“The first time I saw Todd Rundgren with The Fool SG, I fell in love with the idea of the guitar being an art canvas”: Vernon Reid breaks down his melting-pot writing approach and the poignant symbolism of his Reverend guitars

A portrait of Vernon Reid wearing his now trademark hat with his Reverend signature guitar.

Nothing Vernon Reid does is arbitrary. Listening to 2025 solo album, Hoodoo Telemetry, it’s evident that he is a player in perpetual search of new sounds, genre expanse, and one who is entirely unafraid to push boundaries.

What’s more, despite his legacy with Living Colour, a band that does plenty of boundary pushing itself, he’s not afraid to set it all aside and re-label himself as labelless. “Making this record has felt very grounding to me,” Reid tells Guitar World.