The five artists keeping Lou Reed’s legacy alive
Ten years on from his passing, Lou Reed’s influence burns brighter than ever. An icon of the late 1960s period and onwards, Reed has become one of the most influential artists in history for both his band, The Velvet Underground, and his solo efforts.
As the leader of The Velvet Underground, Lou Reed pioneered the experimental, adventurous art rock that took over the late 1960s New York scene. Spreading internationally, their sound expanded alternative music, breaking rock out of the radio-friendly rut it had fallen into. Through his relationships with artists like John Cale, David Bowie and Nico, Reed became one of the most defining figures in music history.
But his influence didn’t stop there. Reed’s collaborations with Andy Warhol led to a legacy that merges rock, poetry and art. A voice for the subversive, Reed’s work deals with dark topics of drugs, death and the AIDs crisis that gripped New York. Never shying away from lurid topics, his experimentation and bold nature are found in both his instrumentation and his lyrics.
A name often brought up in modern music, many reference Lou Reed as a guiding light. Providing limitless inspiration to a whole new generation of musicians, especially those in the post-punk scene, Reed’s legacy is alive and well.
Here are five modern acts carrying the torch and continuing Lou Reed’s legacy today…
Five modern artists inspired by Lou Reed:
1. Black Country, New Road
Similar to The Velvet Underground, Black Country, New Road have had many iterations as a band. At first, their lead vocalist, Isaac Wood, brought Lou Reed’s legacy into the band through his deep, dark vocal style. Singing storytelling lyrics with a voice that’s at once both gritty and rich, it is undeniable that Isaac Wood and his band paid homage to the icon.
But now Wood has departed the band, Black Country, New Road feel more in tune with Lou Reed’s legacy than ever. A sprawling collection of six musicians playing everything from classic rock guitars and drums to classical additions of violin and flute, the band perfectly encapsulates the sonic experimentation of The Velvet Underground. Lengthy tracks like ‘Turbines/Pigs’ sit firmly in the lineage of Lou Reed’s inspiration, pulling reference from his later works like the 11-minute epic ‘Street Hassle’. With no clear lead singer and no set path for where the band might go next, Black Country, New Road feel like the Velvet Underground of this generation.
2. Anohni
The closest thing Lou Reed has to an heir, Anohni and the Velvet Underground man worked together before the singer died in 2013. Contributing vocals to Reed’s 2003 album The Raven, Anohni and Reed’s version of ‘Perfect Day’ is breathtaking. Upon Reed’s death, Anohni shared a moving tribute, describing the singer as “like a father”, saying they have “never felt so perceived and loved for who I actually am by a man than by Lou Reed”.
In every release since, you can hear Lou Reed’s impact on Anohni’s work. Reed’s influence is especially strong on their latest album, My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross, and the track ‘Sliver of Ice’, which was written in reference to their last conversation. “A friend of mine expressed to me in the final months of his life that the simplest sensations had begun to feel almost rapturous,” Anohni said in a statement. “He was a hardcore kind of guy and these moments were transforming the way he was seeing things. I wrote ‘Sliver of Ice,’ remembering those words of his.”
Merging raw and rough instrumentals with their angelic, silky vocals, Anohni is a testament to Reed’s keen eye for new talent and dedication to supporting other musicians.
3. HMLTD
Exploring more of the dramatic storytelling side of Lou Reed, HMLTD are a new band unafraid of lengthy concept pieces. Just as Lou Reed was a direct inspiration to Nick Cave, the London band honours both in their theatrical post-punk. Carrying aesthetic with the same high regard that Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground did, working with Andy Warhol to mix music, film and art in works like the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, HMLTD have built a whole creative world around their work.
Their second album, The Worm, takes the shape of a rock-opera concept piece, while their debut, West Of Eden, dove into the same kind of dark depths and violent urges Lou Reed never shied away from. Give one listen to ‘Satan, Luella & I’ and you’ll hear Reed’s legacy loud and clear.
4. Dry Cleaning
The current post-punk scene wouldn’t exist without Lou Reed. His penchant for spoken word, drawling lyrics continues to have its claws in the alt-rock world he helped shape. Dry Cleaning are one of the many post-punk pieces that carry his torch.
Florence Shaw’s distinctive talk-singing lead feels like a direct descendant of Lou Reed’s infamous singing style, doing away with any and all expectations of what a lead singer should do or sound like. Merging the delivery of Lou Reed with the swagger and mystery of Nico, Shaw would’ve fit right in with the late ’60s New York crowd.
5. Fontaines D.C
The Irish punk band Fontaines D.C would be the first to admit they take a lot of influence from Lou Reed. Zooming in and turning their lyrical focus to the scene they find themselves in, modern Dublin is their equivalent of Lou Reed’s late ’60s and ’70s New York. Their debut album, Dogrel, surveyed its landscape with the same savage honesty and admiration for subversion.
The band’s guitarist recalls the moment he discovered The Velvet Underground while watching the movie Last Days, in which a character is “playing ‘Venus In Furs’ on a record player. I remember hearing that and going, ‘What the fuck?’”
Recently joining a whole host of modern acts as part of I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute To The Velvet Underground & Nico, a compilation album celebrating Lou Reed and his band’s impact, the Fontaines D.C cover of ‘The Black Angel’s Death Song’ is a must-hear.
