STACK NZ Magazine November Issue 57

40 / 60

40
FEATURE MUSIC visit
NOVEMBER 2014 JB Hi-Fi
or Brooke Fraser, the daughter of
All Black Bernie Fraser and one of our
country’s top selling artists, becoming a
musician was never a choice – it was a certainty.
“I don’t really think it’s something you decide,
at least I didn’t,” Fraser explains from her current
base of operations in Los Angeles. “I don’t think
[being a musician] is something you do, but
more like something you are.
As a musician you play one or several of
many possible roles in society: entertainer,
social commentator, pot-stirrer, boundary-
pusher, awareness-raiser, comfort-giver,
dance-inducer.”
Throughout her 11-year career thus far
Fraser has been all of those things and more.
But it has been a quiet few years from the
singer-songwriter, with her last studio album
Flags arriving in 2010.
Even then, Fraser knew the follow-up might
come as a shock to her long-terms fans. “I’m
really glad I was vocal about that at the time,”
she says. “It was a difficult and fun couple of
years figuring out how all the pieces would fit
together and what the final ‘image’ would be
once it was all complete. Really I’m just doing
the same thing I have always done, making
music that is super honest and that I love. I think
[Brutal Romantic] perfectly encapsulates this
moment in my life and my career as an artist.”
In many ways, Brutal Romantic is destined to
be the album to change audience opinions of
Fraser: the title alone signals that it’s a different
affair, compared to WhatWe DoWith Daylight
and Albertine. “I just really loved the
opposing forces of those two words together,
she explains. “The juxtaposition, the poetry
inherent in the phrase gave me good vibes.
Wrestle and embrace.”
Sonically, it’s also a long way from the pop-
folk vibes of her earlier chart successes. It is the
by-product of Fraser’s love of quirky ’80s pop
music – and some stranger influences. She
admits that during the recording of the album
she was drawn to some very bizarre music,
including, but not limited to, “Eurythmics,
Phil Collins, ’60s French robot disco,
creepy ’80s kids show theme songs.”
That would certainly explain how different
the first single Psychosocial feels compared
to her earlier work. And the strange part
Brooke Fraser
Brutal Romantic,
is released on
November 14.
With a new sound, a new look and a new
attitude, Brooke Fraser is finally ready to unleash her new
record Brutal Romantic. She talks to Ricardo Kerr.
Deciphering
is that Psychosocial was never meant to
become a single - it was only released as a
teaser for Brutal Romantic to gauge the fans’
opinions. “I really though the reaction [to
Psychosocial ] would be a lot more divided.
Fromwhat I understand, the reaction has been
unanimously positive – which basically never
happens. People seem to be excited about the
fresh ‘sonic clothes’ the songs are wearing.”
On her new album, Fraser has also
embraced a varied cast of collaborators,
adding extra dimensions and flavours
to her already appetising palette.
These co-conspirators come from all
parts of the world and all walks of life, all
united under the banner of Brutal Romantic.
David Kosten (Bat For Lashes, Everything
Everything) and Swedish producerTobias
Froberg were instrumental in the creative
process, but they are just the tip of the iceberg.
“As well as [Kosten] and [Froberg], I wrote
with Kid Harpoon (Florence +The Mwachine),
and Matt Hales (Aqualung). Joel Pott (Athlete)
is a co-writer on Kings & Queens too. Jason
Cooper (The Cure) played live drums
and the IDMC Choir from East London
are on a few songs as well.”
Time will tell whether the new album
enjoy the same sort of chart returns as her
previous works. However, one of Fraser’s
charms has always been her unflappable
attitude towards her own success.
As a chart-topping artist with three best-
selling albums to her name, of course she’s
aware of it but never feels as though she’s
being held back by it.
“It’s fortunate that each of my albums
has bettered the one before,
critically and commercially,”
Fraser says. “But, that can
never be the goal – or you
end up making a product
instead of art.”