A Chat with Brooklyn Forbes (09.12.21)
Merging the sounds of Billie Eilish, Regina Spektor, Lana Del Rey and Fiona Apple, US-based Brooklyn Forbes brings an eclectic sound to modern-day music scenes. We speak with the young talent about her debut EP Egoic Illusion, musical influences, early memories and future plans.
OSR: What drew you to music?
Brooklyn Forbes: Cello was my main instrument growing up and I would always play in the orchestra on the weekends. I would play piano and sing after school before anyone else got home. I was timid about it but I loved it. Music has always been a central part of my life, but the way in which I engage and express this passion has continuously transformed.
OSR: Who are your musical influences and why do you admire these artists?
Brooklyn Forbes: Of the many, my biggest influences are Regina Spektor, Fiona Apple, Ben Folds, and Joni Mitchell. They are all so different and have influenced me in unique ways. Each of them have such a unique and unmistakable quality about them, and I appreciate their commitment to authenticity. Regina would have to be my favourite of all time. She has a way of evoking such specific, poignant emotions. Her style of storytelling is wonderfully abstract and her creativity is so free.
OSR: What can you tell us about your EP Egoic Illusion?
Brooklyn Forbes: This is my first EP. It feels like a bit of a time capsule of what was on my mind for a year or so. During the time in which I made it, it was my diary and my teacher. It is full of more questions than answers. It is influenced by feeling in-between places and longing for a home emotionally, and it ponders love through a lens of scepticism and a bit of existentialism.
OSR: If you could change anything about the EP, what would it be and why?
Brooklyn Forbes: There are a couple of volume levels I would adjust, and I’d probably add a couple more synths here and there. There isn’t anything foundational I would change, but it is hard to reach a point where a song fully feels finished. There is always something more I could do.
OSR: What was the recording and producing experience like for this EP?
Brooklyn Forbes: The majority of this EP was recorded and produced in my bedroom at my parents’ house after I graduated. While I was living there I mostly stayed locked away in my bedroom “studio”. Two of the songs were started in my friend Danny Sofa’s kitchen, who engineered and made percussion on ‘On my way’ and ‘Echo Chamber’. Peter Graves played the guitar for ‘Curiosity’. Chris Green recorded my piano and vocals for ‘Hostility’ and also helped with the final mix of ‘On my way’. Working on this entire EP was such an important outlet for me during a time when I felt especially isolated and stuck.
OSR: What do you believe is the best way to discover new music nowadays?
Brooklyn Forbes: I am a huge fan of swapping playlists with friends. It is cool to get a glimpse of what someone you care about is listening to.
OSR: What do you hope people take from your music?
Brooklyn Forbes: I hope people feel a glimpse of themselves in my music. It doesn’t have to necessarily be a connection to the lyrics. I hope people can derive their own interpretations from my music that feels personal to them.
OSR: What is your earliest memory?
Brooklyn Forbes: My earliest memory is a nightmare I had when I was two years old. It’s pretty silly to describe, but for some reason has stuck with me every year of my life.
OSR: If you could perform with anyone, who would it be?
Brooklyn Forbes: Paul McCartney.
OSR: Do you have future plans as a musician?
Brooklyn Forbes: I a currently putting together my next project. I also am about to submit an artist name change, so be on the lookout on my social media for updates on that. My next release will be a single off the next project, which will probably be a self-titled EP.
Thanks to Brooklyn Forbes for speaking with us. For more from Brooklyn Forbes check out her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
