but as a talented D&B artist. He had the whole EP to chose from, so Crow picked Twenty Twenty as he liked the sound of it and started working on the remix. During the process, Crow told me he had made 4 remixes but sent me the remix called ‘Reba 4.’ I was absolutely beaming after hearing 30 seconds of hearing the song! I was blown away by it, I also loved that Crow had coincidentally gone so dark with it, using rain sounds which worked perfectly with the dark, rainy theme I had in mind.

This EP has been in the works for over two years and I am beyond excited to finally have it released and out for everyone to hear! If you haven’t had the chance to go stream Disconnected, click here!

Many thanks to my Mum, Dad, Hayley, Ally, Molly, Tee and all my friends, I couldn’t have done it without your continued support. I would also like to thank Melita Dennett and the team at BBC Music Introducing South, A to D of Indie, In Your Ears Music, Dan Potter, Michael Tanner and everyone around the world supporting my music, YouTube and Tik Tok, I’m so grateful!

Keep streaming, dancing, sharing and most of all, take care!

- Reba -

Don't Wanna Go - Meaning and Lyrics

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My new single ‘Don’t Wanna Go’ came out July 16th worldwide on all streaming/digital media platforms.

This track has a totally different sound than I’ve explored before, it has a beautiful guitar track by my producer Pete Turtle and vocal layers.

When writing this song, I went the studio with my song book and handwritten lyrics and spoke to Pete and my friend Tee about the meaning of the song, how I wanted the track to feel and he created this beautiful guitar piece. We looked at the lyrics and altered the flow and rhythm to suit the track and this is what we created together.

Don’t Wanna Go speaks about wishing you could go back and redo things in your life, to be able to go back and fix the mistakes you find yourself wondering about at 2am alone in bed. Since the age of 16, I have romanticised being a teenager and what it meant to me. Memories and experiences I had as a teenager are ones of love, fun and pain but I have always thought about my experiences from that age and how they shaped me as a person.

The artwork for this track is a photograph of one of my favourite views along the south coast, which I took in July 2020 on a day out with my friends. The artwork fits in to the theme of nature and favourite views that will be seen in the next release too.

The next release is coming sooner than you think too… So get excited!

Lyrics

Verse 1

When will I learn, I don’t what I can’t have anyway?
Twenty years to find, the cost is way too high to pay 
The days rolling into the evening, the setting sun looks far too appealing 
Wish I’d never followed it now, wish I turned back around that day 

Chorus
Cause I don’t wanna go now
Don’t wanna go now 
Just tell me how to fix this 
Cause I don’t wanna go now 
I don’t wanna go now 
Please tell me how to fix this 

Verse 2
Spent seven years, wishing I could try again
Only to find, I’ll never be 16 again
Side looks and endless questions 
Mirror quizzes my reflection 
When will my mind stop play games?
It’s a mystery 

Chorus
Cause I don’t wanna go now
I don’t wanna go now 
Just tell me how to fix this 
Cause I don’t wanna go now
Don’t wanna go now
I don’t think I can fix this 

(Chorus repeats)

Confessions: One Year On

So, it’s been one whole year since my debut EP, Confessions came out! And boy, oh boy, has it been a weird old year!

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I want to start this post by thanking everyone who has streamed, downloaded, shared, reviewed, sang or danced to any song on this EP. It has been a year and a half since those songs were written, and now a year since they were released and watching the numbers grow and hearing the feedback has been a hell of a ride!

Confessions currently sits at just under 3,000 streams across all platforms which is blowing my mind, it’s been played in 32 countries across the world and has had 2 tracks played on BBC radio three times. This is an INCREDIBLE achievement for me, especially when I think of the expectations I had for the record before its release. The songs mean so much to me, they are important moments in my life and a real connection to my life, here’s a bit of the meaning behind the songs on the EP.

Since the EP came out, I have released one single (due to the current gov guidance in the last year), Spilt Feelings which came out in October and has been on BBC radio twice and streamed a little under 400 streams across all platforms.

