Exclusive Interview with 'BROOKE STILLA'

She is feisty, sweet, and spiced up. Brooke Stilla, an Australian singer-songwriter, keeps bringing the Aussie heat to the music business. Brooke Stilla writes vulnerable lyrics and uses her sweet, rich, and raspy vocals to share her stories all over the world. She has a zing for catchy pop melodies and the soul of R&B. She is the voice the music business needs, writing about her own experiences with self-love, mental health, heartbreak, and empowerment. She captivates an audience when performing live thanks to her charm, attitude, and poise. The potent messages in her lyrics are reflected in her choreography. Brooke has performed on stages alongside extremely well-known performers like Mel B, Throttle, LunchMoney Lewis, Eskimo Joe, Jai Waetford, and Aston Merrygold since making her debut on The X factor Australia.
Stilla has been writing, collaborating, and recording with top producers and writers from Nashville, Toronto, and Los Angeles after traveling the world to advance her career in North America. Thirsty and “not over getting over you,” two of Brooke Stilla’s most recent albums, are just a preview of what’s to come.

She could now relate to Adele’s song “Someone Like You,” which is about missing a former lifelong companion. That’s how her brand-new song, “Not Over Getting Over You,” came to life.

She found comfort in writing “nNot Over Getting Over You,” which helped her realize that relationships never truly end, even when they do so physically. No matter how positive or negative a relationship was in the past, it still affects us today. She is aware that she has gained knowledge from each of them. She wants people who listen to this song to feel something, find the closure they’ve been seeking, gain a new understanding of heartbreak, and begin to heal. Check out the song and the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

BROOKE STILLA: Born and raised in Sydney, Australia! I was always dancing and singing around the house as a little toddler and that’s how it all started!

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

BROOKE STILLA: I did have formal training from the age of 7 years old. But my parents noticed I had a voice on me from the age of 2 years old.

3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name ‘BROOKE STILLA’?

BROOKE STILLA: My first influences growing up were The Backstreet Boys, Michael Jackson, Nelly Furtado, Britney Spears and Delta Goodrem. Current strong influences are Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, Jessie J and Justin Timberlake.

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

BROOKE STILLA: I describe my sound as Brooke Stilla. Me, my stories and my energy through music. I guess you’ll just have to listen or come to a show to find out :P

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as POP?
**BROOKE STILLA:**
I feel as though my style in clothes, the music I listened to and dancing transitioned me into pop. I’m also a dancer so I feel as though I need to do pop if I want to rock my choreography on stage too :) I always gravitated to popular music as a kid, so I guess it rooted from there.

6. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

BROOKE STILLA:

I feel has though music is definitely spiritual and heals a lot of emotions we are all personally dealing with, obviously depends on the individual. For me it’s about the artistry, expressing myself through music, entertainment and allowing people to connect in some way.

7. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

BROOKE STILLA:

Not yet!! But I feel as though in time it will. The work that you put in as an indie artist is so much more than people know. We aren’t just putting out a song and that’s it. I’m a one person act, along with the producer I work with. But I do all my own artwork, lyric videos, content and pitching. It’s hard balancing it all, but it is worth it when you see people connect to your personal stories that you’re sharing through your music.

8. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

BROOKE STILLA:

I’m very much so a melody girl. Random melodies pop into my head from time to time and I will voice note it. Sometimes it’s a cool title and then I work the song around that or I just go in a room sometimes and have nothing, but share with my fellow writers what’s been going on in my life and then magic is created.

9. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

BROOKE STILLA: Moving to Toronto, Canada has been the hardest. I knew no one moving here and I’ve made some great connections and a life for myself in a city I knew nothing about. Toronto is where I found my love for creating in the songwriting world more. I also think being judged by a lot of people is something difficult that everyone will always face, but you just need to do you and block it out and be true to yourself!! :)

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

BROOKE STILLA: The X factor Australia 2016 was such a fun time, I was high off life and loved performing, rehearsing and creating everyday. The goal is to be living that kinda life day in and out. 2019 was also a highlight year for me – I wrote most of my songs in this year and was songwriting basically everyday and meeting other Toronto artists and writers :)

11. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

BROOKE STILLA: I ignore. I used to react, but after being on The X factor and having a lot of hate I had to learn how to ignore it because honestly it’s not worth stressing out my brain cells over someone who doesn’t know me and my story. We are all human and hate comments are for people that are just not happy with their own lives.

12. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

BROOKE STILLA: Live audience by far!!! I was born to be on a stage, perform and make jokes :P I love the energy in the room when performing live!

13. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

BROOKE STILLA: I think a bit of both. I do like the audience to have their own approach to my music though cause that way they will feel more connected to it:. )