She’s Not A Spokesman | But singer/songwriter Kate Reid does want her music to speak strongly to women and men alike.
DETAILS
KATE REID
Part of Pride Week. Prism Bar & Grill (10524-101 St). Fri, June 12 (8:30pm). Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Info: 990-0038.
“If somebody doesn’t like my music because I’m too lesbian or too feminist, well I don’t really give a shit,” declares singer/songwriter and self-described homofolkie Kate Reid — but in the friendliest possible way. “There’s always going to be somebody that doesn’t like it, right? It just may not be their cup of tea. I guess I shouldn’t say I don’t give a shit, I think it would bug me, but I’d have to realize that that’s not necessarily about me either.”
And anyway, anyone who can’t appreciate Reid’s special blend of fema-power ballads and her quirky look into queer life is missing out on many a hearty laugh. Her sophomore release, I’m Just Warming Up, is a sassy stroll through Reid’s life — from her small-town upbringing to her stint with a “boring junkie boyfriend” to her struggle to erode anti-gay discrimination through song. While she isn’t shy about addressing the topic of sexual orientation — in fact, she brazenly confronts anyone who dares suggest she tone down the lesbian references in her lyrics — her songs aren’t alienating but funny, often vulnerable, and always honest. “I don’t want to say I’m a spokesperson for the gay and lesbian community,” Reid says, “but I want there to be music out there that speaks to, and is about, lesbians and women.”
Nevertheless, when a reviewer from a folk magazine commented that her songs focused far too much on being a lesbian, she took the criticism under consideration. “When I first heard that,” she says, “I thought, ‘Decent feedback,’ right?’ And then I thought, ‘Wait a second — that’s extremely homophobic.’ And the reason I thought that was, I don’t think anyone has ever said that to an artist that sings about straight relationships.”
Out came “Uncharted Territory.” The track is a blatant assertion of her modus operandi, on which she proclaims “I’m political just by loving who I love. By being who I am. It’s an act of rebellion” while happily strumming an acoustic guitar, backed by some cheery banjo-pickin’ and harmonica-whistlin’. “I get so much great feedback from people — straight, lesbian or gay, whatever — about how different, unique, and great it is for them to hear those words, so I know that it’s right. I am doing what I need to be doing. But it really was born out of anger. It was like, ‘Fuck you! I’m going to do it anyways because somebody’s gotta do it.’”
Strong words set against a sprightly arrangement of folk music may seem slightly counterintuitive, but it’s nothing compared to the juxtaposition she plays with on “No More Missing Daughters,” an acoustic track written for Vancouver’s missing women. Reid calls for the accused’s head on a stick, more or less, wishing she could gather a “pack of angry bitches” to hunt the guilty party down.
“I thought it would be even more powerful if I sang soft and sweet,” she explains, “but if I was coming back with this kickass image and message. I also try to make fun of it a little bit, too. It’s sort of like, ‘Duh, why wouldn’t we be bitches?’ I mean, look at the world, look how women are treated and then we get called those names.” Under her command, ‘bitches’ seems like a word repossessed, full of fire instead of a way to douse a spark.
And while people may try to extinguish Reid’s rhetoric by giving her “advice” on how to make it in the “biz,” she’s happy figuring things out for herself. “It’s getting clearer to me every day about who I am, what I’m doing, and what my purpose is,” Reid says. “I mean, so far I’ve mostly heard really, really great stuff. So essentially it’s easy to accept and be happy about and be excited about, right?”
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