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I’m constantly working on music and my craft, including honing my writing, piano and ukulele skills. I am so excited to keep writing and release more music! I’m so stoked for everyone to hear what I’ve been working on in the past few months!

Thank you for a wicked first year of Confessions… here’s to many more!

Special thanks: Mum and Dad, Hayley, Ally, Molly, my friends and the gang!

With thanks to, my producer Pete Turtle, my merch designer, ShopMollyPolly, Melita Dennett, Ollie Samuels and Kathy Caton over at BBC Music Introducing the South, Dan and Amy at DP Happy Hour, Michael at Rebirth of Cool, In Your Ears Music, Zap! Bang! Magazine, The Other Side Reviews, Crow and my followers!

Official Lyrics for the Confessions EP

Behind the Scenes of the Gone Now (Okay) Video Shoot

Behind the Scenes of the Gone Now (Okay) Video Shoot

It dawned on me that the lyrics for the songs on the ‘Confessions’ EP aren’t anywhere online, and I couldn’t think of a better place to put these lyrics than my own website and blog. This is mainly because to submit lyrics to an official lyric website such as AZLyrics or Genius, you need to be a well-known artist or have an account or membership with the site. I have or am neither of these things so below is a complete list of all my original lyrics so far! If you are interested in the meaning or reasons behind the songs that are out so far, click here to see my blog post: ‘Confessions EP - Press Kit.’

Track 1: Confessions - No Lyrics

Track 2: Gone Now (Okay)

Why must you be this way baby?
How could you treat me this way?
But now it’s been so long baby,
I think I’m doing okay

(Okay echoes)

Why must you be this way baby?
How could you treat me this way?
But now it’s been so long baby,
I think I’m doing okay

You say it was my fault, maybe
How come I get all the blame?
Do you regret it now maybe?
I’m doing fine all the same

(Okay echoes)

You say it was my fault, maybe
How come I get all the blame?
Do you regret it now maybe?
I’m doing fine all the same

Why must you be this way baby?
You say it was my fault maybe
And now it’s been so long baby
Do you regret it now maybe 

You messed up babe
You messed up babe
And you’ve lost me
And you’ve lost me
Cause I’m gone now
Cause I’m gone now
Cause I’m gone now
Yeah I’m gone now
Yeah I’m gone now
I’m gone now

Track 3: Games

You sit at the table dealing cards
In the back of a dim lit bar
You were the dealer
You had full control
Of where the cards land
You were on patrol

This love was a game and you had me fooled
Now there’s nowhere to run, I’ve got the proof
You were the cheater
Though you said you won’t
Now you wish it were different
Well honey, I don’t

Stop playing those games, games, games
Cause now it ended, what a shame, shame, shame
Boy you’re playing those games, games, games
And I’ll never be the same, same, same

Shooting the moon only goes so far
And you got me thinking, where is your heart?
You were the dealer
You had full control
Of where the cards land
You were on patrol

Now you are weaker without my love
And if I am honest, you fucked it up
You were the cheater
Though you said you won’t
Now you wish it were different
Well honey, I don’t

Stop playing those games, games, games
Cause now it ended, what a shame, shame, shame
Boy you’re playing those games, games, games
And I’ll never be the same, same, same

Now you’re playing those games, games, games
And I’ll never be the same, same, same
Cause now you’re playing games, games, games
And I’ll never be the same, same, same

Track 4: Daydream

(Sigh) 

(Mm echoes)

You float through the sky, a weightless being
But nothings real here
You rub your eyes, can’t believe what you’re seeing
But nothings real here

I try but I can’t stop spiralling down
I’m trapped in my daydreams
Let me out

You see your old friend, you run to see him
He falls right through the floor
You gasp for air, your stomach sinking
You fall right through the floor

I try but I can’t stop spiralling down
I’m trapped in my daydreams
Let me out

You know it’s alright, it’s all in your head
But still look for the door
You know it’s alright, your tucked in your bed
But know sleep just brings more

