Brenzy – 21 year old singer, musician, & songwriter 🙂
Interview conducted on April 12, 2022
By Dan Locke
Brenzy is a Virginia raised and L.A. based R&B/Pop singer, songwriter and musician. With strong influence from legends like Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, Brenzy pairs her soulful vocals with elements of classic funk and modern Pop and R&B sounds. Dedicated to authenticity and honesty, she treats the composition of her lyrics as a diary entry in hopes of connecting with the masses through shared thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
You are from Virginia. What is your upbringing?
I grew up the youngest of three, the only girl with two older brothers. I come from a pretty tight knit family, and our parents surrounded us with music since we were really young. They were in just-for-fun bands together when I was a kid, and they were kind enough to let me sit and listen to them practice their sets in our basement. I grew up in an area that didn’t have much of a music scene, so it was tough to pursue a career in music beyond playing 30-minute sets at bars and restaurants! Once I was around 14, my dad and I would travel to the most random places, so that I could sing or play somewhere. My parents have always been extremely supportive of my music. I was a pretty typical suburban girl from Northern Virginia. I went to school, was a Girl Scout and played sports, but I felt boxed in because I’ve always had big dreams.
How did you discover music?
My parents are huge music lovers, so it was always just a part of my life. They played all kinds of CDs around the house and in the car, and I loved whenever somebody called my mom’s cell phone because her ring tone was “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder. That was the song that made me fall in love with music.
How did you start to write music?
Once I started learning how to play instruments, I realized that I had complete freedom to just make up whatever I wanted! Around that same time, I started going through life stuff and feelings that fed some song ideas, and it was a really great outlet to have for expressing myself.
How did you get your first guitar, and do you still have it?
I learned how to play on my dad’s guitar, which was huge. Once he saw that I was really serious about playing, he took me to guitar center to try out something that would be my size. It ended up being an acoustic Ibanez, and it’s still in my parent’s living room!
What is your guitar of choice now? Year, make and model? And she have a name?
After many years of playing around on all kinds of guitars, my favorite is still the one that I learned to play on. It’s a 1996 Martin, DM Mahogany Dreadnought. She does not have a name, but definitely a special place in my heart. I’ve mostly always played on acoustics, but I recently got to use an electric Austin at a studio that I was working at. I may have to invest in one; such a smooth play.
How did you get your ionic name?
“Brenzy” is a family nickname based off of our last name, Brennan. My older brother was actually the original Brenzy! People called him Brenzy, and I was called Little Brenzy since I’m his younger sister. If I went by Little Brenzy as an artist, people would definitely think I’m a rapper, so I’m just Brenzy now.
Describe your music.
My music is soulful, groovy, and a bit sensual. I love incorporating elements of 70’s and 90’s music into my songs.
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Do you belong to any to songwriters’ organizations like the International singer-songwriter association, SESAC, BMI or ASCAP?
Yes! I’ve belonged to ASCAP for many years.
What makes a good songwriter?
I think authenticity is what makes a good songwriter. Whether its lyrics, melodies, cadence, etc., if you’re trying to pretend to be something you’re not, it’ll show through. The best songs that I’ve written are where my only goal is to be honest and myself.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
The title of my first original song was “The Only One Who Fell.” I was only 11 when I wrote it, so I don’t know what I thought I was going through when I wrote that song. But, it was actually pretty good! I never recorded it in a studio, but I recorded it on my laptop in GarageBand a few years after I wrote it.
What is the process of writing your music?
Each song is different, but I almost always have the lyrics or concept of the song first, and then we build the track from there. I like to incorporate sounds, chords, and melodies that capture a certain feeling that matches the lyric.
Tell me about your release “Brunch”?
I am so beyond excited for “brunch” to be shared with the world! This is probably one of the more “Pop” songs that I’ve written, but there’s still a nice groove to it. We just finished filming the music video to this song and I can’t wait for everybody to see it.
How was it to work with both Jesse Barrera and Patrick Hizon?
I’ve been working with them since I was 19, and I’m 22 now, so they’re like my family. Songwriting is a really vulnerable process, and you have to be around people you trust in order to create a safe space to share ideas, thoughts, and emotions. We have the best time whenever we’re in the studio, and “brunch” is a super fun song, so we had a blast creating it.
Tell me about your song “180”?
“180” brought out another side of my personality, I think. It was a little bit tougher and grittier than what I’ve typically released, so I think the song definitely added depth to who I am as an artist. It’s really just about getting into a healthy relationship after being treated badly in every other relationship you’ve been in.
How long before you will have a video for it?
I don’t have any current plans for creating a visual for “180,” but maybe in the future!
What is your favorite track on your album?
