Alaska Reid
Alaska Reid, born Sophia Alaska Reid in 1996, is an American singer-songwriter and musician renowned for her indie pop sound that fuses electronic, alternative, and country-tinged elements.[1] Raised in a small frontier city in south-central Montana with a population of around 8,000, she began singing at age six and started performing her original music on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles at age 14, initially as part of the band Alyeska.[2] Now based in Los Angeles while maintaining strong ties to her Montana roots, Reid has released notable works including the EP Big Bunny in 2020, the album Disenchanter in 2023, and the single "Come & Gone" in 2024, the latter produced in collaboration with A. G. Cook and featuring synth-heavy tracks recorded across California and Montana.[2] Her music often draws from personal storytelling, literary influences like Graham Greene, and songwriting inspirations such as Joni Mitchell, creating what she describes as "Mountain Pop" that evokes emotional narratives and regional landscapes.[2] In addition to her recording career, Reid hosts the podcast Songminer, a modern music folklore series exploring songwriting processes, available on major streaming platforms.[3] She has also ventured into acting, with an appearance in the television series Criminal Minds (2005), and contributed to the soundtrack of the film The Tomorrow Man (2019).[4]Early life
Childhood and family background
Sophia Alaska Reid was born in 1996 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the city where her parents, Elwood Reid—a novelist—and Nina Reid, first met while attending the University of Michigan.[5][6] She grew up as one of five children in a close-knit family, with siblings including Lilliya Scarlett Reid, Violette Reid, and Lola Skye Reid.[7][8] At the age of four, Reid's family relocated to Park County, Montana, a rural area in the southwestern part of the state with a population hovering around 16,000 residents.[5][7] There, she was raised in a modest home in "The Valley," surrounded by expansive property, fields, and natural landscapes that defined her early environment.[7][9] This rural upbringing immersed Reid in Montana's pristine nature, from mountain peaks and open prairies to nearby Yellowstone National Park, fostering a deep connection to the outdoors that influenced her sense of place and introspection.[7][10] The family's lifestyle also exposed her to core elements of Americana culture, including ranching traditions, Old West heritage, and narrative-driven country music staples like those of Patsy Cline and Merle Haggard, which subtly shaped her worldview through everyday storytelling and communal values.[7][5][9]Education and early musical training
Reid began her formal musical education in rural Park County, Montana, where the sparse, Americana-infused environment fostered her early affinity for country and folk traditions. She attended a one-room schoolhouse there during her elementary years. In her mid-teens, amid family relocations driven by her parents' professional demands, Reid transitioned to high school in Los Angeles, navigating the cultural shift from a small-town setting to the bustling urban music scene.[11][7] From age six, Reid received classical voice training from the town's sole music instructor, an older woman who conducted lessons in a musty basement adorned with brown shag carpet. The coach emphasized expressive, dynamic vocal techniques, urging Reid to infuse performances with vitality—such as shaping her mouth for emotional depth—and warning against "boring music" to maintain engagement. Reid continued these lessons, incorporating opera elements, through age 20, honing breath control, phrasing, and tonal projection that would underpin her versatile style.[10][7][9] Reid's initial forays into live performance occurred in Montana's informal venues, including shag-carpeted basements and local bars, as well as the dirt rink at the Livingston Roundup Rodeo, where she sang covers and originals to small crowds. At age 14, after shuttling between Montana and Los Angeles, she debuted professionally on the Sunset Strip, performing solo acoustic sets at clubs like the Pig & Whistle and House of Blues, often with her parents waiting outside for support. These early gigs, blending raw folk influences with emerging songwriting, built her stage presence amid the competitive LA circuit.[11][7] In 2015, during her high school years, Reid secured a minor acting role in the television series Criminal Minds, appearing in Season 11, Episode 4 ("Outlaw") as a teenage girl who sings "Amazing Grace" at a funeral scene, marking her first on-screen performance and blending her vocal skills with narrative drama.[4]Career
