A three-part harmony-driven band, the trio has toured California multiple times playing festivals such as Make Music Pasadena, Echo Park Rising, Claremont Folk Festival, Lightning in a Bottle, and successfully captured large audiences every Monday night in December with their Holiday Residency at The Satellite.
In 2014 the band released their formal debut album, Blind and Brave, produced by Raymond Richards at Red Rockets Glare (Parson Redheads, Honey Honey, Local Natives, Dustbowl Revival). The album release kicked off during a very special show at the historic Troubadour.
Blind and Brave illustrates the story of the working class, and encourages listeners to genuinely care about the place they inhabit, keep it beautiful, connect with people, and be brave. The message found in these songs is that you have to get through the hard stuff to get to the good stuff, just as you have to go through the bad parts of town to find the best parts, whether it be a venue down an old dark alley way, or a friend’s house at the top of a hill. In everything you do, do it out of love.
With their debut album released, and a bright future ahead, we can only expect great things from The Wild Reeds. They joined Newport Folk Festival’s sister of the west, Way Over Yonder with artists such as Jackson Brown, Local Natives, Lucinda Williams.
Judgement
The Wild Reeds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I rise, Iam awakened by sun,
And it calls me home.
When I am home, I wait for the lost.
When I am home, I regret the cost
of a grudge I hold.
The family got me for everything I own,
But that was long ago.
And mom says, "Stop, the Lord will judge;
He'll bring rest to those who've done us wrong
and ignite their souls."
As the seed, they fall to the ground.
We lose the grief, regret we must sound
With sirens through the house.
'Cause if we don't, we won't ever learn
That we must progress through our hurt.
So, sound the sirens now.
'Caise if we don't, we won't ever learn
That we must progress through our hurt.
So, sound the sirens now.
And I must rise and awaken the sun.
Follow the rise and scream for the sun
And bring it home.
'Cause we're all stuck waitung for sunrise.
We're all stuck waiting for the light to make things right.
And I will rise and awaken the sun,
I will rise and scream for the sun
And bring light home.
The Wild Reeds's song Judgement is a powerful exploration of the process of healing and letting go of grudges. The song is structured around the idea of rising and awakening, using the image of the sun as a symbol for hope and renewal. The singer starts by describing how the sun calls them home, suggesting a sense of comfort and belonging in the light of a new day. However, they quickly shift to a sense of regret, describing the cost of the grudges they hold against those who have wronged them.
The image of family is repeated throughout the song, highlighting the idea of blood ties and the complexity of relationships within a family unit. The loss of the family's silver and gold is used as a metaphor for the loss of trust and love, which the singer seems to have been unable to fully process. However, the singer's mother provides a source of comfort and guidance, reminding them that judgement belongs to the Lord and that there is hope for rest and healing.
The chorus is powerful and repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the need to sound the sirens of grief and regret in order to progress through hurt, and to rise up and awaken the sun as a symbol of hope and renewal. The repeated refrain, "we're all stuck waiting for the light to make things right," emphasizes the idea that healing takes time, but that there is always hope for a new day and a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
When I rise, I am awakened by sun.
Waking up to a new day with renewed energy.
And it calls me home.
Being one with nature and feeling at peace.
When I am home, I wait for the lost.
Thinking about the people who have drifted away and feeling regretful.
When I am home, I regret the cost of a grudge I hold.
Feeling guilty for having held onto a grudge and realizing the price of it.
The family lost over silver and gold.
The family was torn apart due to materialistic values.
The family got me for everything I own, But that was long ago.
The family took everything from the singer, but it's in the past now.
And mom says, "Stop, the Lord will judge; He'll bring rest to those who've done us wrong and ignite their souls."
The singer's mother advises to stop seeking revenge and let karma do its job.
As the seed, they fall to the ground.
Comparing those who have wronged the artist to falling seeds.
We lose the grief, regret we must sound With sirens through the house.
Expressing regret and sorrow loudly to let go of it.
'Cause if we don't, we won't ever learn That we must progress through our hurt.
If we don't confront our pain, we won't be able to move on from it.
So, sound the sirens now.
Encouraging the release of pent-up emotions.
And I must rise and awaken the sun. Follow the rise and scream for the sun And bring it home.
Taking charge of one's life, embracing new beginnings and letting light in.
'Cause we're all stuck waitung for sunrise.
Metaphorically referring to waiting for hope and a new day.
We're all stuck waiting for the light to make things right.
Hope and the promise of a better future is what keeps us going.
Contributed by Austin G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.