I probably would say “There’s Only Pain Because There’s Love.”
What are your feelings about streaming music?
I think having access to any and every kind of artist, genre, song, etc. is an amazing thing to have. It’s also amazing for artists that we can put our music out there without push from a label, but I don’t think artists get paid enough for streams.
The symbol # is known as the number sign, hash, pound sign and a sharp sign in music. The symbol has historically been used for a wide range of purposes Since 2007, widespread usage of the symbol to introduce metadata tags on social media platforms has led to such tags being known as “hashtags”, and from that, the symbol itself is sometimes called a hashtag.
Are people forgetting that the # is a part of music?
I think that a lot of people who just recently started studying music had no idea that the # symbol even had a meaning before social media. I even forget sometimes!
Digital vs. vinyl?
The accessibility of digital music is amazing, but nothing beats the classic vinyl.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
Currently, I’d say “River Road” by Jack Harlow. It’s one of his deeper cuts, but that song just speaks so true to me and where I’m at in my life right now. It touches on the struggles of moving away from home, trying to make it in music, and the mental battles that go on in your head as a young adult, especially in the music industry.
If “Video Killed the Radio Star” do you think that the Covid-19 virus has killed live music?
I definitely don’t think Covid-19 killed live music. I actually think that people are hungrier for it now more than ever now that things are a bit more under control regarding the pandemic. At the end of the day, we’re human beings and we’re going to crave the human experience. Art is a really big part of that.
Do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
Absolutely. Covid taught us that things can come to a screeching halt without any notice, and I think that encouraged a lot of industries, including music, to be more prepared for the unexpected. Health and safety precautions are definitely going to be a bigger priority moving forward for concerts, award shows, festivals, etc.
Do you think that Covid-19 has been a plus to an artist career?
I think it depends on the artist. Some artists had to leave their cities because they couldn’t afford to stay in L.A., New York, etc., and other artists now had a chance to be locked in the house with their music equipment while only focusing on creating and making whipped coffee. In general, I would say it did more harm than good to artists.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I was on FaceTime with my family all the time, and I learned how to work out at home.
What is a Motown Morning?
A morning full of Motown classics!
How do you stay healthy during the lockdown?
I tried to keep my blinds open, so I could get sunlight, ate relatively healthy, and tried to work out as often as I could. I’m big on strength training and stretching. And, I can’t forget to mention washing my hands a million times a day!
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I love paint-by-number. It’s the fun of painting without actually creating the picture if that makes sense.
Are you still doing your Vlog?
Unfortunately, no. I’d like to start it back up again though!
Recently the virus has come back with the Delta outbreak, then you Omicron, which as cause many people in the industry to worry about the future of live music.
How would you like live shows to be held and still keep you and fans safe?
I’ve seen some things about festivals selling tickets in sections like tables and pods, which I think is a really cool idea. I think that a lot of the proper safety measures are being taken right now, so as long as we keep that up, we’re doing what we can.
Now pay to play also means thinks like playlist on the internet and opening slots for a major band on tour.
Is pay to play still a thing?
It’s always been a thing and it definitely still is.
The show Star Trek introduced people to the holodeck: an immersive, realistic 3D holographic projection of a complete environment that you could interact with. Today holograms are already being used in a variety of way, such as medical systems, education, art, security and defense. Performers like Tupac, Michael Jackson, Roy Orbison, Frank Zappa, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Buddy Holly, Ronnie James Dio, Marylin Monroe, and Whitney Houston have done it already. The band ABBA just announced that they will be doing a comeback together after nearly 40 years as holograms on their next tour. With ABBA it was with the help of George Lucas .
If the cost was down to the point, you could do it also, would you be willing to do Holographic concerts in our living room?
Though it sounds super cool, I think it would take away from the live music experience. I could be completely wrong, but I don’t think it would feel as personable as a live show.
In the past if a musician stop doing music they find a new career. For example David Lee Roth from Van Halen became a licensed EMT in NY for 6 years, San Spitz (guitarist for Anthrax) became a master watchmaker, Dee Snider (Twister Sister) voice over work for SpongeBob SquarePants…
If you can’t do music, what would you like to be doing?
I’m actually working towards my Bachelors Degree in Music Business at Full Sail University right now, so even if I didn’t do music, I’d still want to be involved with music or entertainment. I would love to be involved with artist management and development.
What is your happy place?
My happy place is being in the studio with my team.
