FEATURE:
Spotlight
Brooke Combe
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I have not featured many Scottish artists…
for my Spotlight features. It is to my shame I do not spend enough time in that wonderful country. The music scene there is so fertile and extraordinary! One artist who is doing Scotland proud is the sensational and unforgettable Brooke Combe. I found her music last year, and I have been a fan ever since. With a string of impressive and unique single under her belt, I wonder whether there is an E.P. coming from Combe in 2023. I am going to get to a couple of interviews with Combe soon. First, here is some background to the stunning Brooke Combe:
“Brooke Combe discovered a love for music aged just 5 years old, after getting her first toy drum kit. Eventually she added playing saxophone, trombone, guitar, bass and piano to her repertoire while at secondary school and began to find her own uniquely powerful voice along the way. Combe, influenced by the ‘90s R&B played in her mum and dad's house, as well as the Motown her grandparents would play her, developed a love of great songwriting and vocalists and lyricists with their own idiosyncrasies - such as Amy Winehouse and Fleetwood Mac - before beginning to work on her own material.
Now, with her stunning first statement ‘Are You With Me?’ finally out in the world, Brooke Combe has announced herself as a genuine artist to watch in 2021 and beyond.
Brooke Combe discovered a love for music aged just 5 years old, after getting her first toy drum kit. Eventually she added playing saxophone, trombone, guitar, bass and piano to her repertoire while at secondary school and began to find her own uniquely powerful voice along the way. Combe, influenced by the ‘90s R&B played in her mum and dad's house, as well as the Motown her grandparents would play her, developed a love of great songwriting and vocalists and lyricists with their own idiosyncrasies - such as Amy Winehouse and Fleetwood Mac - before beginning to work on her own material”.
Coming into the collective consciousness in 2021, it must have been a tough year to get any sort of ground and traction. That said, Combe’s remarkable voice and incredible music definitely resonated. I think that this year is one where she can really stretch her touring legs. It has been a tough last couple of years for most artists. The wonderful SNACK chatted with Combe back in June. An award-winning artist, it is clear there is so much affection for her – and a lot of belief that she is going to be this huge musician very soon:
“Brooke Combe, voted Best Female Breakthrough Artist at the Scottish Music Awards 2021, is a singer-songwriter on the rise. She grew up on the outskirts of Edinburgh, listening to Motown, soul and R&B and playing instruments from a tender age. She discovered rock influences at 17 and was encouraged by her school music teacher to develop her vocals and to study music at university.
Savvy with social media, Combe’s early cover songs found mass appeal, particularly her rendition of Baccara’s ‘Yes Sir, I Can Boogie’, the Scotland international football team’s anthem in summer 2021. Since signing to Island Records, football crossovers continue, with song excerpts recently featured on BBC and Sky Sports football highlights on primetime television. ‘Miss Me Now’ is her latest single, driven by a punchy bassline and aligned with catchy lyrics, rhythmic and melodic hooks in three minutes of disco-pop perfection.
Tell us about your latest single, ‘Miss Me Now’.
I came up with the little bassline that the song is introduced with when I had got home from a night out. The song came together as a studio recording, then went back and forth with producer Mark Ralph, who added some lovely sparkly bits that sort of elevated the tune. I love it: it’s nothing like I’ve ever done before, so it felt like it was a bit of a gamble for me to release, but everybody loved it. It’s quite a light-hearted tune – it’s fun, it’s summer.
How do you approach your original songs?
I feel like I’m in a position at the moment where I’m able to be a bit freer with my tunes and just play around. I’m still trying to find the Brooke Combe sound. I think the running theme, however, throughout all my singles, is that they’ve all got the same soul. That’s the most important thing to me, being a soul singer: making sure there’s still depth to all these tunes even if they are quite light-hearted.
What would you say is your proudest musical achievement so far?
Signing to Island Records – it’s something any singer dreams about, especially coming into this industry. It’s all been a whirlwind, and it’s been really fast. So being able to sign, and have all the opportunities that have come with that, has been just remarkable and I probably never could have imagined it. I was only 21 at the time and it’s an amazing, surreal thing to say you have done at that age, so I’m really proud of that.
What would you like to achieve in the next five years?
I’d like to have released an album by then: a nice body of work that I’m proud of. Really mastering my live shows is becoming one of the biggest things for me. I love performing live, and I love being on stage and connecting with the audience”.
There is another interview that I want to get to before I wrap this up. The Skinny shone a spotlight on an artist who sold out King Tut's (Glasgow) and signed to Island Records during a global pandemic. Combe had a busy summer of festivals last year. Rich reward for an artist whose music is among the finest around. I have no doubt she is going to continue to grow and play ever bigger venues and festivals:
“With an impressive array of successes gathered in such a short period of time, from selling out King Tut's and signing to Island Records to winning Best Female Breakthrough artists at the 2021 Scottish Music Awards, it's mad to think that Combe's journey is only really just beginning. With all that in mind, we shine a spotlight on Brooke Combe to get to know her a little better before she becomes a household name.
You’ve been playing music in some form or another since you were five years old – who would you cite as your main musical influences and what inspires your music writing?
There are a lot of artists and bands that inspire me musically, but I’d say some of the main ones growing up were Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Amy Winehouse... the list is endless. However, the main theme throughout them all is soul. I’ve got a really soulful voice and it's important to me because that’s what moves me the most when listening to tunes. I’d say lyrically my biggest inspiration is Arctic Monkeys. I love the endless use of metaphors throughout their tunes. It just always gets me thinking about ways I can incorporate metaphors in my tunes. It’s quite a difficult thing to do.
It must’ve been quite weird for you coming into prominence with your music amid a global pandemic – what have the last couple of years been like for you?
The last couple of years have been sort of crazy, but in a good way. A lot of people saw the pandemic as a hindrance to my development which is somewhat true in terms of performing. I wasn’t able to get out and gig for a long time, which is something I was probably most nervous about considering I’d never really gigged before. However, it also gave me a lot of time to focus on writing tunes and lyrics and bettering myself as a songwriter. I’ve grown a lot over the last two years and being a fairly shy person, I’m excited to push my limits and see how far I can go with everything.
What festivals are you most excited about playing this summer?
I am so buzzed to be playing some of the big UK festivals this year – I've just announced Reading and Leeds which is madness to me and the response has been great. As well as Neighbourhood festival, a big one for me is TRNSMT in Glasgow. Playing at home in Scotland alongside some unbelievable company is definitely going to be a highlight of the summer. I can't wait to be back on the stage and doing what I love and I'd love to see as many people as possible there enjoying it with me.
What does the rest of the year hold for you?
I have just released my first single of the year Miss Me Now, which feels insane; I tried something a little different and I’m super proud of this one. We had such a laugh filming the video and the outfits were amazing; I’ve been so excited for everyone to see what I’ve been working on. Throughout the rest of the year I’ll be releasing more tunes and hopefully getting myself out on the road doing my own little headline tour around the UK. It’s going to be an exciting year and opportunities keep coming up, I can’t wait to steal everyone's hearts…That’s the main goal”.
Spend a little time getting to know the superb Brooke Combe. One of the absolute best young talents in the U.K., I know so many people are singling her out for greatness. It is clear she is going to help make this year one of the best for music. I love what she is doing, and it makes me want to explore Scottish music more and more. Go and follow the Brooke Combe, for she really is…
A staggering artist.
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