I try but I can’t stop spiralling down
I’m trapped in my daydreams
Let me out

I try but I can’t stop spiralling down
I’m trapped in my daydreams
Let me out

 Track 5: A Secret I’ll Never Tell

You’re shy, it’s inviting
They say I’m awkward too
You want to be in my head
You want me in yours too
I’m problematic, aren’t I?
But you can work me out
It will be our little secret
Just promise not to tell

(Ooh)

So tell me can you feel me?
Cause I just can’t leave
So tell me do you feel me?
Cause I don’t want to leave

So tell me that you want me
Tell me that you need me
Tell me that you’ll never leave my side
Say that you will leave her
Say that you don’t need her
I know this is all inside my mind

 I’m chill not really
Just thought I’d try it out
I guess chill doesn’t suit me
You’re all I think about
We’re complicated aren’t we
But we will work it out
It will be our little secret
Just promise not to tell

 (Ooh)

So tell me can you feel me?
Cause I can’t work it out
So tell me do you feel me
You’re all I think about 

So tell me that you want me
Tell me that you need me
Tell me that you’ll never leave my side
Say that you will leave her
Say that you don’t need her
I know this is all inside my mind

So tell me that you want me
Tell me that you need me
Tell me that you’ll never leave my side
Say that you will leave her
Say that you don’t need her
I know this is all inside my mind

So tell me that you want me
Tell me that you need me
Tell me that you’ll never leave my side
Say that you will leave her
Say that you don’t need her
I know this is all inside my mind

So tell me that you want me
Tell me that you need me
Tell me that you’ll never leave my side

Tell me that you want me
Tell me that you need me
Tell me that you’ll never leave my side

Track 6: Games (Crow Remix)

You sit at the table dealing cards
In the back of a dim lit bar
You were the dealer
You had full control
Of where the cards land
You were on patrol

This love was a game and you had me fooled
Now there’s nowhere to run, I’ve got the proof
You were the cheater
Though you said you won’t
Now you wish it were different
Well honey, I don’t

Stop playing those games, games, games
Cause now it ended, what a shame, shame, shame
Boy you’re playing those games, games, games
And I’ll never be the same, same, same

Shooting the moon only goes so far
And you got me thinking, where is your heart?
You were the dealer
You had full control
Of where the cards land
You were on patrol

Now you are weaker without my love
And if I am honest, you fucked it up
You were the cheater
Though you said you won’t
Now you wish it were different
Well honey, I don’t

Stop playing those games, games, games
Cause now it ended, what a shame, shame, shame
Boy you’re playing those games, games, games
And I’ll never be the same, same, same

Now you’re playing those games, games, games
And I’ll never be the same, same, same
Cause now you’re playing games, games, games
And I’ll never be the same, same, same

Update: After the EP Release

The ‘Confessions’ release party - 31/01/20

The ‘Confessions’ release party - 31/01/20

So, it’s been two weeks. Two crazy, surprising, flattering and emotional weeks since ‘Confessions’ came out.

It has been completely overwhelming to see the response to this release, I wrote these songs while sitting in my room alone during summer. It’s crazy to me, to look at my metadata and see that those words I wrote on sticky summer days are being streamed worldwide. From the UK to USA, Brazil to Japan, I’m shocked at where my voice has been heard. Though I’m a tiny weeny artist in an ocean of talent, skill and determination, I am proud of this achievement.

But…

As a restless soul. The question that springs to mind, just two weeks after a release, is when’s the next one?

And the reality is, I don’t actually know!

Music is always on my mind, it has been since I was a child acting out this entrance on stage and it will be until the day I die because I crave the feeling music gives me, the dancing and belting my lungs out. I’m playing around with three or four different tracks as I write this, who knows if any of them will actually be released, but there will definitely be more music coming soon!!

Until the next drop, I will be around (hopefully!) more regularly over on my Youtube channel, posting covers and other random bits and pieces so don’t forget to subscribe and follow me on my other socials for more regular updates.

