Singer songwriter Brooke Eden is best known for her upbeat, fun music with that country twist. Her latest EP, ‘Outlaw Love’, tells the stories behind some difficult times in her life, whilst still incorporating her infectious sound.

Not long after her C2C appearance in March this year, Eden was back on British soil once again for two performances at The Long Road Festival in Lutterworth. Taking to the Rhinestone Stage in an early evening slot, Eden brought the sun and fun to the festival crowd. Closing the festival as Sunday night’s after party host and performer on the Interstate Stage, Eden left fans elevated and joyous – even if they were still a bit soggy from the classic British weather.

Sheltered under a gazebo, the long hot days of her Spanish babymoon a distant memory, Eden joined Building Our Own Nashville to sit on some hay bales and talk all about the stories behind her songs, her British accent and just what we can expect next…

How are you finding your time in England?

Oh I love it here. I think this is like my seventh time here.

Oh so you’re a seasoned pro!

I guess at this point, maybe…but yeah, I love it. We’re staying in Soho this time which we’ve never stayed in before and we had the cutest, most wholesome evening the other night. We came from Spain – we just had a little babymoon – but we were craving American food and were looking for Chipotle and we went through the theatre district and Frozen had just let out. All the little kids in their Anna and Elsa outfits was just the most wholesome thing we’d ever seen – we almost started crying it was so cute. My wife is pregnant so there is also a lot of pregnancy hormones happening!

OK so music – your last release was actually last year, the Outlaw Love EP. How’s that going and is there more coming?

I love those songs. It was such a chapter of my life but as soon as I land back in The States from London, I go into the studio to write my new music. I have two songs already for it and truly this is my favourite group of songs so far that I have been able to release. I already have all the titles of the songs I want to write so I’m really excited for this next chapter.

That’s so exciting! So when do you think they’ll be out – are you just letting it happen or do you have an end game in sight?

Well…I have a plan…I’d like to have one song out by the end of the year, but I don’t know if that will happen and I won’t be mad if it doesn’t, I just want it to align the way that it’s supposed to. I would love to have something out by Spring of next year – a body of work.

Ready to then come visit us again next year…

Yes! Exactly.

So, my two favourite questions – favourite song to perform and hardest song to write.

My favourite to play is probably ‘Whispering’ because it is just such my story and our story. It really kind of puts a twist on a really not so fun time in my life and it kind of makes it a happy time – I love a little Cinderella story.

The hardest one to write was probably ‘Outlaw Love’ because, again, it was just so true. It was wild. It was me and three co writers which usually I only have two but that day there were three of us and they were all straight. My wife and I had just flown to California to get married because we didn’t feel like if marriage equality got taken down federally, Tennessee would uphold our marriage license.

We literally flew to California to get married so that we knew our marriage was secure and I just feel like, we’re in 2024 and that is something no one should have to think about. So, it was kind of hard having that conversation with people who were looking at me upside down almost like ‘oh my god I can’t believe that you had to do that’ so we actually put that into the song. It was very healing to write because we just kind of put it all out there with that song.

So you have your set today…

I have two sets today!

Oh of course your after party – that tent pops off at night.

OK, someone asked me if I was going to DJ! I was like…I don’t think so? But let me know if I’m supposed to!

I mean, never say never!

Yeah! You never know what could happen. But no, I’m just supposed to sing.

How do you prepare for those because they’re two very different shows – do you do anything differently or are you kind of like, this is me, take it or leave it?

Yeah so we’re taking out some of the slower songs that we’re playing on this stage [Rhinestone stage] for the later set [Interstate stage] we’re gonna play mostly fast songs. It’s a party!

And it’s the last day.

Exactly. People are gonna be crunk…do you guys say that here?

Um…not hugely. But I get the reference.
(we laugh) OK – crunk – crazy drunk. I know that people are excited because there’s a bank holiday tomorrow. I’m really pumped about it.

OK so seven times in the UK, have you picked up any of our weird little quirks, have you tried any strange food?

Umm…I ride the tube like it’s my best friend. I love the tube. But my London friends just told me that it’s not the ‘toob’, it’s the ‘chewb’. And I’m learning a London accent. I feel like, you know, if I get a couple of drinks in me it starts coming out and my friends are like…let’s work on that. They’re teaching me the accents so like if you say bu’on or if you say button and some words like ‘the loo’ and ‘the lift’ and I’m helping them with their American accents.

I gave Brooke an awful example of my American accent that somewhat resembles a Californian valley girl and she very diligently gave me some pointers. I can now say ‘do you have a bobby pin’ like a real American.

Brooke Eden’s EP, ‘Outlaw Love’, is out now wherever you stream your music. Follow her social media to stay up to date with her tours and to get a first look at that new music that’s coming our way soon…