Alyeska and early band career
Alaska Reid formed the band Alyeska in 2014 at the age of 17 while attending high school in Los Angeles.[10] As the lead vocalist and primary songwriter, Reid drew on her early experiences performing original songs in Sunset Strip clubs starting at age 14 to shape the group's direction.[7] From ages 17 to 21, Alyeska honed their sound through gigs in unconventional Los Angeles venues, including basements, churches, bars, and gyms, often relying on Reid's parents' minivan for transportation.[5][2] These performances allowed the band to build a local following amid the raw energy of the indie rock scene. Alyeska released their debut EP, Crush, on April 14, 2017, recorded at New York City's historic Magic Shop studio with veteran producer John Agnello.[12] The eight-track EP featured songs such as "Ribs & Greens," "Sister Buckskin," "Tilt-A-Whirl," "GingerAle," "Motel State of Mind," "Lilacs," and "Honest," blending alt-pop elements with indie rock influences reminiscent of Liz Phair's era.[13][14] Critics praised its exhilarating and monumental debut, highlighting the band's raw, visceral energy, though some noted uneven momentum across tracks.[15][16] The band transitioned away from group activities by 2018, with Reid pursuing independent projects thereafter.[17] This period marked her shift from collaborative band work to solo endeavors, beginning with an early single in 2019.[18]Solo debut and Big Bunny EP
Following the dissolution of her band Alyeska, Alaska Reid transitioned to a solo career with the release of her debut single "Quake" on May 1, 2019.[19] The track, produced by A. G. Cook, marked a shift toward synth-driven indie pop with fizzy, electronic elements, diverging from her prior alt-rock work.[20] Reid signed with the Los Angeles-based label Terrible Records shortly thereafter, paving the way for her independent releases.[7] In early 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Reid returned to her hometown in Park County, Montana, where she quarantined with producer and partner A. G. Cook and her family.[21] This period facilitated initial solo collaborations, including Cook's contributions to her material, as Reid learned production software like Logic to self-record songs amid the isolation.[7] Drawing from childhood memories of rural Montana—such as chasing rabbits across fields—these sessions infused her work with personal, narrative depth.[7] Reid's debut EP, Big Bunny, was released on December 11, 2020, via Terrible Records, spanning nine tracks over 32 minutes and 23 seconds.[20] The EP features production primarily by A. G. Cook on the first four tracks, with Reid self-producing select cuts like "City Sadness" and "Big Bunny," alongside contributions from Max Hershenow on "Mermaid Tears" and Rodaidh McDonald on "Pilot" and "Dog Days."[22] Its tracklist is as follows:| No. | Title | Length | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bunny | 3:40 | Alaska Reid |
| 2 | Warm | 3:26 | A. G. Cook, Max Hershenow |
| 3 | Oblivion | 4:11 | A. G. Cook, Rodaidh McDonald |
| 4 | Quake | 3:27 | A. G. Cook |
| 5 | City Sadness | 3:29 | Alaska Reid |
| 6 | Boys From Town | 3:23 | Alaska Reid |
| 7 | Mermaid Tears | 3:51 | Max Hershenow |
| 8 | Pilot | 3:15 | Rodaidh McDonald |
| 9 | Dog Days | 3:08 | Rodaidh McDonald |
Disenchanter and later releases
In March 2023, Alaska Reid signed with Luminelle Recordings for the release of her debut studio album.[25] Disenchanter, her full-length debut, was released on July 14, 2023, via Luminelle Recordings, co-produced by Reid alongside A. G. Cook.[26][25] The album comprises 10 tracks with a total runtime of 32 minutes, featuring a blend of indie pop and country-inflected elements.[27][28] Its tracklist includes:- French Fries
- Dogs & Girls
- She Wonders
- Leftover
- Palomino
- Back to This
- Arctic Heart
- Always
- Seeds
- Airship [29][28]
Tours and live performances
