Nadia Reid: 'This is my way of processing'

Nadia Reid is staying grounded as her second album Preservation is met with acclaim. Photo / supplied

Nadia Reid has a warning: if you get close to her, you might end up in one of her songs.

"New Zealand is very small and my intention is never to offend anybody, but this is my way of processing," says the Port Chalmers singer-songwriter.

"I think anyone who dates a musician or a songwriter is kind of f***ed."

Reid's second album Preservation was released last Friday, and it's been highly praised by The Guardian as "ethereal", "transcendental" and "perfectly crafted".

The UK paper joins Pitchfork, Billboard and Mojo on a growing list of international endorsers - but Reid is staying firmly grounded.

"I think you have to take the positive reviews as equally as the negative reviews. At the end of the day lots of people out there are going to say, 'This album sucks' or that it's s***ter than the first one.

"I know that people respond to The Guardian, but I can't take that as gospel because eventually someone's going to turn around and give me one star."

You'd be hard pressed to find that someone. Reid's voice is otherworldly - the kind that stops you in your tracks or leaves you crying on public transport.

Her songs leave no emotional stone unturned, with the song Richard referencing a former relationship who "liked the sound of his own voice" - a razor-sharp line that may leave you feeling sorry for the title character.

Reid says the song is more metaphoric than literal, but she won't stop mining her personal experiences to write songs.

Nadia Reid says music is her "way of processing". Photo / supplied

Preservation's production brings elements of folk and rock together to channel a gritty, determined confidence. It's an ode to growth and development, and when Reid brings her full band on tour later this month, fans can expect integrity and authenticity in the live show.

"It's the first time I'm touring with a full band, which I think is important because we're just going to play the record basically, and play some older stuff.

"I never really got to tour (first album) Listen to Formation as a full band, and I think sometimes it's important to honour the record the way it's recorded."

* Nadia Reid's full tour details are available here.