Brie Boateng: Songwriter

Chatting to Brie over chai lattes in a Notting Hill café is a heart-warming affair. The songstress from north-west London is sparkling with excitement because her lifelong passion is finally becoming more than just a hobby.

Having started penning lyrics before she was even out of primary school, songwriting is well and truly in Brie’s blood. The limelight, however, is a different story. Much preferring being behind the scenes to performing on stage, she describes her past gigs as ‘the most nerve-wracking thing ever!’

But nothing can curb her urge to write. As a result, in May Brie was a finalist in the UK songwriting competition of the year – an accolade she says gave her the confidence to pursue songwriting as a career. Now, she’s collaborating with a producer and a group of musicians to record her material, and is working with UK urban artist Javine.

She’s also working with a charity called Tender on a domestic abuse campaign, which aims to teach young children about healthy relationships in the home. She’s written a song Treat Me as You Will for the campaign, which will be available to download on iTunes from December. The video is already on YouTube. All proceeds from the track will go to Tender.

How long have you been writing music?

‘I wrote my first song when I was nine, so I’ve been writing for about 15 years. My parents didn’t want me to make music my career so I dropped out of my violin and recorder lessons at school, but I continued to write. My first song was called I Don’t Care – very fitting! I’ve kept all my songbooks from when I first started and I must have about 300 songs now. It’s so interesting to look back and see how my writing has progressed over the years.’

How do you go about getting your songs written down?

‘I don’t write my melodies or lyrics using any instruments, for me it’s simply about picking up melodies that just come to me, and writing to that sound. I used to record them on my cassette player at home – now I often record them on my mobile when I’m out and about, humming the tune and trying to make it look like I’m talking to someone at the same time!’

What are your songs about?

‘I write about anything that comes to me. Friends, feelings, situations – mostly my lyrics are emotionally based. More recently I’ve been writing about love and love lost. I wrote a song called Happy Face On Monday after going through a hard time in my personal life. I was still going into my office job everyday, trying to carry on as normal, but I kept breaking down at my desk and I didn’t want anyone to see. It’s all about having to put on a brave front when inside you’re feeling broken.’

How would you describe your sound?

‘Most of the stuff I do is electro-pop, but recently it has become really experimental. I’ve created this weird genre that is a mix of indie and disco – I want to call it indo!’

Tell us your favourite thing about being a Londoner

‘Our culture, fashion and music. I grew up watching a lot of American-based television, and I love how much the US seems to admire us for these very things. I feel like we’re central to a lot of trends and movements, and I really like how we are appreciated and recognised for that throughout the world.’

Who are your favourite singers/songwriters?

‘I’m loving MIA at the moment. She’s from west London and she’s so experimental. Her music is indie, funk, hip-hop – she tries anything. She reminds me that you can experiment and you are free in your music to go any direction you want. I also love Phil Collins and a never tire of Abba!’

Where do you tend to write most of your material?

‘Anywhere. I just have to write it down whenever it comes to me – and that really can be when I least expect it. I carry my lyric book with me all the time. Sometimes when I try to force it, it doesn’t always turn out how I wanted it to. Often it’ll be when I’m on the bus, or in the car, and recently I’ve been getting almost complete songs coming to me in my sleep! It’s so frustrating because I know it’s a good song but I can never remember it when I wake up.’

If you were on the hunt for inspiration, where in London would you go and why?

‘There’s a place in Harrow called View Point, which has the most wonderful views down over London. I often drive up there and just look at the skyline. It’s so peaceful, especially in the evening. It reminds me of being in an old US-style drive-through movie theatre.’

Where are the best venues for intimate gigs in London?

‘I like going to Monkey Chews in Camden. My friend Natty got discovered there, he’s got a song out now called July and is doing really well. 333 bar in Shorditch is a cool place to go, and there is a place I’ve been meaning to go to called Troy Bar in Old Street. It’s open mic all night on a Tuesday and they have an in-house band, so you can just grab the mic and start singing and they’ll play along. Sounds like a great place to hang out and freestyle!’

Who would be your dream artist to write a song for?

‘Beyoncé! I often think “would beyoncé sing this song?” when I’m writing – it’s important to think big! It would be wonderful to write for someone with such a huge commercial appeal.’

www.myspace.com/brieboateng