Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents: Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction

CAROLINE BROOKS

A Place Of Conviction

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents:

CAROLINE BROOKSA Place Of Conviction

“I Was A Weird, Hopeless Romantic”

Caroline Brooks likes “music, film, coffee, animals, and writing comic books about ninjas.” Yup, writing comic books about ninjas! How cool is that?!

“Well, I used to,” she clarified, “but that was back in junior high. I liked creating the stories more than doing the drawings. And, even though it was about ninjas, the focus was on the romance not the fighting. I was a weird, hopeless romantic.”

Now, I don’t personally know Caroline, but from my pre-interview prep — listening, watching, reading, and studying all things Brooks — I am not convinced that she is completely over her “hopeless romantic” phase. In fact, considering the subject matter of her latest single, I think that the artist just might be a diehard romantic!

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents: Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction

“I Was A Weird, Hopeless Romantic”

“I Just Really Wanted To Write That Upbeat, Epic Love Song”

Caroline’s new single, “Tomorrow, Tonight,” will be released on Wednesday, April

10th. According to Brooks, it’s an “upbeat, epic love song.” [See, I told you, diehard!] The track opens with a dynamic fade-in followed by a tense, heart-hammering beat. The listener is immediately snatched up and whisked along by the music’s irresistible flow. The imagery of the verses comprise a dazzling mosaic that depicts the rush of life with an exhilarating vibrancy. Ultimately, the chorus explodes with a rousing passion as Brooks’ vocals soar towards a grand flesh-prickling zenith. Very impressive!

“For this song, I sat down with Ethan Roberts who is a very talented pop songwriter,” Caroline explained. “Ethan went on tour with Selena Gomez and was Selena’s Music Director for a little while, so he’s really great at understanding that pop sensibility.”

“I just really wanted to write that upbeat, epic love song . . . but I also wanted it to have some kind of urgency to it. So, we racked our brains until we came up with a title: ‘Tomorrow, Tonight.’ Then, we had to rack our brains some more to try and figure out how we were going to make that work, how we were going to make that fit. We kept trying to come up with all these complex, interesting ways of saying it, but the more we broke it down, the more direct we made it, the better it sounded, so we stuck with ‘I’m going to love you like there’s no tomorrow, tonight.’”

“I Wanted It To Be More About Story And Less About Vanity”

The video accompanying “Tomorrow, Tonight” eloquently expresses Caroline’s vision of the urgency of a love thriving within a limited timeframe. Brooks utilizes both the emotional drive of the music and the vivd imagery of the lyrics as the basis for a poignant tale.

“I was in the office talking to my manager about the video. My manager was trying to think of different directors who might do a good job with the song. He mentioned Tim Cruz and I was like, ‘Whaa…?!!!’”

“Tim is very, very talented! And, he’s an awesome guy! Six years ago, we both moved to L.A. — I was a nobody and he was a nobody — and we were both just starting out. But now he’s doing music videos for Warner Bros. and Universal. He’s used to hundreds of thousands of dollars of budget and, unfortunately, that was just not something that I had,” Brooks lamented.

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents: Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction

“But I went out on a limb and gave him a call to see if he even remembered me or if he was even remotely interested in the project. Sure enough, even with my small, little budget, he was excited!”“We met up for coffee and talked about what I was going for: something kind of epic, something with a storyline. I didn’t want it to be me at the piano singing with the wind blowing in my hair,” Caroline laughed. “I wanted it to be more about story and less about vanity.”“Tim pitched a few ideas and we were kind of talking through a few different concepts when he brought up maybe having a Bonnie and Clyde theme. I loved it because I was actually a film major at University of Texas and one of the movies I had to watch as a filmmaker was the 1967 Bonnie and Clyde film. I’ve always really liked that film and I’ve always loved tragic romances, in general, so we ended up going with that theme for the video.”

“She Was Just Bored Out Of Her Mind”

“I remember being fascinated after seeing the movie. They portrayed Bonnie to be this tough chick who robbed banks, but when you find out more about her you realize that she was just bored out of her mind! She wanted something different! You hear about her dad dying at a young age and her working as a waitress . . . It’s the middle of the depression and she is just bored out of her mind. Then, here comes this guy who had just gotten out of jail. He’s cute! And she just kind of goes for it. Faye Dunaway did a really good job of portraying not only Parker’s playfulness, but also her vulnerability.”

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents: Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction

F D s B P

“While The Song Is Still Relevant”

Our conversation turned from Caroline’s upcoming Bonnie and Clyde themed video premier to the numerous cover songs she already has posted on YouTube. I asked why it was a bit of a challenge for me to find tracks from her earlier original material online.

