Alaska Reid: Big Bunny EP Review

By Jared Payne
Music Journalist

Alaska Reid has been playing gigs since she was 14 years old. The Montana native grew up in a very small town and attended a school that consisted of only one room. Reid fits the “small town big dreams” narrative, and she knew that playing bars in Montana would not get her music career where she wanted it to be.

In an attempt to make her dreams come true, she spent her time bouncing back and forth between Montana and Los Angeles so that she could start playing gigs that more people would see. In L.A., Reid played at various clubs and bars, getting her name out there while gaining some much-needed experience and exposure.

Her time spent in L.A. also granted her access to many important connections that would come in handy for her future projects. While Reid was finding more success in the L.A. music scene, she felt like she was being held down in the bands that she was in and she was having a difficult time bringing her vision and sound to fruition.

Reid wanted her listeners to focus on her relatable lyrics and experience the music that she had created on her own. By this time, Reid had signed a record deal with “Terrible Records” and she decided that it was time for her to start a solo project so that she could tell her story.

Fast forward a little bit and Reid has released her debut solo EP, Big Bunny, a project where Reid’s years of hard work, dedication, and experience have culminated into something that is a treat for anyone who listens.

For a debut EP, Big Bunny is a major victory for the singer-songwriter from Montana. This EP does an astounding job at capturing Reid’s versatility as a musician. Reid was finally able to create the project that she’d been wanting to make her whole life. Instead of relying on a particular sound, Reid uses a variety of sounds that make each track unique in its own special way.

The title track “Big Bunny” focuses on gritty guitar sounds that make the listener feel like they fell in a time machine and found themselves in the grunge era, while tracks such as “Ouake” have catchy pop beats that seem like they would fit perfectly in any coming-of-age movie.

This EP focuses on heartbreak, loneliness and time (past, present, and future). Subjects such as these are relatable for everyone, which is one of the many reasons that this EP is so easy to listen to. She always wanted her listeners to focus more on her lyrics and she achieves that in this project masterfully.

Reid does an exceptional job at making the listener reflect on their youth, pondering over what was, what is, and what could’ve been. At just over half an hour, Big Bunny is a project that fits together effortlessly and is a stellar listen from start to finish.

I keep finding myself coming back to this EP and I am eager to see what else the young star has to offer. It is very possible that Alaska Reid will become a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.

Featured Image by Audrey Hall