VV Brown: Thee Itsnotyouitsme.org Interview



VV BROWN By ANTHONY DE LA CRUZ

3 attributes which I feel makes a true performer are - A stellar LIVE vocal set. A beauty that transcends physical form and creates a unique yet explosive musical birth on its own. Lastly, a true connection from the singer to the listener is key to lock. Thee newest British extraordinaire that is VV BROWN is no exception.

Vanessa Brown otherwise known as VV Brown was born in Northampton, England. She was born into a family of 5 brothers and sisters to Jamaican and Puerto Rican born parents (Mother's Jamaican/Father's Puerto Rican). She attended Overstone Park School which coincidentally was owned and managed by her folks. VV spent her weekends mastering thee art of classical and jazz piano while developing her vocal skills. She picked up influences from the likes of Ella Fitzgerald to the B-52's. Despite earning straight A's while in college, Miss Brown declined offers from over 5 prestigious universities and decided to follow her passion in music.




While owning a guitar that had only one string attached to it, VV began writing and developing melodies which would ultimately manifest into her ground-breaking debut album, 'Traveling with the Light'. After visiting the states in early 2009, VV returned to the UK following immense pressures from record executives/labels that only wanted to turn VV into their puppet. Former rapper/current mogul, P.Diddy, was one in a few whom attempted to sign her to his label Bad Boy Records.
Like most stories, the golden ones always triumph in thee end. VV was signed to Universal's Island Records in the UK. In July of 2009, her debut album 'Traveling Like the Light' was released. Thee album not only includes inspirations taken from the 1950s doo-wop era, but infuses an indie rock-pop-punk perfection which also pulls electronic sounds from video games. She wrote and played instruments on thee album as well. Consisting of lyrics dealt from a failed relationship, Brown went on to perform her first single, 'Crying Blood' on shows like Later With Jools Holland and The Sunday Night Project!
Aside from developing an upcoming graphic novel with friend David Allain who directed the video for Crying Blood and keeping an eye-out on her clothing line which is currently being run by her sister, VV just released 'Traveling with the Light' here in the U.S. behind the support from EMI Capitol Records on April 20, 2010!
Itsnotyouitsme had the honor and pleasure of sitting down with VV for a one on one interview in the offices of EMI records, Nyc. VV was simply immaculate in so many shapes and forms. We had a ton of fun and whats most important and vital for any artist in the musique industry is that they are real with themselves, their musique and with their fans...and let me tell you, VV embodies that to the fullest!





AD: I would first like to say my name is Anthony De La Cruz and I run a website called itsnotyouitsme.org where I basically feature all things beautiful and with truth that don’t need to be labeled, they just are.

VV: Awe you gave me goose bumps! - That’s so nice.

AD: Its been over a year since I was introduced to you and your musique. In a previous article I wrote last spring, I described you and your album as…

“She is the masterful maker of crazy-amazing musique, that is for everybody, if only some would just put their bottles down and leave the sharks in the water where they belong and forget about em quick fixes.”

“As you listen you feel a euphoric sense of what it feels like to travel like the light. Never skipping a beat, leaving every melody intact, hearing her voice sing every note makes you want to cry blood because you are in L.O.V.E". And with that I show you my love with a gift.

VV: OMG! - That is so, nice. Thank you.




AD: I like to think of your album as a collection of musique that has a freedom from fear. I say this because you’ve literally blurred the lines with all musical genres and said “Look, I can make and eclectic mix of musique and make it damn brilliant too!”


Can you walk me through how all these massive sounds came together?

VV: Well I was tired of people putting me into boxes and telling me who I should be. I totally let go - and I started off being obsessed with ‘50s’ culture cause I came back from LA and I had a really bad experience. .. [They tried to] turn me into this diva. I’m quite down- I’m a very down to earth girl. I’m not -

AD: It only comes out when you need to!

(Both Laugh)

VV: Yeah ! With my men! (Snaps Fingers)
But yeah I was just kinda listening to 50’s music a lot and I actually used to dress exactly like I’ve walked out of a 1950’s romantic movie. Now I have the roll (points to hair)-I don’t have it today but I was sort of wearing the exact dresses. The old school vintage shoes, the nails were immaculate, the hair was pinned perfect.

