Nadia Reid

Nadia Reid (born 23 August 1991) is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Port Chalmers, New Zealand. She has released four albums and toured internationally.

Early life Reid was born in 1991 in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, New Zealand. She is the daughter of Karin Reid and Craig O'Reilly. She was educated at Logan Park High School and Queen's High School in Dunedin.

She began playing the guitar aged 14, winning the best female musician award in New Zealand's national youth music event Smokefreerockquest. In 2009, she was a member of the Queen's madrigal choir which won the New Zealand Choral Federation Millennium Trophy (Otago) for secondary school choirs.

Career At the age of 18, Reid moved to Christchurch. She released several EPs and began performing original songs. As opportunities to perform nationally became available, she moved to Auckland and later to Wellington.

Reid performs live with a band of musicians, including Sam Taylor (guitar), Richie Pickard (bass), and Joe McCallum (drums).

She has been acclaimed for her "intimate musical soundscape" and "unique voice". The Guardian described her as "an understated, wise guide through uncertain territory". Revue said she was "allegorical and often brutally honest".

Her three albums, Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs (2015), Preservation (2017), and Out of My Province (2020), received acclaim internationally. Reid's fourth record, Enter Now Brightness was released in February 2025.

2014–2016: Crowdfunding and release of debut album Reid had connections to Lyttelton-based producer Ben Edwards and was encouraged to make her first full-length album. Lacking startup capital, she set up a PledgeMe campaign which was given a significant boost after she opened a show for Tiny Ruins. She recorded Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs (2015) at Edwards' Sitting Rooms Studios. and in 2016 was nominated for a Tui award for best folk album, and for the 2016 Taite Music Prize. Preservation was released in March 2017 and was given a positive reception. It was one of eight finalists for the 2018 Taite Music Prize.

Reid opened for Ryan Adams at his Auckland show on 20 May 2017, and Sharon van Etten at Auckland's Civic Theatre on 12 December 2022.

Awards In 2017, Reid's first single from Preservation, "Richard", gained a nomination for the APRA Silver Scroll award, regarded as New Zealand's most important songwriting award. Judges described the song as "a stand-out folk-rock gem with its wonderfully direct delivery, charting heartbreak and dissolution, through striking imagery".

Also in 2017, producer Ben Edwards won a New Zealand Music Award for his work on Preservation, and Reid was nominated for Best Solo Artist, Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Best Alternative Artist.

Discography Studio albums + List of studio albums with selected chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chart positions NZ Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs Released: 27 March 2015 Label: Spunk Records Format: CD, LP, download — Preservation Released: 3 March 2017 Label: Basin Rock/Spunk! Format: CD, LP, download 13 Out of My Province Released: 6 March 2020 Label: Spacebomb/Slow Time Format: CD, LP, download 2 Enter Now Brightness Released: 7 February 2025 Label: Chrysalis/Slow Time Format: CD, LP, download 17 "—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Extended plays Title Details Letters I Wrote and Never Sent Released: 27 October 2011 Label: Self-published Formats: digital download

Singles + List of singles, showing year released and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Album NZArtistHot "Call the Days" 2015 — Listen to Formation, Look for the Signs "The Arrow and the Aim" 2016 — Preservation "Richard" 2017 — "Best Thing" 2019 — Out of My Province "Get the Devil Out" 2020 13 "Oh Canada" 16 "—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Other charted songs + List of songs, with selected chart positions, showing year released and album name Title Year Peak chartpositions Album NZAristHeat. NZArtistHot "Preservation" 2017 1 — Preservation "Right on Time" 3 — "Heart to Ride" 2020 — 9 Out of My Province "All of My Love" — 10 "High & Lonely" — 15 "—" denotes releases that did not chart.