There is something beautiful about artists whose intuitive insight into the human condition opens them up to creating works that truly meet the moment. With the release of her infectious emotionally impactful third EP Showin’ Up, singer/songwriter Brooke Josephson pulls off the feat of creating a perspective-shifting six track collection that powerfully reflects the Zeitgeist of the pandemic era and contemporary social justice issues.
Ironically, she composed most of the set’s five original songs prior to 2020, without the foresight that her soulful pop/rock artistry would become more of a collective culture necessity than simply an intimate window into her own life. With initial recording sessions taking place at Zac Brown’s Southern Ground studio in Nashville and later dates completing the process after she was vaccinated in 2021, Showin’ Up makes the first time Brooke has taken the reins as producer of one of her own projects. From the material to her vocal performance, the vibe and overall sonic aesthetic, the EP showcases a newfound self-confidence and development as a forward-thinking, visionary artist.
Born and raised in the small town of Warsaw, Indiana, Brooke’s earliest musical memories came from singing songs like “Jesus Loves Me” in church and at her Christian school. She learned to play piano on a $200 red mahogany upright and her mom found her a voice teacher at age 13 to cultivate her talents further. While raised in a religious home where secular music was not allowed, she has a fond memory at age eight of attending a friend’s birthday party where she heard Madonna’s “Material Girl” for the first time.
Hooked on pop music from that point on, she became a huge fan of that song’s producer Nile Rodgers and grew up inspired by everyone from Alanis Morrissette and Annie Lennox to Brandi Carlile. She chased her dream of becoming a singer and actress to New York where she started in theater and later worked on “All My Children,” “Bones,” Disney’s “Enchanted” (on whose set she met her now husband), NBC’s “Good Girls” and other shows. Brooke later earned her Masters in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music.
“It’s been a long, fascinating life journey getting to the point where I can be as honest with myself as I am on the songs of Showin’ Up, and I’m grateful that the songs have deeper universal implications that so many can relate to in their day to day lives,” she says.
“When I listen to the EP, I feel like it’s raw and honest, has grit and I can feel the emotions to my core. It may sound funny to say, but I’m proud of it because it makes me feel comfortably uncomfortable. There are so many joys that have gone along with the learning, and I’m enjoying the growth process and sharing my truth with others.”
