The highly anticipated debut album release from Scottish singer-songwriter Brooke Combe is almost upon us, with “Dancing At The Edge Of The World” landing on Friday (31st January).
This is no overnight tale of success; Brooke’s story is one of hard work, overcoming industry obstacles, and shaping and refining a soulful indie sound.
We caught up with Brooke ahead of release to gauge how she is feeling ahead of this huge career landmark on Friday.
We talk about what to expect from the record, working with James Skelly, the under-appreciated challenges of life as a musician, and plenty more…
If you prefer podcast format, you can listen to the full interview now on Spotify, Apple & more.
NC: The big day finally arrives on Friday, how are you feeling ahead of the debut album release?
Brooke: “It has all been mixed emotions. I’m so happy it’s coming out because we recorded this over a year ago now. It has been a fast year on one hand, but also slow in the sense of waiting for people to hear the album.”
NC: It feels like you have been on the cusp of this for quite a few years now. Have you needed to be patient waiting for the right time to release the debut?
Brooke: “Yeah, a lot of it was artist development. Over the last few years I feel I’ve really developed my craft, the kind of music I want to create, and who I am as an artist. Then obviously there’s the live aspect that I’ve been focusing on. I wanted to make an album I was proud of and this wrote itself the year before last. This is the fifth year of doing this and it was the right time to get an album out there.”
NC: Tell us about that space you found yourself in sonically to know it was the right time when the album was “writing itself”?
Brooke: “Predominantly I’ve fallen into the modern soul category but there are still the indie elements to it. I started out in the indie world and I’d like to pay homage to that. There were a lot of loyal fans from the start that I still see at shows today. In terms of my personal preference, I’m loving what Michael Kiwanuka is doing, also Leon Bridges, Joy Crookes, people like that.”
NC: Are you starting to notice new fans coming on board as you make this musical shift?
Brooke: “Definitely. I don’t know why but the BBC seem to love me. When I performed there with a live orchestra I got a lot of new fans from that, and also from being playlisted on Radio 2. That’s been really nice seeing new faces and hearing what they think of my music from a fresh perspective.”
NC: When it came to making the album tracklist, did this genre shifting make it difficult to nail down the sound?
Brooke: “James Skelly helped me out there. I trust his opinion and hold it in high regard so I follow his lead and I was really happy with how it came together.”
NC: I was going to ask about collaborating with James Skelly, how has this working relationship been?
Brooke: “Class, to be honest. We’ve been working together since I was 21. The older I get I’ve noticed I can lean on him a bit more on a deeper level; more of a friendship. Like I’ve been having some vocal issues recently and he’s been through the same stuff, so he’s a good sounding board in that sense. But musically he’s always sending me new tunes, genres, sub-genres to inspire me – music I wouldn’t necessarily find myself. And he leaves it up to me to find the reason he’s sending it. I love that about him because I’ve learnt so much working that way.”
NC: So are you managing to control these vocal issues now?
Brooke: “I was losing my voice at the end of rehearsals before we’d even got to the gigs. I know my voice and my body, and for the past two years I’ve known things weren’t right. If we were doing this interview for two hours I’d be hoarse at the end of it. I’ve had my throat looked at and it turns out I’ve actually got nodules. So I’ll be doing speech therapy and working on my vocal health ahead of the tour to make sure it will be fine. Because it’s a muscle that we use daily without the job it makes it even harder to manage as a singer.”
NC: Does it irritate you when people don’t seem to understand the vocal troubles that artists go through? For example, Sam Fender coming in for criticism recently for cancelling shows.
Brooke: “Honestly yes, I’m actually glad we’re talking about that because it’s so important. Like a lot of singers, I don’t socialise that much anymore. I don’t drink, I don’t go out to pubs and clubs because I know that one night out can ruin my voice. People don’t appreciate that and I get called boring and told that I never go out anymore. But this is how I make money. If that goes, I’m doing something I don’t love, and at the end of the day it is my life. It’s so important to look after it properly.”
NC: Is the live show still a work in progress or have you mastered it now?