So I became obsessed with the romantic nature of the 50’s and 60’s - and then the craziness of the 60’s.




So that’s where it started. I just listened to vinyl music. I didn’t buy cd’s - nothing, just vinyl. I bought an old vinyl player. I just escaped into this world.

I was heavily depressed at the time cause my life wasn’t going right so I felt like this world was mine only - it was very imaginative. I could be something, in some where - another place. Some magic world to get away from what I was feeling and I was heart broken as well and I think amongst this fantasy world I started to find myself and find what was real to me and music liberated me so much that I came out of that depression and I wrote all these songs about my life and the lyrics were honest.



It was freedom. I didn’t want to think to much about what I should do and its was just going to be me and I’m not going to care what anyone else thinks. And I think that’s why its working because when you start to be yourself people respect you and I think credibility begins with respect.

AD: Should we be expecting any reworked versions of the songs from the first album or you going to keep everything original as the same vain of the album?

VV: I think were going to keep everything the same vain because this is my first headline and my album has just come out and I think there's still people coming to the show that are still brand new learning about me, some people have never been to a live show in america before. So we want to introduce to them the album version - the VV from the album and I think as the years goes down the line and we start to do bigger shows, hopefully we’ll be seeing thousands of people. Then we will start rearranging the set and songs in other version.

AD: Cause I was wondering “I wonder if shes going to bust out Glastonbury 2009 when she did Crying Blood...”



VV: The Reggae version ! Oh we are going to do that , that’s the only thing we do. We always try and do the original first and then (sings intro to reggae version)

AD: …And that note at the end (sing-songs high note from live Reggae version of crying blood)
Yeah I’m not going to say anything more.

VV: (Laughs)

AD: Personally I’ve been curious to know what are your personal music anthems? I say this because I have themes of life and love. I have songs such as yours “Everybody” and every time or any time anything happens I just play and everything gets put in perspective. What are your personal anthems?

VV: I think “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper, B52’s “Love Shack” - It gets me going. I love “Strange Fruit” by Billy Holiday, it really just ah- so haunting and epitomizes depression in the best way.

"Song 2" by Blur, its so punk , its so…it reminds me of my teenage years and me rebeling against the world. When ever that comes on if I’m really feeling pissed off “Whoo-Hooo!” (laughs) (mimics bass line) it always picks me up!



AD: What have you been doing here on your downtime while here in the states? Have you found yourself falling in love with any shops or eateries?

VV: I have no downtime - Honestly I can tell you my schedule is …

AD: ‘Fresh air is my downtime!’

( Both Laugh)

VV: Yes! Breathing is my downtime - But I tell you what I do do. I spend a lot of time on aero planes so I’ve written a book called “Gray School Fox” . it’s a fantastic witty novel about my life and I basically take the piss out of myself. My comic book is out which I’m doing.

Those are the kinds of stuff I do when I’m on aero planes.




AD: Back in December you filmed a video blog where you had some trouble mastering the art of drinking champagne.


VV: (Laughs)

AD: Would you and could you say now you make Courtney Love proud? Can you say you’ve mastered that art?

VV: I have not mastered the art.
That video, I had so many….. and formal talks about that video. We were just messing around because we were about to go on stage and were soo bored! ‘I’m Just going to do this’.

I’m real, I’m a very real person. So anyone who gets to know me their getting the real VV. When you see that video you really do see the VV my friends know.





Check back next Saturday, on June 12, 2010 for a special review of VV Brown's first LA headlining date at the famous Troubadour club.


Special Thanks to VV Brown (Hey Doll face!, Hope you've put those mask's to good use!) and her just as far-out management for allowing Itsnotyouitsme.org the opportunity to share the work of great people and music.

VV Brown on the web: http://vvbrown.com/




2 Leave a comment:

Kelie said...

We Love VV!

Davidz said...

Cool interview. She seems nice :)

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