Brooklyn Doran
Canadian singer/songwriter Brooklyn Doran is returning with her first new release in three years with a song called “I Can’t Be Alone With You”.
Produced by Dan Hosh (City and Colour, Arkells), the heartfelt single is about "that person who you know is wrong for you, that meeting up with them would be a mistake, who you’ve blocked on Instagram, but who you’d definitely find a way to go over to their place at 3am. But also about trying to not see that person anymore,” explains Doran.
The Toronto-based artist Doran will be taking the new release on the road with Gillian Nicola this month for a run of dates through Ontario and Quebec.
“I Can’t Be Alone With You” is now available worldwide.
Photo credit: Shem St Croix
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi! My name is Brooklyn Doran and I am the unofficial president of the sad song society. I write songs and sing them with my red guitar (lovingly dubbed “Cute Kevin”). I originally grew up in a small town in Northwestern Ontario; I lived in the forest, drank cheap beers in a field with my friends, and played the saxophone in the community jazz band. I moved to Toronto about a decade ago, and started writing music. I also became the quintessential hipster - so yes, all of my glassware is mason jars.
You've just released your new single in three years, how does it feel like?
Time flies! I am definitely the kind of artist that needs to feel sad in her bedroom for a few months before knocking out a bunch of songs. I am pretty consistently on tour for about 1/3 of the year, and tour is the place for gathering the stories, but taking some time to be alone and to process before hunkering down is also important.
I’m really stoked for this new record. The sound feels really representative of who I am and I think it’ll be a record that ages well.
When did you start working on "I Can't Be Alone With You"? Who helped you create this single?
This single has been on my mind for a long time, and we’ve cut a few different versions of the idea before we landed on this one. I worked with my co-writing partner and producer Dan Hosh (City and Colour, Arkells) on this one. We have a really unique language for creating music together and I’m really glad we have found this creative partnership together.
What did you feel when writing this song?
There is always a person (or people) in your life who, no matter how hard you try to fight it, there is an undeniable electricity that makes you feel like you can’t trust yourself around them. I think the strength of that energy allows you to forget aspects of that person or situation that could hurt you and cause you pain.
I remember one evening when I told my friends that I wanted to go over to an ex partner’s home and my friends saying to me “Absolutely not. This is a bad idea” and I said “Yes, I hear you. I know this isn’t a good choice. I’m going to do it anyways”.
I think in writing this song, I was trying to capture that idea/feeling.
What do you like the most about this song?
I am really excited about the instrumentation of this song. It feels very cinematic and the Wurlitzer that Mike Tudisco (Luvr, Andrew Sheriff) added to this track really hits for me.
What made you want to release "I Can't Be Alone With You" as a single?
I think that “I Can’t Be Alone With You” has been a song that I’ve had on the bench for a while. It is a great bridge track between my older material and my new material. I am really into the vibe.
At what point did you realize you had to release new original music again?
As an artist, album cycles are a tricky thing. The creative aspect of what I do is often in conflict with the timelines and singles dominated industry side of my brain. Taking three years to release new music to a lot of people reads like taking a long break. To me, I didn’t feel that way at all. I think it was always in the back of my head, the idea of releasing a new project. This time around, I wanted to make sure that I didn’t rush myself into releasing music that didn’t feel complete.
As an artist, what do you want to accomplish?
I would love if one to three quirky alterna-girls or alterna-boys in every small town super vibe with what I am doing. I think the mark of making a good record is having someone feel as though you are speaking right to them.
Any upcoming projects? What have you been working on?
My new record is set to release later on next year, but get ready for a slew of singles to hit the internet.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
The amplified voices of queer, trans & Indigenous voices, would be a great start.
What biggest life lesson have you learned so far?
Let me check with my therapist.
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