INTERVIEW - INTRODUCING BROOKE LAW

Having launched her debut album "Naked Heart" at The Green Note last year, #TEAM21 caught up with Brooke Law prior to her heading out on the road to promote the record nationally - oh and this time there is vinyl!!

Brooke is someone #TEAMw21 have followed closely since originally spotting her potential at a Songwriter's Round at Pizza Express. Since then she has played live relentlessly in both solo and band formats always giving excellent value for money. We meet at Lil Nashville ahead of a Song Suffragettes show where she will once more shine brightly.

She is an instantly likeable character, a bubbly personality with bright big brown eyes and a huge smile. Her trademark locks will no doubt get a full workout on the forthcoming tour as she rocks her head back and forth. She has never sounded better, it is as if recording the songs for this Naked Heart has opened new ways to perform them - there has never been a better time to go and see this pocket superstar.

We start by looking back at the successful Green Note Naked Heart album launch, it was a night of high spirits and emotions - how much we ask, does she actually remember of the night.

Brooke breaks out into a laugh, "I remember it all, it was only towards the last few songs that I really felt relaxed - I was so shaken! At the Green Note you play so late, there's always such a build up, as the doors open so early, you wait so long to go on stage - there's just too much time to think about it. I like to not think about it, that's why pub gigs are so nice sometimes, you don't soundcheck, you just show up and play."

We reminisce to our first encounter at a Songwriters Round at Pizza Express, she was the unknown quantity playing alongside Lucy May and Deanne Dexeter. She hadn't seemed entirely at ease on the night and was quick to mention that she normally plays with a band and normally rocks out, yet there was definitely something that sparked that night and her performance only seemed better in retrospect when it came to write a review.

"I wouldn't say it was the playing solo aspect that concerned me, it's the Writers Rounds that I don't feel at ease with. People tend to compare you and each performance."

We contrast the experience of watching Savannah Gardner at the Sound Lounge in a Round where everyone seemed somewhat familiar with each others material and were able to add embellishments to each others performances as opposed to today, where it is a meeting of four highly talented performers but who don't have that same level of cross pollenation.

"I don't think we'll be singing each other's songs this afternoon, we all know each other so it's still going to be fun - I don't like it when each artist tries to outdo the other. I did the Jackson Line Round the other day and that is really cool, they play along with you and it does make a difference, the one with Gasoline & Matches in Birmingham is similar."

Turning to the album, "Naked Heart", we ask what the initial driver was to do an album given that previously there had been a collection of EP's and singles - an album seems more a statement of intent.

"I released my song "Real" and the picture was of me kissing a mannequin, and I really just loved that front cover and I thought - This would be cool on vinyl. the concept of the song "Real" is what my whole artistry is about, just wanting to be your true self. Music is just getting more and more fake, I had so many songs about this same concept about being myself, it made sense to group these songs together on one album.

I was getting all the songs together and my Mum said "Why don't you do a different title?" and that was where "Naked Heart" was born.

When I was sixteen, one of the producers that did the album with me Michael Stockwell, actually wrote a song called "Naked Heart", he wrote the track and I wrote the top line and I though Oh this could be the Intro track if we redo it!

At this point we can't help but reference the cover of Brooke's record which is, love it or hate it undoubtedly striking.

"I wasn't sure what to do, I was obviously against AI but was using it to get ideas, but all the ideas were terrible and were making me look like a totally different person, like an alien!. So I was on holiday with my family and there was a nudist beach, so I just said to my Mum, this will be the only time if i decide to do something like this, and it will be really shocking if I have a naked picture, strategically covered of course by a heart or the title. In the end we went for using a real heart and on the back we have a broken heart."

Two of the songs are co written with Ben Earle from The Shires, and we ask if he has given any feedback on their eventual recorded versions.

"He knows the songs are out, we wrote "Excuse Me" when I was seventeen, with Holly Partridge, At that time I was working with Polydor and they organised a session with Ben's publisher, they used to reference me as Alanis Morissette when we played "Ironic". This was pre Shires and I then bumped into Ben in St Albans, once The Shires were a thing .He was asking how things were going and then we got in the studio together and wrote "Freak On"

Ben's co writing is legendary - his song with the original Dahlia - "Only Human" is one of the great lost UK Americana songs.

We muse on just how quickly technology has changed - the song "Real" about AI companionship seemed a fanciful idea when Brooke first introduced it as a concept - and now 2 million people have an AI friend!

"It's sad, I really thought it might become a big hit as it was so relevant" - Brooke breaks off into a fit of giggles

There are 2 songs that #TEAMw21 take credit for their appearance on the album, "Excuse Me" and "Bad Tattoo", both of which sound excellent - it seems hard to believe there was ever a time when they were not going to be on it. Yet they had started to drift out of Brooke's live set.

"As I said, I wrote it a long time ago and I guess I grew out of it, I hadn't even been cheated on at that time, or even in a serious relationship, whereas everything i write now is totally true. It was inspired by watching "Made In Chelsea! where the people on it were absolute A***holes

Accompanying each of Brooke's recent releases has been a series of entertaining videos including one set on the beach - We ask if there were crowds of bemused sunbathers looking on?

"I love creating them, I'm proud that I do all the music videos myself, I get my Mum to film me, I'm not sure she actually enjoys it, but it is so cool that she shoots them for me and then I edit them. The beach one was quite scary, we got to a quiet little beach, but to access it we had to climb across lots of rocks. We wanted to go to somewhere private, so occasionally someone might pass or a little boat would appear on this cove and we'd do it again. We probably did it about three times in total - it was shot in Greece - Sciathos a really beautiful place."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3oZI-lwrZ8

Talk moves to the tour - not only vinyl this time round but for the London show it will be standing at The Water Rats.

Brooke becomes animated at the thought

"Yes it will be standing and I hope everyone will be dancing! For that show we have Sorrel Nation supporting with Theo on cello - We look like sisters apparently - that's really cool she's gorgeous.

There will be a different band for this tour and I will be bringing out my electric guitar"

The old adage is that you have your whole life to create album number one. We ask Brooke if she has even started thinking about what might form album two

"I've definitely already got songs ready for the next album including one of my best songs ever! - Brand new - no-ones heard it. Maybe I'll unveil some new songs at the solo shows in Doncaster and Wales and maybe by the time we hit The Water Rats, the band might have learnt something new.

The Water Rats is going to be amazing, I'll be free to roam, as the stage is a bigger than the Green Note!"

A truly special talent - check out the dates below to see if Brooke is passing your way - she comes with the hard earned #TEAMw21 seal of approval!

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