The Laura Reed

 To say that Laura Reed can sing is a major understatement.

One could probably attribute all kinds of reasons behind Laura’s incredible voice---one that has the uncanny ability to sound truly distinctive while simultaneously being reminiscent of artists such as Erykah Badu, Nelly Furtado, and the late Amy Winehouse.

Perhaps it’s because she was born in the Motherland (South Africa, to be exact) or that she grew up in the Southern hospitality of Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina. Or maybe it’s due to the influence of some of her greatest musical inspirations; including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Billie Holiday, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill. It also might be because of just how willing she is to be artistically vulnerable, both on the stage and off, as she strives to both learn and teach about love and life. All the while evolving into the artistic force she’s destined to become---something that translates very clearly in her voice as well as her lyrics. The Yacht Club Company got the unique opportunity to not only create here merchandise but also learn more about her passion for music.

When asked, Laura always says that she makes Soul music. To Laura, soul music is more than just a genre, but also a source and destination. She strives to create honest, uplifting, and soulful music that is relatable, empowering, and vulnerable when it needs to be. She writes very personally and often writes songs filled with advice that she needs to hear. All of the elements of her music have to be complimented by a solid groove and dynamic arrangement. The music Laura creates is often referred to as a Soul/Pop hybrid, fusing elements of both, in what can be catchy, soulful, anthems.

Laura’s mission for her music has always been the same, spread healing, love, positivity, and empathy through music. She wants people to leave her shows and listen to her music and feel inspired; feeling part of something bigger than themselves and feel joy. Music is one of the best medicines, and can often put our lives into perspective in a single song. That is what she strives for. And for that we salute her! 

Help Ariel Find Her Voice

The most difficult part about living the dream is finding the funds to do so. In today’s society, many talented and ambitious individuals have the opportunity to pursue their passions through crowd funding. What the heck is Crowd Funding? Yvonne A. Ramsey, writer for Business People, defines crowd funding as the process of raising money to help turn promising ideas into business realities by connecting investees with potential supporters.

Crowd funding is an emerging online trend representing a new potential pool of capital as a source of start-up equity financing. It’s simple; a central tenant of crowd funding is that the crowd funds what the crowd wants. This is a tremendous asset to creative individuals looking to pursue their dreams as crowd funding creates a demand while providing the funds for the supply. Aspiring entrepreneurs are increasingly jumping onboard with sites like Kickstarter, IndieGoGo, Peerbackers and ChipIn. Now, as the concept becomes well known, users have become savvier about creating interesting profiles, targeting their audiences and promoting their offerings. We had the unique opportunity of joining in on the marketing efforts of the Kickstarter campaign for Ariel Hill, aspiring singer/songwriter in Nashville, TN.

To describe Ariel Hill’s music, the best way to put it is a contemporary twist on soul music.  Her bluesy vocals in combination with her Broadway star-like vocal range makes her a rarity in today’s music scene.  Her style is unique and diverse, as shown by whom she draws much inspiration from:  Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, The Strokes, Justin Timberlake, and Coldplay.

Ariel Hill is only 21 years old but has already been on quite the roller coaster ride in her musical journey to Nashville, Tennessee.  Ariel has many friends and great mentors that believe in her talent and want her to follow through on her vision. However, for a singer/songwriter, success only comes from people being able to hear your music. By supporting and successfully funding her Kickstarter campaign, we can send our ears on a magical journey to hear her new EP, Supernova. And for that, we salute you!