Surrounded by porcelain masks in her East Nashville apartment studio, book NOT brooke makes it clear that she is not an “indie pop” musician.
“A lot of people add the label ‘indie’ to what they’re doing to try to convey that it’s coming from a genuine place. That’s a nice sentiment and everything, but there’s something to be said about claiming what it feels like you’re making in your heart.
I make pop.”
And when she is making pop music, she goes by one guiding light. A philosophy that she came up with on her own. One that she calls the Dancer First philosophy.
The Dancer First Philosophy: “If it’s good enough to dance to, then it makes the cut.”
WHAT TO KNOW
Photo: Elizabeth Marsh
She started by playing cello at seven years old. Her sister was in orchestra in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. At the recital, as a five-year-old, Book was transfixed by the cellos and convinced her parents to buy her one.
That fascination turned into a passion for music, particularly pop. Even though Nashville isn’t really known as a pop music city, Book says that it felt natural because she knew that people would be making music and she could learn.
When she moved here she didn’t even know what a mix was. She began doing performance art in Nasvhille, though she said she didn’t know what she was doing there, she just wanted to perform. Then, one day, it clicked. The Dancer First philosophy.
“The natural reaction to hearing music is to move to it. Even if it’s just a finger tap.” It helped her produce her new album, “Dancer First” which is out now. The album is chock full of sounds that honestly have no business being in a pop song. One song uses an eagle screech. But, when I was listening to it for the first time I could not stop bobbing my head.
It got me. See if it gets you.
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