I have been truly blessed with the response I’ve had from family and friends in my life and supporters I’ve never even met. It’s overwhelmingly flattering when people tell me they’re enjoying the EP, or telling me which track is their favourite.

Keep listening and sharing, because I’d really love to keep making music! Until next time.

- Reba -

Confessions EP - Press Kit

SO… I have an EP coming out in tomorrow… That’s a bit crazy! Not only do I have an EP, but it has a total of six tracks, one of which I produced. WHAT?!

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Confessions is my debut EP, it has a total of six tracks:

1) Confessions
2) Gone Now (Okay)
3) Games
4) Daydream
5) A Secret I’ll Never Tell
6) Games (Crow Remix)

Before I go into what all the songs are about individually, I’ll explain the EP as a whole. Confessions is aptly named as it’s an unmasked collection of parts of my life. The songs are all very personal to me, and I won’t go too far into detail about who they’re about or my actual personal situations that led me to writing all these songs but I would like to share a little bit about them. The artwork is designed by my good friend Molly, we went to school together and became good friends when we happened to sit on the same table in my sixth form art class. She’s a very talented artist who was very kind to design this for me. I initially had a different cover and name altogether but when I saw this picture she drew of me, I knew this had to be the EP cover.

Track One: Confessions - 1 Min 16 Secs

Originally named, ‘Instrumental’, Confessions actually turned out to be the first tune I wrote for the EP waaaay back in late July 2019. I was trying my hand at making a simple piano and lyric song. But, it was too simple and what I was writing to go with it didn’t match it at all. I saved the piano tune and closed the project and didn’t open it again until November 2019, when I had a little more knowledge to alter the tune and make it sound more inline with the rest of the EP that had already been created. When revisiting it, I realised it needed to sound more eerie, and electronic to suit the rest of the EP. I opted for no lyrics as it felt complete without reintroducing the original lyrics, when complete, I assigned the name Confessions so it could be the title track of the EP. Though the song has no lyrics, it was going to be about a dear friend of mine, and always reminds me of him when I hear it and reminds me of the feeling I felt when I started writing the music and lyrics. Confessions is the only song on the EP that has no lyrics and the only song that is entirely produced by me.

Track Two: Gone Now (Okay) - 3 Mins 46 Secs

As it had its own single release in October 2019, there is a stand alone blog post for Gone Now (Okay) here.

Track Three: Games - 2 Mins 47 Secs

Games also had its own single release in November 2019, a stand alone blog post can be found here.

Track Four: Daydream - 3 Mins 6 Secs

Daydream, is by far the most raw and personal track on the EP. I started this track by creating the melody and track before writing the lyrics, though I knew exactly what I wanted to say in the song. The song is a personal song about the sleep problems I’ve had on and off for a few years. I have an extremely active imagination which often gives me lots of nightmares or interesting dreams which are highlighted an lyrics in the song. The sound was inspired by a song from the video game, ‘Alice Madness Returns’ called ‘Vale of Tears’ by Jason Tai which has a similar eerie twinkling sound to it. I wanted the song to sound as repetitive and trapping as it felt to be stuck in my dreams. Every lyric used are real parts of my dreams such as “you see your old friend, you run to see him” or “you gasp for air, your stomach sinking.” It’s a very sad and real song but it was an amazing relief writing about what I had experienced. I wake up often from bad dreams or weird dreams and don’t often speak about it but I found that writing the song was a weight off of my shoulders.

Track Five: A Secret I’ll Never Tell - 3 Mins 9 Secs

Where do I start with this one? This song is (very obviously!) a song about a person who wants someone and they aren’t available to want them back. It was inspired by a missed opportunity I didn’t even realise I’d had. The song sounds like a conversation between myself and this other person, verse one sounds like I’m explaining my feelings to them and verse two would be their response. Though I hadn’t written it with that intent, it’s exactly what it sounds like reflectively. The chorus ends with “I know this is all inside my mind” because there is no way on earth I’d ever have this conversation with this person, which is why I wrote the song. This song was originally going to be the title track for the EP and the cover was completely different, but looking at all the songs I saw confessions of deepest thoughts and realised it would have to be the title, which around the time I rediscovered the song ‘Instrumental’ and remade it into ‘Confessions'.’