Reid's live performance career began with her band Alyeska, where she played intimate venues across Los Angeles, including The Echo, The Smell, and Silver Lake Lounge, establishing an early presence in the local indie scene.[12] By 2017, Alyeska delivered a notable set at The Hi Hat in Highland Park during Unscene Fest, showcasing Reid's emerging songwriting amid grunge-inflected pop arrangements.[40] Transitioning to solo work after the 2019 Big Bunny EP, Reid gained visibility through support slots for established artists, building her audience through high-profile openings. In 2022, she opened for Charli XCX on select dates of the Crash: The Live Tour, exposing her ethereal pop sound to larger crowds.[41] The following year, Reid supported Maya Hawke's European tour in February, marking her first international performances outside North America and highlighting tracks from her developing repertoire.[42] In March 2023, she joined Magdalena Bay for their US tour, further solidifying her role in the indie-pop circuit alongside acts like Porches and Caroline Polachek.[41] The release of her debut album Disenchanter in July 2023 prompted Reid's first headlining efforts, emphasizing her growth as a live performer with sets blending introspective lyrics and dynamic instrumentation. She announced a US headlining tour that spring, featuring stops in cities like Washington, DC, on September 15, Boston on September 16, and an international extension to London on September 18 and October 26 for in-store performances at Rough Trade West.[43] These shows often included fan favorites like "Back to This" and explored themes of transience, as in "She Wonders," inspired by the rigors of road life.[44] In 2024, Reid continued headlining North American dates, performing at The Independent in San Francisco on May 23 alongside Lewis OfMan and at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on May 24, drawing praise for her commanding stage presence and evolving setlists drawn from Disenchanter.[45] Earlier that year, on February 7, she played a solo show at Zebulon Cafe in Los Angeles, focusing on intimate renditions that underscored her vocal range and thematic depth.[46] In November 2025, as part of her collaborative project Witch Post, Reid embarked on an extensive UK and European tour.[47] As of November 2025, Reid has not announced major festival appearances or additional solo tours.[48]Artistry
Musical style
Alaska Reid's musical style is characterized by a distinctive blend of indie rock, pop, country, and electronic elements, often described as "mountain pop," a term she coined to encapsulate her innovative fusion of narrative-driven storytelling with experimental production. This genre-straddling approach draws on Americana and folk traditions for its rhythmic and thematic foundations while incorporating hyperpop's maximalist textures and glitchy electronics, creating an ethereal yet grounded sound that evokes vast landscapes and personal vulnerability.[49][10][7] Her production techniques emphasize crunchy guitars juxtaposed against nostalgic synths, delivering a raw, shimmering quality that balances intimacy and expansiveness. Vocals are a hallmark, rendered pearlescent and layered to convey emotional depth, often floating over fuzzed-out guitar riffs and electronic flourishes that add a sense of disorientation and dreaminess. For instance, in tracks like "She Wonders," these elements converge to produce a crunchy, synth-driven soundscape that underscores introspective themes. Co-productions with A.G. Cook highlight hyperpop influences, introducing abstract synth arrangements and repetitive harmonics that evolve from subtle builds to euphoric peaks, as heard in "Dogs & Girls."[50][26][10] Reid's sound has evolved from the alt-pop and grunge-inflected indie rock of her early band work to a more experimental electronic-country hybrid in her solo releases, where folk-pop melodies intertwine with electronic distortion for a visceral, autobiographical edge. Lyrically, her work centers on intimate stories of disenchantment, personal growth, and introspection, using vivid, narrative structures inspired by country songwriting to explore themes of romance, family, and self-discovery without overt sentimentality. This thematic focus is amplified by production choices that prioritize emotional rawness, such as tender vocal deliveries amid glitch-laden backdrops, fostering a sense of confessional urgency.[7][10][5]Influences and collaborations
Alaska Reid's musical influences draw heavily from 1990s indie rock, folk traditions, and country/americana genres, shaping her songwriting with narrative depth and emotional honesty.[7] She has cited bands such as The Breeders and Dinosaur Jr. as key inspirations from her youth, crediting the latter for motivating her to pick up the guitar and explore raw, guitar-driven sounds.[18] Folk icon Joni Mitchell holds particular significance for Reid, who admires Mitchell's brutally honest, autobiographical lyricism that informs her own confessional style.[18] Additionally, she draws from country songwriters like Merle Haggard, George Jones, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Guy Clark, Miranda Lambert, and Lyle Lovett, incorporating their storytelling techniques and traditional instrumentation into her work.