“The sound that I’m coming out with now is a little bit different from what I came out with in 2010,” Brooks responded, “so, that’s why I haven’t really been pointing a lot of people to my old EP. I’m probably just going to take it down once I release my new material.”

“As far as the YouTube covers,” she continued, “I started doing them to try and use that outlet to gain more fans.”

Some of Caroline’s videos are shot and edited by friends/professionals, but since that can significantly slow down the process, most of the material she posts are productions that she has done herself. Considering the manic pace at which today’s music is devoured by the aptly-labeled “consumer,” artists have to act quickly if they want to get a cover video posted “while the song is still relevant.”

“I don’t know if there is a particular artist I like to cover, it’s usually the song that I can relate to,” Brooks informed. “I like picking songs that males sing and I like picking songs that I can do something original with. I prefer something that I can take and make my own rather than just recreating the same thing that’s already been created, you know?”

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents: Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction

“There Is Something Cathartic About Putting Your Words On Paper”

Considering all the many varied facets of a career in music — writing, recording, producing, making videos, performing, etc. — is there any one aspect that Caroline enjoys maybe a little more than the others?

“Right now? I don’t know. It’s kind of a tie between songwriting and performing,” she decided. “There is something really, really great about creating your own material and being original. There is something cathartic about putting your words on paper. But there’s also something really great about performing those songs live . . . especially when you have an enthusiastic audience or people who connect to it.”

“The Difference Between Performer And

Songwriter”

“I find it interesting, the difference between performer and songwriter, it’s kind of a balance. There’s definitely a separation between self and artist,” Brooks noted. “I started learning that when I first started playing around L.A. I would play small coffee shops or smaller lounges and I would just get so comfortable that people would say they felt like they were sitting in my living room.”

“My manager told me, ‘You don’t want it just to be you sitting in your living room hanging out, you also want to be a performer, and you want to have a separation between your self and the performer.’ Now I see why. Onstage, artist’s like Lady Gaga or Beyoncé, they rock the crowd, they get everyone pumped up! But in their own personal life? Maybe they are just down-to-earth, even shy? I don’t really know, but it seems like they try to make that separation, create that balance between self and performer.”

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents: Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction

“I Hope You Guys Like This”

“I actually kind of created my own character, an onstage persona. I even came up with a name and a little drawing of her. I think I tapped into the Bonnie character a little bit when I was creating her — that’s why it resonated so much with me when we did the music video. There’s already a little bit of Bonnie in me and I think that’s what helps me to create that edge where I’m not just ‘Caroline, the girl next door,’ I’m not just a walking teddy bear, there’s a little edge there, too.”

“What’s her name? Can I see the drawing?” I eagerly asked.“Well, I don’t know if I am ready to make her public just yet,” Brooks admitted

hesitantly, “But I will definitely let you know when I do!” Feeling a little let down, I pressed the issue. “So then, who are you now when you

are on stage? Where are you at as a performer? What has changed since you first started?”Caroline thought for a moment, then offered, “When I first started out, I was like, ‘I

hope you guys like this.’ But now, I feel like I’m finally getting to a point where I’m saying, ‘This is where I’m at, I hope you can connect to it.’ When I perform now, it’s not from a place of needing the audience’s affirmation, I am performing from a place of conviction.”

For more information on Caroline Brooks, her latest single, “Tomorrow, Tonight,” and how you can personally help her climb the charts, just read the next section.

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents: Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction

“When I perform now, it’s not from a place of needing the audience’s affirmation, I am performing from a place of conviction.”

What You Need To Know About Caroline Brooks

• You can personally help Caroline climb the charts if you purchase her single

“Tomorrow, Tonight” on iTunes at 11 am PST/ 2 pm EST on Wednesday, April 10th!• Wednesday, April 10th “Tomorrow, Tonight” video premier and single release on

iTunes.

• Single Release Show: Wednesday, April 10th, 8:30 pm, The Hotel Cafe, 1623 N Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028.

• EP release in early May.• ASCAP President, Paul Williams, is a fan of her music.• Caroline’s song “Parachute” (from her upcoming EP) was used in the trailer for Kate

Hudson’s film A Little Bit Of Heaven.• In college, she was a member of the renowned a cappella group, Ransom Notes.• In addition to her work as an artist, Caroline volunteers as a piano and songwriting

mentor for The 24 Foundation – a foundation that teaches various art forms to at-risk youth and uses “creativity as the catalyst for healing the soul.”

• Official Music Website: www.carolinebrooksmusic.com • Facebook: www.facebook.com/carolinebrooksmusic• Twitter: www.twitter.com/carolinebrooks7

Songwriter’s Monthly Presents: Caroline Brooks: A Place Of Conviction