Track Six: Games (Crow Remix) - 3 Mins 51 Secs

On September 29th 2019, I contacted my friend and producer Crow to see if he was interested in a collaboration with me for the EP. He said yes immediately, so I offered him two songs of the songs, Games and A Secret I’ll Never Tell. On December 3rd, I received a message that said “if you’re happy, I think it’s finished" To say I was over the moon, is an understatement. I loved it from the minute I heard it and I think we’re both extremely happy with the collaboration.

With thanks,

My family: Mum, Dad, Hayley, Ally and Molly.
To those that helped with the music, artwork and videos: Thapita, Molly, Tyrone, Izzy, Scott, Bethan, Chailee and Ollie.
And lastly, to those that supported and listened to me ramble about my music: Emily, Elise, Harry, Danni and everyone at my real job!

And lastly, a massive thank you to people I don’t even know that have listened to my songs, shared them and supported me, you’re the best! <3

- Reba -

Reba vs. The Last Decade

Today is December 31st 2019, the last day of the year and the last day of the decade. Honestly, only now has it dawned on me that this is the end of the decade, which is mind boggling to me. So in a bid to totally embarrass myself, I thought I’d make a little blog about the last 10 years of my life.

New York - August 2010

New York - August 2010

2010 - 12/13 Years Old

In 2010 I was a year 8 and later a year 9 student in secondary school, I didn’t yet understand how to maintain my hair and style it… I’ll save myself having to write this a further 5 times because I was very late to figuring out curly hair! In August 2010, my mum, sisters and I went to New York, I’ve included this lovely photo of 13 year old me in front of the Statue of Liberty, looking… interesting. This was actually the year I got Facebook, an interesting thing to remember about a year but lucky me, it gave me an easier way to find the embarrassing pictures I need for this very blog post!

Last day of Year 9 - July 2011

Last day of Year 9 - July 2011

2011 - 13/14 Years Old

Nothing amazingly memorable happed to me in 2011, though it’s still a year I look back on fondly. I hear a lot of people say they hated their school days, but I loved those days, I enjoyed the structure and social side of getting up and going to school 190 days of the year. I was in a group of around ten friends, had our own little fights and problems but we also had a lot of inside jokes and nonsense humour that only made sense to us. This is the year I referred to in my ‘Welcome to my Life’ blog post. I stood up in front of my whole class, 30 14 year olds, (this is probably the most judgemental group of people I could’ve chosen to do this in front of) I stood up and I sang Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone.’ I really don’t know how I did that, I was confident as a 14 year old but to sing in front of people?! Well, go me!

Tea for Two - Cyprus - August 2012

Tea for Two - Cyprus - August 2012

2012 - 14/15 Years Old

This is a brilliant picture my dad took of me while we were in my favourite restaurant, Tea for Two in Cyprus. In 2012, the world celebrated the fact the mayans were in fact wrong... and the world did not end, my home country hosted the olympics and I… well I survived another year of being a teenager! In 2012 I finished year 10 and moved into my very last year of secondary school where I would take my GCSE’s in English, English Literature, Maths, Science, Drama, Dance, French and History. This was the year I really fell into the blackhole that was YouTube, I found the people that i still watch, Achievement Hunter, RoosterTeeth, iJustine and LDShadowLady. I discovered my love of videos, content and online personality and I loved it, and I wanted to somehow be a part of it, little did I know I would make it my little hobby when I was in my early 20s.

