It would seem that beyond possessing a most supreme musical talent, the New Zealand singer-songwriter Nadia Reid also shows an aptitude for crystal ball gazing. Her third album entitled Out of my Province was released almost exactly three years ago and, on reflection, its title certainly suggests a certain prescience on her part. Last month, Nadia Reid, her musician husband Angus, and their baby daughter relocated to London from their home country. Reid had first been to the English capital when aged 24 (she is now 31) and in a recent interview she said “it felt like a place you might try to shoot for your dreams.” And that is now exactly what they are doing.
By way of celebrating her family’s move to the United Kingdom, Nadia Reid is undertaking a tour of Scotland and England. All seven dates, the second of which is here in Leeds in the hallowed surroundings of this Unitarian church, have long since sold out. Despite not having played on these shores for quite some time – the no small matter of the coronavirus pandemic having had some say in that – and not having had any new material released since Out of my Province, Nadia Reid’s popularity in this country remains undiminished.
As if to reflect the time and place in which she now finds herself, the complexion of Nadia Reid’s setlist tonight is a perfect balance of the old and new. Early in the set we get, back-to-back, ‘The Other Side of the Wheel’, ‘Best Thing’ – by which time Reid’s long-time guitarist and collaborator, Sam Taylor has joined her on stage – and ‘Heart to Ride’, all taken from Out of my Province. Stripped here of their studio arrangements, the intimacy of these songs is highlighted and the natural reverb of the church emphasises the clarity and enunciation present in Reid’s voice.
Then we get to hear several new songs which will be destined for Nadia Reid’s yet-to-be-announced fourth album. To her apparent surprise, she tells us that she has written 11 songs in total over the past few years. One of these was written on the eve of New Zealand’s last general election in October 2020 and is driven by the empowering image of the country’s previous prime minister, Jacinda Ardern.
The newer material evinces Nadia Reid’s ongoing development as an artist, her ability to capture colour, character, and an undiluted depth of feeling in her songwriting that continues to improve with age. Her voice has never rung so true.
And such creative confidence is illustrated even further in Nadia Reid’s choosing to interpret Mazzy Star’s ‘Fade Into You’, surely one of the greatest songs of all time. Her version here is spine-tingling, a haunting, ghostly impression that will linger long in the memory. Then, and as if to come full circle to this point in her life, Reid returns to her debut album, 2014’s Listen To Formation, Look For Signs and signs off with ‘Call To Days’ bringing to a close a quite magical evening.
Photos: Simon Godley
Some more photos of Nadia Reid at Mill Hill Chapel, Leeds are HERE
