Creative stress is real—and rising star Amanda Reifer knows it all too well. “Girl, yes! Stress comes with the territory, especially when you’re working with limited resources. You’ve got to find creative ways to get your vision across,” she says with a laugh, her delicate Bajan twang softening the weight of the admission. When we connect over Zoom, Reifer is in New York. It’s 10:30 a.m. EDT and she’s sitting in a contemporary hotel room, fresh-faced, her natural curls worn down and framing her features. This isn’t our first encounter with the Grammy nominated singer. In the summer, she visited London or ‘home away from home’ as she fondly calls it. Our scheduled four-hour photoshoot extended to six because Reifer, who was in her element and at one with the camera, became a team-player in capturing the right aesthetic. All part of the creative process. And all part of the stress. “As an artist I’m used to performing, directing, editing, doing my own hair and make-up, as well as collaborating with the people I’m working with. It’s not like I can just turn my brain off–it takes a lot of energy.”
This is not Reifer’s first rodeo. Rising to fame as the lead singer of pop-reggae band Cover Drive, she won fans worldwide with her sun-soaked vocals. But when she stepped out on her own in 2018 with Girl Like Me, it became clear that she was an artist in her own right, with a unique story to tell. That story has since taken her from writing sessions with Kendrick Lamar, and now, to the moment she’s been building towards for years: the release of The Reifer Files.
Three years in the making, the album reflects her personal journey from girl to woman, written with direct inspiration from conversations with those closest to her around love, acceptance and growth. But it’s also an ode to her island roots, which she has woven into every corner of this audiovisual project, from the lyrics, to the beats, to the powerful and evocative imagery: “I really wanted it to show where I’m from, where I’m rooted, where my people are at, and also highlight local creatives and local businesses. These are places I grew up: going to the little fish cake stall or the local boutiques.”
Over the past year, she has gradually introduced her audience to her new music through the release of five distinctive singles from the record. And while the world waits for the official drop, one thing is clear: this is more than an album launch. It’s the start of a new era for Amanda Reifer.
What are your feelings ahead of the release of your new album, The Reifer Files?
I’m just excited for it to finally come out into the world. I’ve had this music for a long time in my care and possession, and so I’m excited for everyone else to have it and experience it in their own unique way. I know what this album means to me, but I also know that once music goes out into the world, it becomes something different for everyone else, and I’m just eager to see it take on its own life.
Which song on this album feels the most personal to you?
There’s a song on my album called Find You Where You Are. It’s the last song on the album. It’s unreleased right now, but it’s a beautiful song. It’s about unconditional love and acceptance. When we were writing that song, it brought a lot of healing to me for things I have gone through in life, and the feeling of choosing to love regardless of circumstance. I think that that’s something that we all should apply to not just those that we love, but to ourselves. I think it’s probably the most personal and most healing of the songs on the album.
Do you think the songs on an album should be listened to in order?
Personally, I am an albums girl – I think that it’s great to listen to a body of work in the way it was intended, the way you watch a movie. You don’t start from the end and watch backwards. You don’t start in the middle of the film. You go on the journey, with the plot twists, and you feel the different emotions.
I love film, and I’m a director as well, so it reflects in my approach to creating and writing – not just in my songs, but this whole album. I really hope that when people listen to this album, they go on the journey from the top down. We as people are complex, and we have so many different sides to ourselves, some contradictory, some complimentary, some that don’t make any sense at all. And I think that for me, what I wanted to really get across in this album is that I’m a flawed and complex person, and I have all these different sides of who I am. And as a woman, I may one day be independent and strong and confident, and then I might be vulnerable or insecure or heartbroken, and that is all of who I am. And so, the album really goes through that.
How involved were you in other aspects of the album, like the video direction and the styling?
Well, all of it! When it came down to choosing the tracks, going through the sample, going through all the sounds, that was the integral part. We would go digging through old files (which is why it’s called The Reifer Files), digging through hard drives, listening to sounds. That’s the music curation part of it.
Then when it comes to writing the concepts, I’m very intentional with my lyrics, the melody choices and the conversations we’re having on this album; they come from conversations in the room and things that we’re going through.
Then in terms of the sequencing of the album, it was very hands on. We wove the stories together in a way that made the most sense and painted the best picture. Then, when the album was finished, I was so proud of the care we took to create this body of work that I really felt like the visual aspect of it needed that sort of care as well. I sat down with my manager and creative partner, Carmen, and talked about what we wanted to bring to it from a visual standpoint. Because the album is just so rooted in who I am, and it’s authentic and it’s raw, we wanted the visuals to say that too. So I went home to Barbados, and with a local director I co-directed all the visuals for the projects and edited them myself.
I really wanted it to show where I’m from, where I’m rooted, where my people are at, and highlight local creatives and local businesses. These are places I grew up: going to the little fish cake stall or the local boutiques to support female owned businesses. My friends and family are in these videos. None of it was done in isolation. I’m not going to sit here and say, did this all on my own, but it was intentional for me to be a part of all of it, because I think that that’s when you get the realist and truest art.