Year 11 Prom - June 2013

Year 11 Prom - June 2013

2013 - 15/16 Years Old

This year was a little bit of a mad one, by August, I finished year 11, I had my leavers prom, and received my GCSE results. I got average grades, a mix of C’s and D’s but I was just glad to have them over and done with. In England, the legal age you can finish education is 18, so when you finish secondary school, you can either stay in school and complete your last two years in Sixth Form or go to a college. I chose to stay.
So in September of 2013 I said goodbye to my friends who went to college and started my first year of sixth form… which ended up being the best academic year of my life. In December 2013 (after many rejected interviews) I landed my first ever job, in a clothing shop in my local town centre. I was so excited about a job, I didn’t care about the money I was earning (minimum wage, which at the time was £3.72 an hour) my own real money. I spent the first month or so turning hangers the right way an labelling sale stock, I made friends and after Christmas I was even put on tills, though I did learn some people are absolutely terrible to retail workers. It wasn’t the most riveting job but I had got the job, made friends and was saving for a big trip I had planned for the next year, Austin, Texas.

One of many house parties - May 2014

One of many house parties - May 2014

2014 - 16/17 Years Old

Possibly the weirdest, coolest, saddest, most interesting years of my life so far, and at only 22 now, I know there’ll be weirder ones. From January to July I finished up my first year of Sixth Form and spent the spring and summer days with my friends in town, in the park and partying. The house parties were some of my favourite memories with my friends. As much as I’d like to relive all those memories, I’m sure my friends don’t want our teenage memories all over the internet. By the end of the summer I started a new job at a local toy shop, and now had two jobs. Now this next part is a little sad, and I won’t be adding all the details to this story. In early September of 2014, my friend died. He was a really good friend who always gave me amazing advice on our walks home after school and gave me a million brilliant memories. The fall out from that was huge, obviously, and honestly, the rest of 2014 was a blur for me. Those four months are pretty much lost.

Sixth Form Prom - May 2015

Sixth Form Prom - May 2015

2015 - 17/18 Years Old

Another whopper of a year, aye? The closer I get to present day the more I remember about each year. This was another year of change, this time a huge one for me. Once I had finished Sixth Form in May 2015, my school life was over, and I was an adult. That was terrifying because I left everyone and everything I knew and started university, and began studying a Foundation Degree in Moving Image. I had the interview in February and achieved my necessary grades in Art and IT in August to be able to join the course. I decided to live at home and travel via train (huge mistake) to study, but all my friends did. I watched everyone leave, Winchester, Hertfordshire, London, Cambridge, Leicester, Chichester. Name a place and someone I know probably left and went there! I lost contact with a lot of my friends from home but made friends with and met new people at uni. I spent a lot of time on trains, ah the trains, Southern Rail… But the views on my way to and back from uni everyday were phenomenal. Rolling country hills, castles and boats on the sea, it was one of the things that made travelling everyday (two hours+) to university worth it. On my 18th birthday I got my first tattoo, on my left wrist and it said ‘Breathe in the Air’ from my favourite `Pink Floyd’ song.

Ginger Reba - June 2016

Ginger Reba - June 2016

2016 - 18/19 Years Old

In January of 2016 I uploaded my first ever cover to YouTube, I sang ‘Karen Don’t Be Sad’ by Miley Cyrus. It is still my highest viewed music cover on my channel to date, click here if you missed it. During my time at uni, I found out that my love of movies and filmmaking was growing but I found a love and passion for another path… Childcare. My mum is the owner of an Early Years setting, and needed some volunteers during the summer after my first year of university. I helped her and found I loved the children, the staff and even the paperwork. I have now been at my job for nearly four years, it’s tiring and can be stressful, but I love what I do. Though I was seeking a different career path in childcare, I continued to study at uni to finish the FDA in case I ever needed it or wanted to return to film.

Sid and Nancy Film Shoot - January 2017

Sid and Nancy Film Shoot - January 2017

2017 - 19/20 Years Old

During 2017, I finished up my FDA in film and left university behind, some of my friends then continued the course and achieved a BA in Moving Image. From the course, I gained more knowledge in photography, filmmaking and editing that I now put into my hobby of making videos on YouTube. After I left university and continued working in Early Years and began studying to be an Early Years Practitioner. In September and October I did a little bit of tourism and travel and visited New York for a second time and Florida for the third. As you can tell from the number of times visited, these are some of my favourite locations ever. I went back to the city that never sleeps for five days and visited all the tourist places, Central Park, One World Trade Centre, went on boat rides, it was amazing. Then we flew down to Florida for seven days, we went to Disneyland, Universal Studios and saw Cirque Du Soleil. The flight to Florida from NYC was the worst flight I’ve ever been on, it was bumpy and terrifying but I made it! I was most proud of being able to travel without my parents, fly on three flights in 11 days and pay for it all myself.

