She’s conquered the DJ world, bringing the clubs to life with her thumping beats! Now Havana Brown is set to take on the pop industry with the release of her debut album Flashing Lights. The album has seen instant success with killer tracks that get you moving. Here we chat with Australia’s golden girl… ahead of her Gold Coast Concert!
Congratulations on the release of Flashing Lights! How does it feel to finally release your highly anticipated debut album?
Thank you! It’s a relief and very exciting! It’s surreal to have an album out there. I guess you grow up dreaming of just signing to a record label, but signing to a record label—as you do learn—doesn’t necessarily guarantee a release of a new album. So, to finally have an album out there it’s just a dream come true. I’ve always thought about it and dreamed about it, and I’ve always aspired to release my album. It’s amazing to be in this position right now and everyone loves it so that’s a good thing as well!
The album debuted at #6 on the Aria Charts, what was your initial reaction at its instant success?
I was really happy! I can tell by social media, which I mean is great, as you can tell if people like it or not, and the response has just been amazing. For it to debut in the top 10 in Australia, I’m ecstatic!
You started out as a DJ but have now become Australia’s princess of pop; did you always intend to pursue a singing career?
Well I was making music before I was DJing, but I guess when I started DJing I adopted that as my career and I didn’t really think I would go back into making music. But after a few years of DJing, I got a bit, you know, ants in the pants! I wanted to push the boundaries and try something different and something that would be fresh. I wanted to record music but also sing it and make it and perform it, which is a little different from other DJ’s.
What is the vibe of the album Flashing Lights; does it reflect aspects of your personality?
Yeah, absolutely! There are different aspects… There’s the party girl! There’s the cheeky girl! There is a serious side, there are a couple of songs in there that I consider my ballads but they’re not really ballads! I’m never going to be the kind of girl that’s going to have the full ballad like a Celine Dion type song! I’ve never loved that type of music; it’s not really me. But there are different aspects on the album and it has the vibes of the clubs because obviously I live in the clubs! It’s definitely got the pop element with the melody and lyrics because I love pop music too!
Tell us a bit about the recording process?
Well it’s all different. The way I like to write is by having some sort of production or track already made up. It’s got a vibe and it’s got a mood; it always helps with writing and the concept and where you’re going with the track. For me, production is very important because I like to be able to play it in the clubs and I want it to be thumping! I want sounds that resonate with what’s happening right now in the clubs. So that’s always very important, so we start with that and then write on top of it and create a melody. I do like to create a melody first and then write to it.
What is your favorite song from the album?
That’s too difficult! I connect with every single song on there, obviously, because I wouldn’t have it on there otherwise! Every day it’s a different song for me because it depends on my mood. But you know, I love Ba Bing, I love Warrior, I love No Tomorrow—I swear Any1 gets me in a good mood; it’s got a good vibe to it! Really, I can’t choose one because every day is different for me.
Your latest single Warrior is a killer dance track and has been extremely popular, what’s the inspiration behind your music?
Well, you know what, the production is based on the Melbourne shuffle. So you know that big massive drop? It’s Melbourne sounds. It’s created from Melbourne where I’m from. And it’s actually called the Melbourne shuffle, so the sounds are inspired by my hometown. But with the lyrics, it’s just about every situation that I’ve experienced to be where I’m at right now. I’ve had some success and I feel like I’ve conquered some people that would doubt me or try to bring me down, or even obstacles that I’ve been able to overcome and still achieve my dreams regardless of what everyone is trying to do around me.
You’ve toured with some big names in the music business, from the likes of Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Pitbull, did they give you any advice for recording your own album?
No, not advice on recording the album. I think spending a lot of time with Pitbull—you see how he works. He has a studio set up in his hotel room and he is always on tour, always writing and working on music constantly! He will stay up all night partying and then wake up in the morning and start working on music. So for me, I get to watch these people and see how they work. In this day and age, especially in the digital world, you have a lot more freedom to put out lots of content at your own pace. You can put out an album, then an EP, and then just keep rolling out singles every month if you wanted to. You know, it’s about always trying new things, always going for it, and seeing if it works out. I think it’s all in the numbers; the more that you work, the more chances you have of creating great music.
Any plans to tour?
I’m always on tour! I’m playing tonight, then in Sydney tomorrow—it’s a bit more on the DJ side of things—but I’m always touring! As far as a personal concert, I really want to do that, but I wouldn’t be able to DJ for six months and I would miss it so much. Obviously, if you’re touring you can’t do side shows, so it would really take me out of DJing for six months, and it’s really about deciding if I want to do that or not.
So what’s next for Havana Brown?
Well, as soon as I finish my DJ tour in Australia right now, I go back to LA. I’ve got studio time set up and I keep touring in America. During the week I’m in the studio with amazing, amazing producers, so I’m really excited.
