Runner’s High is the new single from NYC-based musician Olivia Reid, who “blends indie acoustics with exploratory electronic pop soundscapes”. Which basically means her music strikes a beautiful mid-point between pop and folk, akin to those Taylor Swift and Justin Vernon collaborations, but in one tastefully cohesive individual.
Here on Reid’s new single, the running is as much a metaphor as anything — a depiction of the necessary struggle in achievement… As an artist, she reflects on the fact the race isn’t about the competition, but the feeling, as she sings, “All this time, I was a runner, searchin' for that runner's high.” Describing that inspirational feeling, Reid says:
“Runner’s High describes the way I’ve conditioned myself to be a workhorse… A product of growing up in America, I guess.”
Olivia’s vocal performance stands out as clear-eyed and determined, as piano keys play out a series of relaxed chords. Chunky-yet-loose percussion grants Runner’s High its necessary feeling of pace and movement, the four-four beat of the chorus slapping like feet on the pavement. In the song’s final minute we get a bit more of a left-field outro, luscious instrumentation evoking some of that Vernon experimentation as the whole song shimmers and then, ultimately, evaporates. This is the kind of record I love — it is pop, but intelligent, sophisticated, and emotive pop.
The outro was a key jumping off point for the song’s creation, which was developed with co-producers Ry Jones and Bastian Testori. Jones shared the track with Olivia through Instagram, noting that the saxophone at the end felt like a perfect callback to Reid’s 2018 single Organic Bloom:
“When I heard the early version, I was so inspired. I immediately asked if they wanted to collaborate on it. The concept for Runner’s High came so quickly. This song feels like that moment when I’m sprinting, and my legs finally seem to move faster than my thoughts. My mind is free. At that point, the high, the bliss – feels earned – and it’s most definitely addicting.”