by Zach Fraley
photos courtesy of Brooke Waggoner
Flip on any radio station, and you’re highly likely to hear an upbeat song packed with major chords and familiar lyrics, all at a tempo and pattern that’s easy to follow. Houston native Brooke Waggoner answers these songs with her refreshing sound, often utilizing minor and mostly unused chords to make a powerful and sometimes discordant effect. Eager indie fans have swarmed to her piano-driven melodies and witty wordplay, and will get yet another taste of her writing and song composition ability when her fourth full-length album, Sweven, releases on January 15th.
A different sound can break the monotony of the typical four-chord progression, and much of Waggoner’s extensive discography achieves just that. To Waggoner, this sound is perfect for drawing out emotions from her listeners.
“It’s the music I’m attracted to. I haven’t always been 100% to form, and I don’t need the typical structure. Coming from a classical background I learned a lot about form, so it’s liberating to make your own form. I’m attracted to anything that gets emotions flowing.”
Along with her distinct style, Waggoner made a choice that artists are of two minds about by attending Louisiana State University. Earning an impressive music composition and orchestration degree, she immediately set to work on her first EP, Fresh Set of Eyes. In her mind, LSU was the perfect place to grow and plan her career as an artist.
“It expanded my palette. It taught me to think about music in different ways. It allowed me to explore a lot while in school without having a career to support. You could just be at school and be around a lot of different musicians from different walks of life. You glean a lot from those people, and I’m grateful to have that foundation. I feel like it taught me a lot of rules but also how to break them. No regrets here.”
Sweven will feature the theme of maturity, and how one either embraces or shirks away from the prospect of growing older. Waggoner will be the first to acknowledge that she has changed a fair amount from her earlier days of making music, and wants fans to hear that through her music. Not only has her sound changed, but she has also completely streamlined her album-making process by appointing herself judge and executioner.
“I completely produced this new record, and this album was much more just me rather than with someone else, so that was new. But in a lot of ways the songs are similar to Heal for the Honey in that they don’t adhere to a specific form. From a lyrical standpoint, it’s more mature because I’m in a different place than I was before. I’m in my 30s and I’m starting to settle into who I am more.”
Not only did Waggoner work to complete this album nearly solo, but she also accomplished this feat while carrying a child. She stated that a lot can change in a decade’s time, and aims to both draw from her own past experiences while also getting some ideas from her close friends and family.
“In my 20s I was beating down every door to make things happen. Now I want to grow sure, but I also feel like I’ve found some comfort and don’t need mass appeal. I can carve out a niche instead. There’s even more room to be creative and expressive. There’s just more life and history under my belt. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me, but I can also reference backwards to things that have happened to both me and friends and family. I made the record while pregnant as well, so there was a lot of excitement with that.”
Not only did her family lend her ideas, but they also gave her physical help on the album as well. “I’ve always hired musicians or have gone the Nashville route, but I wanted to tap into the people in my life for this one. My husband played drums, for example. It helped get the sessions the way we wanted because we hear music in a similar way. I just let them do what they do.”
While all fans of Brooke Waggoner can pick up her album Sweven on the 15th, Philadelphia listeners can catch her at the World Café on February 19. Waggoner states she is looking forward to the show, and might have something else to do while she’s there.
“We’re doing a radio appearance with WXPN, but we’re mostly in and out. But I haven’t been in a while, so I’m excited to get back there.”
