Cleo Reed

Cleo Reed is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work includes participatory art, music composition, instrument-making, bandleading, installation, and fabric arts. They were named a Music Resident at Pioneer Works for November–December 2026. Raised in New York City and Washington, DC, Reed trained in classical percussion at Harlem School of the Arts, played in the punk band Pretty Sick, and studied sound design at Berklee College of Music. Their debut album Root Cause came out in 2023. Their 2025 double LP CUNTRY is a folk-electronic work exploring labor and rage, with one side drawing on American work songs and the other on electronic and rap-leaning sounds.