After the release of his new single “Can’t Fix The Things I Left Behind” on Friday, we sat down with dream-pop up-and-comer Philip Brooks to find out what it’s like trying to break the music industry.
The new track, a masterclass in atmospheric indie-pop, sets the scene for Brooks’ upcoming E.P., set for release on November 29th.
The 21-year-old moved to London just 6 months ago to focus on his music career, but is making the change really as difficult as people think? We sat down with the young artist to find out what it takes to get out there.
When it comes to his new single, Brooks is clear on his process: that is, the fact there was no process at all. He said: “It just came to me, and I was inspired. It was halfway done when I put it away.
I only started working on it again because my manager told me to. So I went back, and I ended up working on it for 8 hours straight. I was so inspired once again. That was really it, then a month later here we are releasing it.”
The countdown has begun to Brooks’s E.P. release, but this isn’t the first time he has created a collection. While still at school, he put together and released a number of albums off his own back. So what’s different about this one?
“This is the first serious collection I’ve done. Before, I would just put a few songs up and they got a bit of interest, but me and my manager decided to kind of start again. Upload something seriously.
The old songs aren’t online anymore. It’s just what I’ve released recently. It’s definitely different doing it like this; there’s more pressure. But I talk with my manager about it and together we make a plan.”
For many just starting out in the industry, the concept of a manager is a long way off. Brooks wasn’t too sure at first, but now wouldn’t live without him…
“I had to get used to being told my ideas weren’t always the best, which was hard. But now I understand that, it’s a really good thing. We tell each other our ideas and discuss them, and we always end up coming up with something that’s better than what either of us expected.”
Brooks’ EP will be released on Spotify and Vinyl on November 29th.