[7] Growing up immersed in these 1990s indie rock and folk scenes, particularly through her early exposure to Americana and narrative-driven country music, Reid developed a songwriting approach that blends personal introspection with vivid, character-based tales.[7] This foundation is evident in her self-coined "mountain pop" aesthetic, which fuses folk-pop melodies with indie edges.[51] Reid's professional collaborations highlight her versatility across genres. She partnered with producer A. G. Cook on her debut solo single "Quake" in 2019, where Cook handled production and co-writing, marking a shift toward poppier elements in her sound.[52] Their partnership continued on her 2023 album Disenchanter, with Cook contributing production that amplified its triumphant, landscape-narrating quality.[53] Reid provided guest vocals on Koresma's 2016 track "Sun Begins to Pour," blending her ethereal voice with electronic beats for a self-growth-themed electronic piece.[54] She also contributed choral vocals to Alex Somers' score for the 2020 Apple TV+ animated special Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, including the track "Into Place," produced alongside Sindri Már Sigfússon.[55] In 2024, Reid formed the indie-alt duo Witch Post with Scottish musician Dylan Fraser, drawing on shared artistic visions to explore nostalgic and contemporary sounds. The duo released singles "Rust" in December 2024 and "The Wolf" in March 2025, and signed to Partisan Records later that year.[56][57][58] Reid frequently collaborates with her sister, Lilliya Scarlett Reid, an actress and multidisciplinary artist, who has directed and appeared in music videos such as "Oblivion" from the Big Bunny EP.[59] Lilliya's involvement extends to other visuals, enhancing the familial and imaginative themes in Reid's work.[60] Her affiliations with labels like Terrible Records, which released the Big Bunny EP in 2020, and Luminelle Recordings, home to Disenchanter in 2023, have supported her transition from band projects to solo endeavors.[59][2]Personal life
Residences and family
Alaska Reid divides her time between Park County, Montana—where she grew up in a rural setting with a population of around 15,000—and Los Angeles, California, where she pursues much of her professional work.[7][5] She often returns to her family's Montana home as a personal retreat, finding solace in its mountainous landscapes amid the demands of city life.[2] Reid is one of five children in a close-knit family, including her three younger sisters: Lilliya Scarlett Reid, Violette Reid, and Lola Skye Reid.[7][61] Her parents, Elwood and Nina Reid, fostered a supportive environment for her creative interests from a young age, providing instruments and encouragement without delving into professional aspects.[7] Reid has occasionally collaborated with her sister Lilliya Scarlett Reid on visual projects, such as the direction of the music video for her song "Oblivion."[62] The family's emphasis on open communication and mutual backing has remained a constant in her personal life.[61] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Reid's primary residence in Montana at the time allowed for a more introspective creative period, surrounded by family in a low-key rural setting.[7]Relationships
Alaska Reid has been in a romantic relationship with British producer and musician A. G. Cook since 2018.[10][23] Their partnership began in Los Angeles, where Cook contributed to the production of Reid's debut EP, Big Bunny, marking an early intersection of their personal and professional lives.[10][61] During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Reid and Cook isolated together in Montana, Reid's home state, which fostered creative collaboration and influenced the development of her debut album Disenchanter.[10][21][63] This period allowed them to blend Reid's folk-rock sensibilities with Cook's hyperpop production techniques, resulting in co-produced tracks that expanded her musical approach.[10][61] Reid and Cook maintain a degree of privacy regarding their personal life, with limited public details beyond occasional mentions in interviews.[10][63] They have made joint appearances, including at the 67th Grammy Awards in February 2025 and a live performance of Cook's Britpop at The Viper Room in 2024.[64][65]Discography
Studio albums
