EDGE Interview: Live Again with Noah Reid: A Celebration of Music, Connection, and Allyship

Award-winning actor and acclaimed singer-songwriter Noah Reid brings his signature sound and storytelling to the stage with the Live Again tour — a theatrical, emotionally rich concert experience that reimagines beloved songs and debuts powerful new ones. Known for his soulful vocals and introspective lyrics, Reid blends the warmth of 70s-era songwriting with a modern edge, creating a live show that feels both timeless and urgent.

Following the success of his albums Songs from a Broken Chair, Gemini, and Adjustments — which have collectively earned over 180 million streams and multiple Canadian Folk Music Award nominations — Reid returns to the road with a show that’s part live album, part intimate reflection, and wholly unforgettable.

From iconic venues to hometown stages, Live Again is a celebration of music, connection, and the stories that shape us. Join Noah Reid for an evening of reinvention, resonance, and raw musical energy.

As the Live Again tour makes its way across North America, Noah Reid sat down to reflect on the inspiration behind the show, the evolution of his music, and the deeper themes shaping his creative journey.

EDGE: You’ve called this the Live Again tour – why did you name it that? 

NR: I am not touring a new record, but I'm playing some new music and reinventing some old music that feels like it works within the context of the world that we live in now, as opposed to when I wrote those songs. When we were figuring this out, I thought this show was like a live record. Many of my favorite records are live albums, and I thought it would be a great idea to make this show feel like a live recording. So we approached our arrangements as if they were more studio arrangements. We've approached the content of the show as if it were a little more theatrical. 

EDGE: How does it feel to be back on the road performing live for your fans?

NR: I don't think there's anything quite like live music, and to get to be able to play is a total blessing to me. And to be out with friends and colleagues who I love and trust, and to create music spaces where people can come and enjoy a reinterpretation of songs, feels incredibly special. I get to be in a different city almost every night, and exploring these amazing venues is amazing. Recently, I was at Graceland, which was a surreal experience and not a place I ever thought I'd be playing music. I promise you, none of this is lost on me, and it feels like just an immense privilege.

EDGE: Your music has such an intimate, storytelling quality. How do you approach writing songs?

NR: For me, writing songs is the process of my experiences and my perspective. Often when I'm writing a song, I don't even know what it's about until after it's done, and then I realize what I was really thinking and feeling about.  Since I've been out on the road more, I’ve been writing about places a lot. I write from a narrative and an emotional perspective. I think that's the benefit of getting to explore your own psyche, and I believe people who don't write songs have to explore their own psyche in a different way, and that is why I would encourage everybody to try to write a song. It's a good therapeutic exercise because you can really start to learn where you stand.

EDGE: What themes or emotions are inspiring you most in your music right now?

NR: I am a father now to a three-year-old boy, and that's about as big a perspective shift as I've ever experienced in my life. That expansion of family has definitely turned the page of songwriting. It is definitely something that I think about a lot, including who you are to yourself, who you are to somebody else, and who I am to an audience. That has shifted so much throughout my life, whether through music or acting. The idea of what's real and what's pretend has always fascinated me, and what you're representing. Also, I can't overlook the time that we live in. It's always a factor. To be on the road in the United States as a Canadian, but also as an American, it's not lost on me. These times that we're living in, and certainly in the time that this country is going through, most of the people who come to my shows were introduced to me through Schitt's Creek. And those folks are probably not living in a homophobic or fascist mindset, but that's something that I explore a little bit in the show as well. I don't really feel like standing on stage and ignoring the situation that we're in. 

EDGE: You’ve been embraced by the LGBTQ+ community for both your work and your openness — what does being an ally mean to you? 

NR: Well, it's a funny thing. I've never really thought that much about being an ally, because I think the alternative is that you're a bigot. It's crazy to me that we even need to define allyship. To me, that means on the other side of allyship is unwarranted hate, and I have no time or desire to engage with hateful human qualities. I think that's our worst trait when we divide and we attack. I think it's the worst of us. Being an ally means having an open mind, an open heart, and treating every human being with respect and dignity. As long as we're not doing harm to each other, there's room for everyone. 

EDGE: Playing Patrick on Schitt’s Creek had such a meaningful impact on queer visibility — how did that experience change your understanding of allyship?

NR: Great question. I think that I hadn't embodied that mindset from a first-person perspective as a straight guy; I had never really considered what it would take to come out to somebody until the character that I was playing had to. I felt strongly in that moment, from a first-person perspective, that it would be incredibly challenging and anxiety-provoking, and a huge foundational moment for understanding who you are and how you relate to people, particularly those you're closest to and who might think about you differently. That was a truly incredible exercise to go through in terms of empathy and understanding. You never really consider the world from somebody else's perspective unless you have to. I think more straight men should sit down and think about what it would be like to come out to their parents and to their friends. We all might be able to approach our lives with a little more understanding. I certainly appreciate and applaud my friends and colleagues who have been brave enough to come out to their loved ones.

EDGE: As a musician, do you think about inclusivity or connection when writing your songs?

NR: I do. I try to think as much as I can about the human experience in all of its complexities. I have to channel that through my own experience and perspective. I often think about what I'm writing when I'm writing songs, crafting words and lyrics about how we could do things better. How can we approach this differently, and what can I do to improve? It all begins with your own body and mind. I'm always trying to push those buttons and push myself forward a little bit.

EDGE: You’re wrapping up your tour in your hometown with a Christmas show — how does it feel to bring it all full circle?

NR: I love Toronto. I've always wanted to play at Massey Hall, and Christmas is a joyful time to gather people together and sing. I think people don't sing together enough. I’m trying to invite people to do that and to share some spirit and love. We've got a long way to go to get there, but it feels like a nice way to cap things off.

EDGE: What’s next musically? 

NR: I just want to get back in the studio and make a new record. On this tour, I'm playing a handful of new songs that I'm debuting for the first time and performing live, which is perhaps a little unusual, as I'm touring them before I've recorded them. I'm excited to get back into the studio and make some new music.

For full tour dates and ticket information, visit Noah Reid’s official website, www.noahreid.com, or follow him on social media.