INTERVIEWS LOS ANGELES PRINT

LA based alt-R&B songstress Brooke Aulani talks ‘Bedroom Music’

Jon Berrien
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LA based alt-R&B songstress Brooke Aulani is making moves as she blends elements of soul and noir-pop with her distinct vocal tone. Brooke offers a fresh take on traditional R&B, which has us anticipating the forthcoming release of her debut EP, Bedroom Music. 

GroundSounds recently caught up with Brooke to talk about her upcoming project, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.

 

For those just discovering Brooke Aulani, can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started with music?

I grew up doing a lot of musical theater but I eventually stopped connecting to it. I wanted to take my own artistic liberties and create my own music. After stepping away from musical theater, I played around with a lot of different genres and R&B/noir pop just came naturally to me. It took me a while to figure out my sound though but within the last year everything became very clear to me.

What do you enjoy most about Los Angeles? What was it like growing up in a city full of transplants?

I grew up in Westlake Village which is just about an hour north of Los Angeles but I always wandered out that way. I currently live in Los Angeles but I still love going home to Westlake. I love the hustle in LA but I love the peacefulness at home in Westlake. I can never make up my mind on which I like better so I always move back and forth.

12764432_960831910633133_8197201697399403213_oCan you tell us about working on and bringing your debut EP Bedroom Music to fruition?

The first song I wrote on the EP was “Shame”. The idea for the song randomly came to me when I was on my way to the studio. It was melodically very different than what I was used to writing but I thought I’d just go with it and see what happened. Once the song was finished, I felt a sense of peace that I had never felt after finishing a song. It just felt right. So I decided to move forward and create a 4 track EP. I didn’t go into with any formal plans, I just wanted to see what I could create when I let down all my walls. And here we are today with a completed project that I am so incredibly proud of.

What inspired the EP title Bedroom Music?

The title was inspired by the track on the EP called “Bedroom Music” but it holds a completely different meaning as the EP title. I feel like the music on this project creates a very intimate experience for the listener. It’s the type of music you listen to by yourself at night or in your bedroom haha. It’s funny because a lot of my writing process starts off in my bedroom. The bedroom to me is the safest place to be myself and to explore different truths and feelings so it just seemed to fit perfectly with the whole theme of the project.

Can you tell us about the writing and creative process involved with your fresh new track “Like I Do?”

“Like I Do” is actually the only song I co-wrote on the project. It was so much fun writing it. I had been sitting with the beat for a while and wasn’t happy with the ideas I was coming up with. I took the track with me to New York last year and I met with some super dope writers and within a day or two we had “Like I Do”.

Can you tell us about the inspiration for your title track “Bedroom Music?”

A lot of people assume the song is inspired by sex. I mean, it is. But it also was inspired by people’s desire for intimacy. Physical intimacy, emotional intimacy, conversational intimacy. We all crave it. Sex just happened to be a very relatable way to talk about it.

What bands/musicians are you currently listening to?

I’m loving the new Rihanna and Ty Dolla $ign album! Other than that, I stay listening to Marc E Bassy, Majid Jordan, and Johnny Rain. I also always resort back to some Luther Vandross, Marvin Gaye, and Aaliyah.

What about R&B, soul and noir pop that attract you to this sound?

I don’t think there is a particular element about it that I’m drawn to, it just resinates with me for some reason.

What’s next for Brooke Aulani, what can fans look forward to?

A lot of fun stuff is in the works right now! I’m starting to play more shows in LA so people should definitely come hang with me at those. I’m about to release the last track on the EP and make the project available on all platforms for streaming. Other than that, be on the look out for the new music I’m working on. I’m also playing a show March 9th at El Cid in LA so come hang! I go on around 8pm!

Stay in touch with Brooke Aulani: FACEBOOK | WEBSITE