The Digital Download Scare of 1997, the first one of its kind, left a lot of musicians reeling. We didn't see it coming. Nor did the record companies we were signed to. But we're an adaptable lot and we'll do anything to keep the wheels on the music bus turning round and round, so to speak. One friend opened a very profitable home studio. Another signed on as a backing musician for a more well-known singer. Others started doing voice, instrument and songwriting workshops. A whole new world opened up to many of us. And it did indeed keep the wheels on that bus spinning round. Twelve years later, when I moved to the UK, professionally speaking, it was a little bit like starting over. As a mostly unknown performer here, I went back to treading the boards, I mean, the motorways, to venues near and far. This was my stock in trade for the first few years. At the same time I was invited to teach my American roots guitar skills at various workshops and was even given a regular spot at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. For those first couple of years I'd meet up with my assigned students for one-on-one sessions when I wasn't on the road. I'd get to hear songs and riffs in progress and suggest things to try that might, in my opinion, get them a bit closer to where they'd like to be as a (hopefully) working musician. Typically, we'd chat away, normal-like, and then they'd play me something. One young man's songs were lovely and intricate. However, when he sang, his voice caught me by surprise. He pitched it high in the falsetto stratosphere. It was delicate as a dragonflies' wing. Quite a contrast to what I expected from his speaking voice. Your songs are great, I said, but you might want to try singing in your ‘normal’ voice, I said. Be more conversational, I said. Acoustic music is a ‘real voice’ kind of music, I continued. Blah, blah, blah, on and on, I droned. He was polite but I could tell he wasn't quite sure what I meant. A few days later, while on tour, I tuned into a ‘Hits’ radio station in the car. They played a hot new single destined for the top of the charts, the DJ said, from a young singer-songwriter. The delicate acoustic guitar intro gives way to the singer's voice, floating in from above, with the lightness of a spring sunrise, the rise and fall of a bird in flight. Lark's-wings and bluebird's-sing kind of stuff. Sounding quite a bit like my student's singing voice. What-do-ya know, I said aloud in the car. When I got back to the university a couple week's later I met up with my singer-songwriter student. He played me his latest song, per usual. Afterwards he looked at the floor, assuming, I suspect, my usual litany about singing in one's own voice, etc. That's gorgeous, I said. Sing your songs in any voice you bloody well want. And I'll do the same.
BROOKS AND AARON ON TOUR!
Celebrating their 4th recording, Working In Wood, Brooks and Aaron are back on the road in 2026. Part One is happening here:
March 2026
4th Spalding Folk Club, Spalding, South Holland, Lincolnshire
5th Cafe No. 9, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
6th Lindfield Arts, Lindfield, Sussex
7th The Back Room, Cottingham, East Riding of Yorkshire
8th Folk On The Moor, Wooter, Devon
10th Leith Folk Club, Edinburgh, Scotland
13th Glenbuchat Live, Glenbuchat, Scotland
14th Edinvillie Community Hall, Edinvillie, Aberlour, Moray, Scotland
18th Willows Folk Club, Wrea Green, Preston, Lancashire
20th St Mary's Church, Brought Ferry, Scotland
21st The Institute, Laxey, Isle Of Man
GET YOUR WORKING IN WOOD CD or DOWNLOAD
(photo by Theo Looijmans)
Brooks' Solo Continues!
Thank you to everyone who came out to see my solo shows in February. More solo dates continue throughout the year. Here's where it's happening…all venues UK except where noted.
March 2026
15th The Kitchen Sings, Edinburgh, Scotland
19th The Lanternhouse, Cumbernauld, N. Lanarkshire, Scotland
April 2026
12th Americana Stage, Cannon Lounge, Gladfelter Hall, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, NC USA
13th Live At The Cannery, Dataw Island, SC USA
22nd TBC York
24th Settlement Sessions, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire
30th Swallow Theatre, Whithorn, Dumfries and Galloway
May 2026
1st Roberton Village Hall, Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
15th The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, Havant, Hampshire
June 2026
TBC Southern California USA
July 2026
25th Museum of Technology, Cambridge
October 2026
4th Barnoldswick Music & Arts Centre, Barnoldswick, Lancashire
17th Rose Garden Coffeehouse, Mansfield, MA USA
18th Mapleton Music Project, Hughesville, PA USA
23rd Cantean, New Haven, CT USA
24th Stone Church, Bristol, RI USA
28th The Exchange, Bloomsburg, PA USA
November 2026
6th Acoustic Events, Venue TBA, Derbyshire
7th Birchmeadow Centre, Brosley, Shropshire
12th Loughton Folk Club, Loughton, Essex
14th Concert, Orpington, Kent
18th Eastbourne Folk Club, The Lamb, Eastbourne, East Sussex
20th Soundbox Live, Chester, Cheshire
21st Marlborough Folk-Roots, Marlborough, Wilshire
23rd The Park Hotel, Barry, South Wales
(photo by Theo Looijmans)
My Favourite Solo Song To Play At The Moment
Shawneetown video
(photo Jonny Cafe No. 9)
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