Driving Test Pass - May 2018

Driving Test Pass - May 2018

2018 - 20/21 Years Old

This picture is me, about half an hour after I took my driving test and passed! That was the most relieving day ever, for those who know me personally I had taken many driving tests before that point and failed because of being scared I’d fail. But in 2018, a year and a half after tests and lessons, I did it! The following week I bought my first car, which I still own, though I need an upgrade soon as it failed it’s first MOT with me and will likely fail it’s next in May 2020. But it’s my first car, and it has a special little place in my heart and it’s served me well. In June I saw one of my favourite artists, Taylor Swift at London’s Wembly Stadium. I have loved her and her music since her song Love Story hit charts in the UK in 2009. Luckily I saw her perform my favourite album of hers, Reputation. This was honestly a dream come true, and was an amazing 21st birthday gift from my mum. A sad part of 2018 was in October when my doggo, Izzy died. She was 10 years old and had a great (maybe even spoiled!) life. She was a good egg and the house is still quiet without her knocking around.

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2019 - 21/22 Years Old

Even with everything I achieved and did in the last decade, 2019 is my all time favourite year of the 10’s. I finished my level 3 studies for childcare and the biggest thing I did this year was kick start making music. After years and years of singing and writing rubbish, I found some things to work from. I had actually life experiences to write from and an created an EP that will come out in the next decade. I am phenomenally proud of what I have made and written. This year I also got in contact with a lot of my friends that I lost contact with. I now see them more often than not and we’ve buried all the hatchets and I’ve very fortunate to have made amends where needed and very glad I reached out and got them back in my life. Whether they wanted it or not! I (of all people) even found an exercise class I want to keep up with, Boogie Bounce. I go every Monday and work on my stamina, tone up, get moving, have a dance and have a bit of a laugh jumping around. Not only did I get more physically healthy but mentally healthy too. This year as been a very introspective year for me, I’ve learned how to be alone and how to work on myself and improve myself, and I’m now at a point where I’ve realised I don’t need anyone else, it’s okay just to be me with me for a little while.

That was my decade in short (well as short as I could while reliving 10 years of my 22 year life)!

I hope everyone reading has a great New Year, and whatever 2020 brings you, try not to get hung up on the smaller, insignificant things that happen to you. I had two very important conversations with friends these last few weeks and both of them told me two things that I aim to live by in 2020.

“Try to stress less and live more”

“Just take a leap and see where you end up. Worst case, you get a funny story”

Thank you to my friends who gave me these pieces of advice, I will hold on to them. Thank you to my family friends and to anyone who has been in my life during these last ten years, maybe in 2029 I’ll do another of these, but then who knows what will happen in these next ten years…

But I’m excited to find out what will happen next…

Happy New Year!

Games - Press Kit

Games - Single Cover

Games - Single Cover

Written in August, recorded in September and released on November 29th 2019, Games is my second single release.

Lyrics and Meaning:
This song has a lot of layers within it. The song was initially inspired by a word I had used during an argument I had with someone earlier this year, when I had accused them of ‘playing games’ with me and not being truthful. When I started to write this track, I wrote about that argument but it morphed into a narrative about a friend of mine that had been cheated on by her boyfriend this year. While writing the lyrics, I wanted to involve references to a game to tie into the general theme of the song, which is when I discovered the card game ‘Hearts.’ I read information on Wiki about this card game and noted phrases and themes from this song including the term ‘shooting the moon' and things like cheating in the game and dealing cards, which were then included in the song. The track was originally going to be titled ‘A Game Of Hearts’ but this changed when ‘games’ became the main word used in the chorus.

