Even before the first power chord was strummed Sunday evening, Violet Saturn’s lead guitarist Spencer Carr Reed asked the local crowd at the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu Chili Cook-Off to get up from their seats to add to the band’s spitfire energy. Reed, who is only 16 years old, and his younger sister Lauren Carr Reed, front the band (formerly known as Lulu and the Frantic Shrimp) as lead vocalists. At just 13 years of age, Lauren Carr Reed is only beginning eighth grade at Malibu Middle School, but still appears comfortable with her role front and center on stage.
The two Malibu siblings say they love music and aren’t waiting until they finish school to make their dreams happen. This is already the second year the kids have played on the main stage at the end of summer Labor Day weekend shindig that’s been shaking up Malibu for nearly four decades. Since the Chili Cook-off is the Malibu community’s main social event of the year and is attended by scores of local kids, you’d think Malibu High School junior Spencer Carr Reed and his sister Lauren might be a tad nervous to play in front of their hometown crowd—which appeared to be filled with classmates—but the band started off its set with the Led Zeppelin classic “Whole Lotta Love” with self-assured swagger. That set the tone for the band’s five-song set. Violet Saturn also features two other Malibu High School seniors, 17-year-old Nils Schmolka on lead guitar and 18-year-old drummer Joe Matthews. Rounding out the rest of the players is 22-year-old Evan Dupell on bass guitar and, as a special guest Sunday evening, The Malibu Times’ own Devon Meyers on guitar. Meyers is a neighbor of the Carr Reed family.
But it is the two siblings who write all their original songs. Describing their style as rock with metal inspiration, Lauren says she writes the lyrics first and then Spencer—a self-taught guitarist—writes the music. When asked minutes before their set if they had jitters, both siblings answered simultaneously, “I’m excited.”
“I love playing live. It’s a rush,” Spencer continued. “I like being able to play in front of our community. I think that’s a big opportunity a lot of people don’t get.”
His sister continued, “Everyone in Malibu is so supportive and nice. I don’t get nervous in front of them. It’s all excitement.”
Christie Carr, Spencer and Lauren’s mom, said her children devote all their spare time after homework to their music careers. Besides providing plenty of music to listen to, she explained it was her children’s idea to start a band and that she hasn’t been able to help them musically because she has “the musical talent of a paper bag.”
“I have never asked them to practice. If anything I tell them to take a break,” she described of their self-motivation.
That work has paid off for Spencer and Lauren, who recently composed the music for a short horror film and have won three best original composition awards at various festivals. Last May, the two won an American Music Tracks award for one of their songs. They are currently recording an EP with four Violet Saturn original songs and the group is hoping to sign with a manager and record label soon.
The Carr Reeds made sure to get in some thank-yous during a brief interview: “We want to thank Julia Holland for setting up the music programming at the Chili Cook-off, Ernie Ball and all the sponsors that made the Chili Cook-off awesome this year.”
Violet Saturn’s EP is expected to drop in November. They can be followed at @violetsaturnofficial.
