We all have influences from our upbringing that shape our musical journey. This is not to say that we are destined to stay on the same course. Our music should always evolve as we do. Our recent find Dee Brown has let his path be his own.
We recently caught up with the songwriter for a chat about his musical growth. Enjoy the interview here:
What first drew Dee Brown to music?
Stevie Wonder. I remember listening to his Christmas album as a child and thinking “this is special!”. It wasn’t like any other artist that I was aware of at the time and I wanted to be like that.
You grew up in the Gospel music scene. How did this help with your musical foundation?
It helped quite a bit! You can’t half-step as a vocalist in the gospel scene…lol. You practice and you grow or you don’t get to sing. I also gained a lot of influence for my writing and musicianship through the church. It’s the only place where you’re expected to play at a high level all 52 weeks of the year – even if you’ve never heard the song someone gets up to sing lol.
How would you describe your new sound?
My music is a vibe first and foremost. I build a song based on how it feels more than anything else. The groove, the syncopation, the “nod-ability” (how it lends itself to a head nod from the listener), as I like to put it, is key. If the music FEELS really good, that’s half the battle. I want people to experience that undeniable vibe every single time they hear something with my name on it.
Which artists have had the biggest influence on your development?
Like I said before, there is no one that has inspired me more than Stevie. My influence however is pretty broad. It spans from gospel artists like Walter Hawkins, Kim Burrell, Fred Hammond, Tye Tribbett, and John P. Kee, to Michael Jackson and Prince. Recently, the work of musicians like Brandon Coleman, Cory Henry, and Chantae Cann have inspired me. However, the old school sound is still making a big impact on me as well with Curtis Mayfield, Al Greene, the Isley brothers, and so many more still in my daily listening.
Your newest single “Good Time” is quite the party. Tell us how that came to be?
You know, life can get you down sometimes. Between relationships, career, family, and all of the things in the world that we care about, things don’t always go your way. That reality has a way of bogging you down. When I find myself in those trying times, I HAVE to play some music or create something, Its my outlet. It was in one of those times that this concept of having a good time no matter what’s going on came to me. I got out my macbook and my keyboard and the progression and drums for ‘Good Time’ is what I had after about ten minutes. I knew it was something special because of how it made me feel! I just want that same feeling to translates to the listener. If it does, I feel that in a small way I’ve made a positive impact on our world.
What do you hope the listener takes away from a Dee Brown song?
Motivation! That’s an easy one. No matter what you “do” in life. I want my music to motivate you to go harder and grind even more knowing that anything is possible.
Share some advice for other talented musicians expanding their genre reach.
I don’t really know if I’m somebody anyone cares to hear advice from lol. But I’ll say this, what’s inside of each of us isn’t by chance. I believe that the specific gifts that each of us have are directly correlated to a need in this world. If we try to shape our music to fit what’s currently “hot” instead of what most genuinely flows out of us, then we’re leaving a lot of people hanging. People are searching for what you have. Just be the best you that you can be and I promise they’ll find you.
What does the future hold for Dee Brown?
So much more music! ‘Good Time’ is the lead single from an album entitled ‘Life’ that is totally tracked and will be released this year. I plan to release the second single ‘You Don’t Really’ in the coming weeks and then the full length project! ‘Life’ is also a part of a larger stream of thought that I will be releasing that includes two more albums entitled ‘Love’ and ‘Faith’ respectively (Life, Love, and Faith collectively). These albums represent the things in life that matter most to me. My hope is that after listening to these works in their entirety, the listener will know a lot more about who I truly am. Both as an artist and as a person.
Keep up with more from Dee Brown on his WEBSITE.