Disenchanter is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Alaska Reid, released on July 14, 2023, through Luminelle Recordings. Co-produced by Reid and A.G. Cook, the record marks her transition from earlier extended plays to a full-length exploration of indie pop infused with electronic and guitar-driven elements. Recorded primarily at home in Montana and California, it features Reid's live guitar setup layered with Cook's synths and pedals, creating a sound that balances raw intimacy with polished production. The album delves into themes of disenchantment—drawn from the Dungeons & Dragons Fiend Folio character—as a metaphor for maturation and shedding illusions, weaving autobiographical reflections on love, loss, and emotional yearnings with fictional storytelling to evoke everyday magic amid personal turmoil. Tracks like "Palomino" highlight relational disenchantment through vivid, poetic imagery, while "Arctic Heart" captures vulnerability in fleeting connections, contributing to an overall narrative of self-discovery and introspection.| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | French Fries | 2:57 |
| 2 | Dogs & Girls | 2:50 |
| 3 | She Wonders | 3:25 |
| 4 | Leftover | 3:33 |
| 5 | Palomino | 4:01 |
| 6 | Back to This | 3:10 |
| 7 | Arctic Heart | 2:47 |
| 8 | Always | 2:13 |
| 9 | Seeds | 3:25 |
| 10 | Knots | 3:19 |
Extended plays
Alaska Reid's debut solo extended play, Big Bunny, was released on December 11, 2020, through Terrible Records, marking her transition from fronting the band Alyeska to a more intimate, personal songwriting approach. Recorded largely during the COVID-19 pandemic with limited resources, the EP captures a raw, "scrappy" aesthetic, featuring production contributions from A.G. Cook on several tracks, including the title song and "Oblivion." The project embodies Reid's storytelling prowess, weaving short, vignette-like narratives that explore themes of heartbreak, isolation, fleeting relationships, and introspective longing, often drawing from diary-like reflections on past and present emotions.[5][18][66] The EP consists of nine tracks with a standard runtime of 32:23. Its lo-fi indie pop sound, blending delicate vocals with subtle electronic and acoustic elements, highlights Reid's vulnerability without overproduction, setting the stage for her later full-length explorations.| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bunny | 3:41 |
| 2 | Warm | 3:27 |
| 3 | Oblivion | 4:12 |
| 4 | Quake | 3:27 |
| 5 | City Sadness | 3:29 |
| 6 | Boys from Town | 3:40 |
| 7 | Mermaid Tears | 3:04 |
| 8 | Pilot | 3:09 |
| 9 | Blood Ice | 4:16 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tundra | 3:12 |
| 2 | Bear Tooth | 4:05 |
| 3 | Onion Soup | 3:48 |
| 4 | Blue Heron | 2:55 |
| 5 | Rainbow Trout | 4:20 |
Singles
Alaska Reid's solo career began with the release of her debut single "Quake" on October 25, 2019, as a digital download in MP3 format, marking her transition from band work to independent artistry. The track, self-produced and released via her own channels, showcased her early indie pop sound with introspective lyrics and lo-fi production elements. No official music video accompanied the release, and it did not achieve notable chart performance, though it garnered attention in niche online music communities. Subsequent early singles include "Amber" on March 11, 2020, a reflective track self-released digitally, exploring themes of lingering emotions. "Oblivion" followed on November 10, 2020, with an official music video, serving as a precursor to her Big Bunny EP and highlighting her emotive vocals over lo-fi production. In 2021, "Feel The Pain" was issued as a digital single, adding to her growing catalog of personal narratives. "Always" was released on October 14 as a digital single in MP3 format, serving as the lead track for what would later become part of her debut album Disenchanter.[32] The song, characterized by its raw emotional delivery and acoustic influences, was self-released and received positive coverage for its vulnerability, but lacked a music video or significant commercial charting.[70] Also in 2021, "Pilot (Acoustic)" offered a stripped-down version of a Big Bunny track, released digitally to emphasize her folk-leaning side. Reid's 2023 singles were primarily tied to the promotion of Disenchanter, released via Luminelle Recordings. "Back to This," issued on March 7 as a digital single, featured production by A.G. Cook and included an official music video directed by Reid herself, emphasizing themes of longing through minimalist visuals.[71] The track peaked at number 663 on Spotify's weekly global streams but did not enter major charts.[72] "She Wonders" followed on April 19, also digitally released, with no accompanying video; it explored introspective narratives and contributed to building album anticipation without B-sides or chart entries.