Track and Sound:
The first part of the track had been made using loops and had a vintage feel to it, I formed the basic structure (“skeleton”) and wrote the lyrics independently in August. The harmonies, guitar solo, bass guitar and drums (what I call the “flesh of the song”) were created in the studio, with ideas and collaboration from my producer, Pete Turtle and my friend Tee. As Pete started coming up with a bass riff for the solo, we started talking about artists that I felt fit the vibe of ‘Games.’ Pink Floyd was a prime example of the way I wanted the guitar to sound, which Pete nailed completely.

Artwork:
The artwork used on the single is a shot of me holding a deck of cards that say ‘Games.’ I stencilled ‘games’ on to the back of the cards using acrylic paint. The photo was taken on my phone (I couldn’t use my DSLR that particular day!) and edited by my friend Tyrone.

Release day:
The song will be out of November 29th 2019 everywhere! The lyric video will be out on the same day at 6pm on my Youtube channel ‘Reba Lou.’

More to come?
Oh yes! I am working on a ton of music which I can’t wait to release! So… allons-y!

- Reba -

Gone Now (Okay) - Press Kit

Written on August 8th, recorded on September 21st and released on October 25th 2019, Gone Now (Okay) is my debut release.

The lyrics and meaning:
The song is about a journey I faced this year getting over someone. The song takes the listener from the beginning of my journey where I ask this person, “how could you be this way?” to “I’m doing fine" and finally, “I’m gone now.” It was essential to me that the song flowed in that order and ended with me being gone, because that chapter is over and the song is a reflection on my story. I’m proud of all the lyrics in the song, it explores my feelings and questions theirs, like when I say “do you regret it now maybe?”

Gone Now (Okay) - Single Cover

Gone Now (Okay) - Single Cover

The sound:
The sound of the song was important to me as it needed to sound almost dark, grungy and set in the future, my future. There is a moment in the song where the main track dips out and all that can be heard is; what I call, the space sound and my voice saying “I’m doing fine all the same.” The song immediately kicks back in for the crux of the song where all the sounds come back to life for the most dancey (and my favourite) part of the song. My producer actually came up with this dip out and when I heard it, I realised it was missing the whole time!

The release date:
The song is released on October 25th, my mums birthday! I picked this date as I wanted the song to come out the same day as the music video, but the shoot for the video was booked to be shot on the weekend just before. I am planning to film some sort of vlog or video scrapbook on the day of the shoot which should come out sometime after the single is released.

Whats next?
More music!
I’ve written and I’m still writing new music with lots of different things up my sleeves, so I suppose you should stay tuned because this is only the beginning…

- Reba -

Welcome to my Life!

I’m Reba, and I’ve been singing since I can remember…

But I vividly remember the first time I sang in front of a large amount of people... I was 14 in a music lesson at school, my friend and I sung Lady Gaga’s ‘Telephone’ for a music project. I remember shaking my finger at my class while belting out the line “the way you blowing up my phone won’t make me leave no faster.”

Though this is embarrassing to think of now at 22, it’s a funny one to look back at knowing that shy, little 14 year old Reba was secretly singing obsessed.

When I was 18 I posted my first video to Youtube, I sang a cover of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Karen Don’t Be Sad’ which is currently the most popular cover I’ve ever done, even with its poor quality audio recording!

Now at 22, I’ve covered around 15 songs on my channel with more in the works as we speak, my YouTube is small but it’s my little hobby that I love. And thankfully, learning from my mistakes in the first cover, my video and audio quality are getting considerably better!

I’ve been writing music for years with little positive progress but during this year found I was creating full songs with lyrics and tunes I felt passionately about (thanks to some life experiences). The success I found in writing my music gave me the courage to record my songs. I even found out a few days ago that my debut single ‘Gone Now (Okay)’ had been approved by streaming services and would become available for download on October 25th this year. Which is both terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time!

And with that… Welcome to my life!

- Reba -