Brooke Fraser

Platinum-selling New Zealander Brooke Fraser is a self-taught singer and songwriter, she was signed to Sony when she was eighteen and released her first album in New Zealand in 2002. It debuted at number one, stayed in her native top ten for a year, and eventually went eight times platinum.

From this, Brooke went on to support the likes of David Bowie and John Mayer, before penning her second album, ‘Albertine’. This saw her success expand to America, where she toured extensively, entered the Billboard Top 100 chart and climbed to number five on the digital retailers’ US album chart.

In 2005, she took a trip to Rwanda, 11 years after a genocide that claimed the lives of nearly one million people. During the journey, she met and befriended a number of Rwandans who she went on to sponsor, including an orphan named Albertine (the namesake of her second album) and went on to partner with World Vision in sponsoring children and water projects in the region. For ‘Something In The Water’, she is aligning herself with a New York organisation called Charity Water, who have set out a rigorous plan to get clean water to everyone in the world within 40 years. Impressively, they have raised over 25 million dollars in four years, and will be bolstered by Brooke’s ‘Birthday’ scheme, (where fans are invited to leave money rather than giving presents) which to date has already raised in excess of $50,000.

With all this success under her belt and with still being so young, we were eager to catch up with Brooke Fraser to find out more.

You’ve just completed a UK/Ireland tour, how do you feel the tour went?

So wonderfully that we’ve just announced more dates in the UK/Ireland in October! We’ll be coming back with a full band this time (these recent shows were trio shows) & playing bigger venues & more cities. I’m thrilled.

If you were to compare yourself to a UK artist currently, who would you say your sound is alike? (if anyone!)

Eek, none (that I know of, anyway)… I’m more folk oriented than Adele but more pop oriented than Laura Marling. Perhaps I’m their ethnic musical love child.

How did it feel for you being signed to Sony at just 18 years old?

Great!

With supporting the likes of David Bowie and John Mayer, what has been your best tour experience to date?

This last six months of touring Flags has been the most rewarding and fun, for sure. I’m really enjoying the new material and the way it’s transformed my show in many ways. The future beckons and I think my best tour experiences remain ahead.

Who would you cite as your strongest musical influence?

Joni (Mitchell) and Paul (Simon), I think!

What other factors influence your music?

I’m influenced by literature far more than I am by other music. People close to me are always lamenting how little I listen to other music, but it’s just not how I relax or tune out which is all I really want to do when I have a minute to myself on tour. I’m a reader.

How would you best describe your debut UK album ‘Flags’?

A road trip through varied lands.

What made you decide to make an appearance in the UK?

I’ve been wanting to for nigh on a decade. As soon as the opportunity was in my hands, we were here.

And Finally, you are obviously involved in a lot of charity work, where do you gain your inspiration for this from?

I refuse to lead a vain and vapid existence. I can’t think of anything more boring. One does not need millions of dollars or global influence to leave the world a slightly better place than it was upon one’s arrival into it, one simply needs to give a rip and then act on it.

To find out more about Brooke Fraser you can visit her website here!

One response to “Brooke Fraser”

  1. […] caught up with Brooke Fraser to find out […]

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