Since the age of fifteen, Brooke Moriber has been writing and licensing her own original pop/country/rock music to network television and several soundtracks. Brooke’s remarkable ability to juggle her career as a recording artist and an actor has found her sharing the stage and screen with such performers as The Gin Blossoms, Cindy Lauper, Alan Cumming, Lily Taylor and Kristin Johnston.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Brooke Moriber about her latest project, motivations, challenges and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)
I’m a proud native New Yorker. I was born and raised downtown in Greenwich Village near Washington Square Park.
My music is singer/ songwriter pop. I have been back and forth to Nashville a lot lately so there is a bit of an “Americana/ Pop” vibe to the production of my latest material. At times, even a little country with a New York edge.
What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?
I have always enjoyed writing since I was a kid and just playing around on the piano. I have never known a moment when singing wasn’t every part of my being. Growing up in NYC, if you sing, dance, and act, you’re likely to audition for a Broadway show. I was 8 years old when I went to my first audition and then that became my first job on Broadway playing Young Cosette in Les Miserables. I started licensing my original music when I was 15 but it was difficult juggling my recording career with my acting career. A few years back, I put musical theater to the side so I could really focus on writing and recording. I am loving every moment of what I am doing and that’s what motivates me. I want to do this for the rest of my life so I have to keep pushing myself because no one else is going to do it for me.
How is Hello Happy different from the Here And Gone EP? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?
I actually recorded Hello Happy before the Here And Gone EP. it’s a very different style than what I usually record out in Nashville. I did write the song in Nashville with my friends Brian Desveaux and Bill DiLuigiI but we wanted a very pop/ synth vibe and had it produced in NYC by the amazing Matt Anthony. It’s a really fun summer song and I waited to release it until the weather was right!
Do you face challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? How has technology helped you (assuming it helps)?
It’s really 50/50. Being an indie musician you have full control. The negative side is that you act as your own label and have to do so much work on the business end. That takes time and focus away from actually being creative. In the old days you could be discovered by someone from a label in a club and get signed. It doesn’t work like that anymore. It’s a numbers game and you have to do it all yourself before any labels (or what is left of them) will want to invest and by that point, you already have the fanbase you created so who needs a label? I spend 80 percent of my day dealing with the business end of things. People don’t realize that singer/ songwriters don’t just play and write all day. Social media is also crucial. It’s a huge time suck but you have to do it. It’s the only way to advertise your product. It’s great that we have that option to promote ourselves as artists but I do wish more of my time could be spent doing what I do.
Where can we connect with you online and discover more music?
You can find me on YouTube (look out for my newest video “The Last Goodbye”), Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, —(pretty much any platform that has music)—Instagram, Facebook, Twitter…all are under my name Brooke Moriber. Friend me, follow me, let’s stay in touch!
Spotify / Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Youtube / Website
Anything else before we sign off?
Yes! I just finished recording my full album “Cry Like A Girl” with the legendary Fred Mollin (who also produced my Here And Gone). The new tracks are sounding incredible and I’m so excited to get this out in the fall! I think Fred and I managed to come up with a sound that hasn’t been done before. It’s a really cool combo of live instrumentation, lots of epic choruses, and some vibe-y synth sounds sprinkled on top. Please sign up to my website: www.brookemoriber.com for updates!