Brooke: “100%, it’s always ongoing for me. I’m a perfectionist so nothing is ever right. I really want to come into the April tour as confident as I was in 2022 going into the tour with Blossoms. Because reflecting on that time, I feel like my confidence has actually gone down and I’ve not been doing myself justice, rushing through my set. One of the main criticisms of my set is that it isn’t long enough. So the main thing I want is for people to come to our shows and feel like they got their money’s worth. We are definitely getting there. I think by album 2 I’ll be fully satisfied. But I’m always learning, especially when new tunes come into the set.”
NC: Is reading reviews and what people say online something you do often or do you try to avoid this?
Brooke: “I try to avoid it but I’m only human. I do like to generally gauge what people are thinking. It’s not like I’m just a singer, this is my business at the end of the day and I want to see if it is flourishing. It has its downfalls because you can’t please everyone. I’m not arsed if it’s silly things like people saying I always wear blue jeans, wear something else. I like wearing blue jeans so that’s no big deal. But racist comments I can’t deal with, that’s a nightmare.”
NC: Sorry to hear that you’re receiving racist abuse, do you think more should be done by these social media companies to stamp this out?
Brooke: “Totally. But I just out them. It goes all over my story and I know I probably shouldn’t give it the attention but that’s my bit of power I can take back and make people see that this behaviour isn’t sound.”
NC: What songs from the record are you most proud of and excited for fans to hear on Friday?
Brooke: “I’m really excited for them to hear a song called Butterfly, it’s one of my favourites on the album. It is about escapism and I’ve never written about that before. I’ve used falsetto too so it was quite a nice change which I’d like to do more of going forward. It’s got a psychedelic feel to it too so that’s a big one. And I also love This Town. I’m really proud of the lyrics and what it is about.”
NC: It’s interesting to hear how involved you like to be in all elements such as the business side of things. Do you think this will serve you well in the future?
Brooke: “Yeah, I’m almost too realistic at times. I was saying to my manager the other day, we’ve being doing live gigs for a while and I’m looking at my turnover and profit rates from a Director’s head and asking how we can push for more profits in places where we break even. This then helps the live shows with more budget for extra musicians, new costumes, and more instruments. When people don’t look at that side of it they can quickly be crushed when things aren’t progressing. I’m appreciative of all the opportunities I’ve had but I’m always striving for more. If you want a successful business you need to put the graft in and say things people might not want to hear. Only I have my best interests in mind.”
NC: Is a downside of total involvement that you see the difficulties and struggles for artists to make it in the industry first hand and the many hoops artists need to jump through?
Brooke: “Yes but I also think social media has a huge part to play in that. Nowadays, if you want to be a singer, you can be. If you want to be a boxer, you can be. We’re living in a time when there is not much difference in opportunities for the people with the skills and talent for something, and those who don’t have that. I find it alarming, particularly in the YouTuber world. I’m like hold on a minute, these guys have trained all of their lives to get this far in their craft, and people can do less than 50% of that work and just buy into it. With music, authentic musicians can become disheartened. You have to stay true to yourself and remember why you are doing it and what you want to gain. Also with AI now you can write a song or a melody instantly. It takes a lot away and dilutes and pollutes the industry. I think it’s up to true artists to make people aware of that. It’s a hard balance though because to succeed you have to play the game; it’s a catch 22.”
NC: We have to touch on the Barrowlands show this year, how does it feel to be headlining such an iconic Scottish venue?
Brooke: “I supported The Lathums there and played a couple of tunes for the Scottish Music Awards but I’ve never headlined it so I can’t quite believe it’s happening. I’ve got a five year bucket list that I wrote a year-and-a-half ago, and Barrowlands was on that. I’m hoping it will be a big Scottish party with mates, family, and fans. I just want to feel in the moment and not let it pass me by. And I’m absolutely going to celebrate after it!”
NC: And finally what can we expect beyond the album and tour from Brooke Combe?
Brooke: “Hopefully you’ll see me on some festival lineups. Then I’ll start on album 2 at the end of the year. And I’ll tick off some more from my bucket list hopefully – mark my words by the time we’re on album 3, Edinburgh Castle! That’s the goal.”
Brooke Combe’s debut album “Dancing At The Edge Of The World” is out THIS FRIDAY! Head to Brooke Combe Official Store for more info, merch and tickets!
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