‘I just want to be a good person’ Singer-songwriter VV Brown burst on to the music scene this year thanks to her vibrant ‘doo wop indie’ sound and her fabulous vintage look. Nang!’s Denise Kodia tracked down the 25-year-old for a chat about music, boys and fashion Who is VV Brown? I’m a singer, songwriter and I’m on a journey of discovery of myself as an artist and a musician. I’m continually evolving, trying to do my thing and hoping people like it along the way. What does VV stand for? My mum named me Vanessa, but when I was at school we used to have hip-hop battles in the playground and I was called VV as a nickname and it just stuck. Plus Vanessa sounds a bit formal. What was it like growing up? It was really good. I went to my parents’ school [they owned and worked at the school], so I got to see them quite a lot - which was a good and a bad thing, I guess! I had a really cool childhood. My parents had a real eclectic taste - they were really cultured and we were introduced to different kinds of life. Where do you get your inspiration from? I get really down sometimes and that negative energy helps me to write songs. I just have a lot to say and feel a lot of things. Crying Blood and many other tracks on your album, Travelling Like The Light, are about a bad relationship. Have you seen the stupid guy who let you go? Does he know he was your muse? I think he figured it out! My lyrics are quite obvious and are quite detailed, especially in the way I describe him. I think he knew and I think he understood as well as he’s an artist. I think he understood it was a part of the process. You usually write about things that are real life. It did give him a little bit of a big head! Would it bother you if you were on the worst dressed list in a fashion magazine? No, it wouldn’t bother me because I think everyone has their bad days. You can’t get it right
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