Connecticut Singer-Songwriter Liz Reed Shares New Song Inspired by Daughter

Growing up in rural Woodstock, Connecticut, in the 1980s and 1990s, singer-songwriter Liz Reed came of age at a time when women were just beginning to gain recognition in the alternative rock scene. 

Inspired by a range of artists, from Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Bruce Springsteen to Ani DiFranco, Reed began her music career as a student at University of Connecticut, performing at coffeehouses and honing her craft as she pursued dual degrees in vocal performance and music education.

Yet perhaps the bigger shift in her artistry has transpired since became a mother, and her songs became more intimate and personalized, anchored in thoughtful perspective. After releasing her album Tall Trees & Empty Highways in 2024, Reed joined Bigger Beast Records in 2025, and recorded “Maybe Kind of World,” a personal song inspired by her teen daughter, who is on the autism spectrum. 

The song, which will be released this week, evokes the introspective tenderness of Jim Croce’s “Time in a Bottle,” the lyrical honesty of Tim Hardin, and the graceful, emotive spirit of Janis Ian. 

“I wanted to write a song that reflected the struggles and joys of being a parent of older kids,” Reed tells Rockmommy. “We all have to let our children go at some point, and for some of us, it is harder than for others.”

We recently caught up with Reed to learn more. 

Rockmommy: Hi Liz! Please tell us a bit about yourself. How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a musician?

Liz Reed: I didn’t ever not want to be a musician that I can remember. I began performing on stage and recording music at age seven. I took piano, guitar and voice lessons throughout my childhood, and started writing my own songs at age 10. Those first songs were pretty terrible, but you have to start somewhere.

Rockmommy: Who would you say are two or three of your biggest influences?

Liz Reed: I grew up listening to Billy Joel; his storytelling and imagery definitely influence how I craft a scene in a song. I have always felt with my whole heart the strength and longing in American and Irish folk music, the edginess of Janis Joplin, and the vocal gymnastics of Joni Mitchell and Barbra Streisand. And then there was Ani DiFranco– I’m still striving for that mix of raw truth and humility that Ani brings to light.

Rockmommy: You cut your teeth performing at UConn. What was the scene like then?

Liz Reed: As a young woman with a guitar, performing songs I had written myself at [University of Connecticut] coffeehouses, I was an anomaly. When I went to open mics, I was often the only female on the list. That was intimidating! Right after college, I became the host of a local open mic at which there was a monthly featured act.   I got to know and learn from so many area singer/songwriters. It was my first introduction to the New England folk scene beyond tiny UConn cafes. 

Rockmommy: You’ve said that when you first started writing songs, you just wanted to get them out there. What factors influenced your songwriting?

Liz Reed: Songwriting has always been cathartic for me. I used to just transcribe my emotions—that’s what inspired most of my early songs. And lucky for me, a lot of people can relate to having big feelings. With a few years under my belt and some emotional regulation has come an ability to write about and from other people’s perspectives; now I see inspiration everywhere!

Rockmommy: How do you write songs?

Liz Reed: I’m a lyricist first. I love to play with language: alliteration, double meanings, clever turnarounds of known phrases—it’s fun and often creates the “hook” that makes a song memorable. 

I always carry a journal and am constantly writing. It might be poetry or short prose, observations or conversations. When I find a hook or catch phrase, I often go back through the journals to find material related to the topic I’m writing about. 

Rockmommy: How did your upbringing in the church influence you as an artist?

Liz Reed: When I was in high school, I became the children’s choir director at our church, which helped shape the idea of becoming a music teacher. I joined the adult choir as soon as I could read music, and have continued with choral singing most of my life. Choir taught me rhythm and to listen louder than I sing. It also helped me feel comfortable on stage. I learned empathy and how to build community, which are skills I have utilized in my classroom, in my home and with other musicians. 

Being part of a church and/or spiritual community has influenced who I am as a person even more than my artistry. I was raised in a community that gives back, and which values volunteer work. For twenty years, my husband and I have run a yearly backyard music festival as a fundraiser for our local food bank, a resource that is utilized by over 300 families in town. The festival also mixes artists who are just starting out with those who have been in the business for a long time, and hosts local artisans who come as vendors. 

Rockmommy: You’re a mom of two. How did that impact your career or your songwriting?

Liz Reed: Once I had our son, Teagan (and then our daughter, Charlotte, followed two years later), I stopped performing and writing. I was so tired all the time!  Once our kids were about 8 and 10, I had a little more time to breathe and could start writing again, so that was when I performing.  And now one or both kids come to gigs with me constantly.  It’s quite a thrill to look up and see them singing along in the audience.

Rockmommy: You’re an elementary school teacher and an activist. How did that impact your music career or your songwriting?

Liz Reed: My teaching personality is the same as my stage personality: wry jokes and personal storytelling.  And both aspects of my professional life build on and support one another: what the kids get at 9am on a Tuesday is the same as what the audience gets at 7pm on a Saturday.

In the material I’ve written for children. I focus on social justice. I wrote a song about being unique based on Jason Tharpe’s children’s book, “It’s OK to Be a Unicorn.” I have also put Amanda Gorman’s poem “Change Sings” and the book, “All Are Welcome Here” (Alexandra Penfold) to music.

[SEE RELATED: Kala Farnham Talks New Music, Pouring Her Heart into ‘Ancient Vessel’]

Rockmommy: Can you tell us about how you met Kala Farnham and Frank Viele, and why Bigger Beast became the right partnership?

Liz Reed: Kala and I met a million years ago when I was hosting an open mic at the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret, Connecticut. In 2023, I performed with Kala at a songwriter showcase called “Folk Artists Take On Motown,” to which she brought her new boyfriend, this guy named Frank Viele. He was a ball of energy, very friendly, and I connected with him immediately. 

I joined the Bigger Beast team to further the goal of helping musicians find each other, find employment that pays well, and build each other up. This industry has too long been run by folks who just want to make money, which causes artists to view each other as rivals rather than partners. Bigger Beast is under the parent company of All Boats Rise Entertainment, and here we are, helping all the “boats” around us rise together.

Rockmommy: Your new single “Maybe Kind of World” is truly heartwarming.  Can you tell us about it?

Liz Reed: I wanted to write a song that reflected the struggles and joys of being a parent of older kids. We all have to let our children go at some point, and for some of us, it is harder than for others. Our daughter, Charlotte, is on the autism spectrum and has several other learning challenges. So for me, the song is specifically about my relationship with my daughter, but I’m hoping it reaches other parents, too–feeling conflicted about watching our kids go out into the world is a pretty universal subject.  

Rockmommy: Anything else you’d like to share? 

Liz Reed: I’m a black belt in Shorin Ryu karate (same kind of karate used in the Karate Kid movies). I started at 47 and earned my black belt at age 50. It has increased my confidence tenfold. Having more confidence in myself in general has improved my stage performance; I’m much more relaxed on stage than I used to be, and when I’m relaxed, I’m a lot more entertaining and engaging (at least I think I am…!).