[44] "French Fries," released on July 10 ahead of the album's launch, came with an official music video highlighting casual, nostalgic imagery, and was praised for its relatable storytelling, though it saw limited streaming metrics comparable to her prior releases.[35] Prior to her solo output, Reid fronted the band Alyeska, which released singles like "Tilt-A-Whirl" in 2017 from their EP Crush, but these predate her individual career focus. No confirmed independent solo singles have emerged from Reid in 2024 or 2025 to date.[73]| Single Title | Release Date | Format | Album Association | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Quake" | October 25, 2019 | Digital (MP3) | Standalone | Debut solo single; no video. |
| "Amber" | March 11, 2020 | Digital (MP3) | Standalone | Self-released; reflective themes. |
| "Oblivion" | November 10, 2020 | Digital | Big Bunny (later incl.) | Official video; lo-fi production. |
| "Feel The Pain" | 2021 | Digital | Standalone | Personal narrative single. |
| "Always" | October 14, 2021 | Digital (MP3) | Disenchanter (later incl.) | Lead for upcoming project; no video.[32] |
| "Pilot (Acoustic)" | 2022 | Digital | Big Bunny (version) | Stripped-down release. |
| "Back to This" | March 7, 2023 | Digital | Disenchanter | Official video; A.G. Cook production.[71] |
| "She Wonders" | April 19, 2023 | Digital | Disenchanter | Promotional single; no video.[44] |
| "French Fries" | July 10, 2023 | Digital | Disenchanter | Official video; nostalgic theme.[35] |
Guest appearances
Alaska Reid has made notable contributions as a featured vocalist on tracks by various artists, often bridging indie pop, electronic, and experimental genres. These appearances, spanning from 2016 to 2025, have helped her connect with producers and musicians in the PC Music collective and beyond, enhancing her visibility in alternative music circles. In 2025, Reid co-formed the duo Witch Post with Dylan Fraser, signing to Partisan Records and releasing the EP Beast, along with singles "Changeling" (October 1) and "Twin Fawn" (November 3), blending indie rock and folk elements.[74][75][76] In 2016, Reid provided ethereal vocals for Koresma's "Sun Begins to Pour," a chillout track that marked one of her early forays into collaborative electronic music. The single, released independently, showcased her ability to layer haunting harmonies over ambient production.[77] Reid's involvement with A. G. Cook deepened in 2020, beginning with the expansive album 7G. She contributed vocals to "Green Beauty" and backing vocals to a cover of "Crimson and Clover," infusing the tracks with her signature moody introspection amid Cook's hyper-pop experimentation. Later that year, on Cook's follow-up Apple, Reid delivered lead vocals for "Haunted," a glitchy ballad that highlighted her emotive range in a more stripped-down context. These features solidified her ties to the PC Music scene, opening doors to further high-profile projects.[78][79][80] In 2022, Reid appeared on the A. G. Cook remix of Bleachers' "Stop Making This Hurt," providing additional verses that added a dreamy, ethereal layer to the indie rock original. That same year, she collaborated with Dylan Fraser on "Vampire," a hypnotic alt-pop track from his 2030 Revolution EP, where her duet vocals explored themes of desire and vulnerability.[81][76] Expanding into 2023, Reid featured on Thy Slaughter's (A. G. Cook and Easyfun's project) "If I Knew," a medieval-inspired electronic track from the album Soft Rock. Her soaring vocals complemented the band's orchestral pop sound, contributing to the release's critical reception as a bold PC Music evolution.[82] Most recently, in 2024, Reid lent her voice to Lewis OfMan's "Come & Gone" from the album Cristal Medium Blue, blending her indie folk influences with the producer's French electronic style in a reflective, synth-driven single. A live version recorded with The Cristals was released in 2025, further extending the track's reach.[83][84]| Year | Artist | Track/Album | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Koresma | "Sun Begins to Pour" (single) | Vocals |
| 2020 | A. G. Cook | 7G ("Green Beauty," "Crimson and Clover") | Vocals |
| 2020 | A. G. Cook | Apple ("Haunted") | Vocals |
| 2022 | Bleachers (A. G. Cook remix) | "Stop Making This Hurt" (single) | Additional vocals |
| 2022 | Dylan Fraser | "Vampire" (2030 Revolution EP) | Featured vocals |
| 2023 | Thy Slaughter | "If I Knew" (Soft Rock) | Vocals |
| 2024 | Lewis OfMan | "Come & Gone" (Cristal Medium Blue) | Featured vocals |
| 2025 | Witch Post (w/ Dylan Fraser) | Beast EP, "Changeling," "Twin Fawn" | Co-lead vocals |