How do you feel about AI when it comes to creativity?
This is a tough one, especially, I think, for creatives and artists. It’s amazing to see what can be done with the advancement of technology. But personally, when it comes to songwriting and creating, what I love about the creative process is the connection between the creators in a room. I love the process of creating my art, so I don’t like the idea of using AI to do that process for me. I love the process as much as the outcome.
I think the value in art is how it comes through you. That’s the human element of it, and that’s what makes it flawed – but it’s real, you know? I’m not in the practice of using AI in my musical process at all, because it will take away the joy of it.
You co-wrote with Kendrick Lamar and worked with producers like Sounwave – what’s one piece of creative advice you’ve picked up from collaborators that’s stuck with you?
There are so many pieces of advice you can give someone, but I think the best way to learn is to observe someone’s character. What I noticed working with Sounwave, Dahi or Kendrick is that they really show up for their art. They show up and they create. I can’t speak to their process, but what I gathered is that you must allow the art to come through in the way that it’s going to come through. I really admire that about the people I’ve been able to work with, and it’s given me more confidence in doing that with my own work too.
What does success mean to you?
Gosh, it means so many different things, but I feel the most successful when I’ve poured myself into creating something – a song or a visual – and I hear or see that creation live and breathe. That’s a great feeling. I feel successful because my purpose here is to create, and to offer something real and true to the world, and to do what I love and do in a way that contributes.
Let’s talk hair. What three words describe your hair?
When I wear my hair in my signature stack, it’s regal for me, it is unique, and it’s bold. In Caribbean and African cultures, we historically carried our work on our heads, so that hairstyle is an ode to the Mauby women of Barbados. It wasn’t an easy thing for them to carry so much weight on their heads, but this was how they supported themselves and their families, and they did that with grace. Whenever I wear it, it’s honouring those women. But here’s the interesting thing: I feel like there are so many ways you can play with your hair, and I think it’s all about self-expression. Who you are should always shine through. A woman’s hair is her crown, and however you choose to wear it, you got to rock it. Your hair can’t rock you.
What is your secret to being bold and confident in your self-expression?
There is nobody that is going to be you, and that’s your uniqueness – your signature. And I think that the faster you can accept that, the better and richer your life is going to be. The key is to not try to do it like anyone else. You got to do it the way you are designed to do it.
Are there any Bajan hair or beauty rituals that you stand by?
In my backyard, back home in Barbados, I have tons of aloe plants which I can cut and rub on my skin. It’s the best thing, especially if you’ve been in the sun and use frozen aloe. Also, I think fresh coconut water is great for your skin. I drink a lot of that back home, and I try to use natural oils. But I would probably say aloe is my number one.
Do you have a holy grail product or tool that’s always in your beauty bag?
When it comes to beauty products, I’m a Fenty girl. I’m Barbados born and raised, so I’m supporting my hometown hero. The gloss is my favourite. You can’t go wrong with it, but I always think less is more. For me, when I don’t really want to put too much on, I’ll just use some lip gloss and mascara, and I’m good.
What’s your go-to for practicing self-care?
I like to spend some time on my own. I spend so much time around people, and I love being able to do that. I love human connection. But I also think that you must take time to connect with yourself. I’ll take myself to see a movie or read a book somewhere quiet. Spending time alone is key for me to recharge.
Also, I love to go back home to Barbados. I need to feel the grass, and my toes in the sand, and the ocean, and to see my family and my friends. If I don’t do that, I start to feel out of sorts. So going back and being grounded is important for me in terms of self-care. Once I’ve done that, I’m good – I’m charged for a long time.
If you could give young women one piece of advice on how to become empowered, what would it be?
As young women, it’s easy for us to think we must keep the people around us happy. Something that made a chapter of my life very difficult was trying to appease the people around me and always keep the peace even where I hadn’t even caused conflict. You start to give up your power when you do that too frequently; it goes against what you know is good for you as a person. For me, the key is to honour yourself, even if it makes other people uncomfortable. Because the right people won’t be uncomfortable. I think it’s great to be conscious of others’ needs, but you got to be conscious of your own.
What are you most looking forward to in your work this year?
I’m looking forward to taking this music into a live space. I love writing music, I love creating. But it’s so different when you take music and you put it into a live show, and you have a band, and there’s an audience experiencing and sharing your music with you. It’s a beautiful exchange.
I remember when I was in the band [Cover Drive] and we were touring a lot; it was one of my favourite things to be able to see how the music we created affects people. I’m excited to bring the music into a live space and share that with people.
Replicate Reifer’s beauty ritual
Above, from left to right: The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Toner, £11; Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara, £20; Plenish Coconut Water, £2.35
Watch the interview
We caught up with Amanda at Spell Magazine HQ – watch the interview below:
Credits: Photography by Kosher Osei-yaw; Hair by Valerie Asamoah; Make-up by Natasha Wright; Styling by Nicola Ranger; Art directing by Jemima Cousins