Red Hot Chili Peppers are about to sell their entire song catalog for $140 Million. In the past year, a lot of musicians such as Stevie Nicks ($100 Million), Bob Dylan (over $400 Million), Taylor Swift, Journey, Def Leppard, K.T. Tunstall, John Legend, ZZ Top and Shakira have sold their catalog rights within the last year. Bob Dylan sold his entire catalog for a reported $300 million. Neil Young song 50 percent of his worldwide copyright and income interest in his 1,180-song catalogue to Hipnosis Songs Fund limited. Once you get to the age of about 70. Publishing is far more lucrative than the mechanical royalties paid to artist based on sales, airplay and streams. A good example of this is Michael Jackson brought the rights to the Beatles catalog in 1985. And in the late 80’s the Beatles Revolution appeared in a Nike commercial. The lump sums being offering by publishing firms are more tax friendly concerning estate planning. On January 19, 2021, Hipgnosis Song Management acquired 80% of Kenny Chesney’s recorded music royalties, covering the country superstar’s discography from his 1994 debut In My Wildest Dreams through 2017’s Live in No Shoes Nation. Someone who was totally against selling his rights was David Crosby. He did not want to sell his publishing rights. In addition, it was not an easy thing for him to do. However, by making a deal with Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists Group, it took a big weight off his shoulders. He could pay off his house and cover other bills. Now he does not have to work for a living. It should be noted that David is battling tendinitis in his hands, which hurts his ability to play guitar.
Do you think you would be willing to sale your back catalog if someone like Universal is will to buy everything, such as all the rights to all your songs?
Music has changed so much in even just the past decade, so I think that selling a catalog of music isn’t a bad idea at all, depending on the artist of course. If I was older and considering retirement, I think I would consider selling my catalog.
There are many platforms out there that allow artists to get their music heard. Artist Republik, DistroKid, Tunecore & plenty others offer distribution services. These services enable independent artists to put their music on some of the most popular streaming services globally, from Spotify to Apple Music & everything in between. If you’ve been in any part of the music industry in recent years, you probably know someone that has distributed a song. Spotify reports that in 2021 there are about 8 million artists on the platform. Of those 8 million artists, about 57,000 are raking in a whopping 90% of the total revenue from streams. That means that .71% of the artists on Spotify are making good money. In 2020, there was a total of around $5 billion paid out to artists on the Spotify platform alone. Therefore it’s reasonable to assume that, by the end of 2021, SPOT will be home to over 90 million tracks. And that in the early part of next year, it will surpass a catalog of 100 million for the first time.
What do you think what that could mean to independent artist?
It’s so cool how accessible music distribution is to independent artists now. However, this does lead to an even more saturated market where artists are paid less than pennies for streams. For independent artists like myself, I think it just means that we have to keep on releasing, pushing and promoting our music even harder than we have been. At the same time, Spotify is a great way for listeners to discover new artists, so it could be really helpful for independent artists in terms of exposure.
Over half a billion active users around the world share their favorite music on TikTok either with something like a dance challenges and lip-sync videos or creating a funny skit or candid camera moment. TikTok has became a great platform for music promotion, sharing songs, and finding new listeners. In which it has become a place for music artist to earn revenue when people use their music. Which in many cases the daily promotion on TikTok has led to hug boosts on other platforms like Spotify, Facebook and YouTube. TikTok does this with the the algorithmically generates a feed of content for each user, which you see as the displaying of #. The more a user engages with content, the smarter TikTok gets at guessing what kind of videos the viewer wants to watch. Because a song can go viral because of this. Sony Music and Warner Music Group- , The ByteDance-owned video app revealed that it has struck an “expanded” global licensing agreement with Universal Music Group.
Now that TikTok is now fully licensed by all three major record companies, will you start using TikTok more?
TikTok is absolutely the biggest wave in music and music marketing right now. A part of being an artist, especially an independent artist, is keeping up with the times, so I’m definitely using TikTok more these days.
Breaking news: TikTok is launching TikTok Radio, a full-time SiriusXM music channel going live this summer.The station will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices. Some of the on TikTok include Cassyette, YukoEXE, Ashinikko, Palaye Royale, Josh Dun (Twenty One Pilots), Yungblud, Morrissey, Ozzy Osbourne, Joan Jett, Gene Simmons, and Mick Jagger. The station will be part of a new TikTok collaboration with SiriusXM and its subsidiary,Pandora, to jointly promote emerging talent.
Do you think this platform could became a force in the future of streaming music?
Absolutely. TikTok is already where most popular music is being discovered, so they’re being really smart by using that as a way to expand their services. If you find a song on TikTok, you can stream it on TikTok probably faster than looking for it on Apple Music or Spotify. I wouldn’t be shocked if they came out with their own streaming subscription in the future as well.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
Just a big thank you for having me and supporting myself and my music! My brand new single, “brunch” is out everywhere now, and the music video is coming soon. All of my social media links are below! Thank you again!
