“I had a burning desire to realise my vision of making pop music. I think we were just all going in different directions creatively,” says Browne of the group’s dissolution and her decision to go solo. “It was something that I always really wanted to do and it just happened, right time right place.”
Browne’s solo effort displays a pop sound which explores elements of R&B, though she holds true to her soul roots.
“I’ve always really dug pop music, and I think elements of what I did in the past were super poppy as well, there are just slight stylistic differences but I think the foundations of it are pop music. I like pop artists and it’s what I love.”
Browne released her debut solo album Pool in 2016. The album is an upbeat, pop record which explores feminism and female empowerment – themes that Browne holds close to her heart.
“The vibe of the record is super summery, I made the record in LA so it’s got that feel of the city,” she says of Pool. “I was super inspired by the people I connected to and was working with and that breezy environment – it gave me inspiration to set the tone of the record. The themes I’ve been playing with are like sex positivity but in a super fun way, tongue-in-cheek. Dealing with feminist issues and straight-up girl power.
“It’s a natural thing for me to explore [feminism] because it’s something that I carry in my everyday life. I think as an authentic artist your art is usually reflective of your experiences, so I think it’s important,” says Browne. “But it’s also kind of accidental because those are the themes that run through my life.”
The album saw Browne working with a number of big names throughout the recording process. She speaks humbly as she her expresses her utmost respect and gratitude for everyone she collaborated with on Pool.
“I couldn’t have done the record without collaboration with all of those people I had on board. I think that everyone who worked on the record brought something really unique and special, like MNDR is a really dope producer, she’s a visionary. We had a meeting of the minds, we were totally on the same page creatively so I think that dynamic made the record what it is,” says Browne.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to work with some people who have worked on some of my favourite tracks, like Jesse Shatkin who wrote Chandelier with Sia, that was a big one and that was one of the first songs on the record that I wrote, so it was a big thrill.”
Browne is currently working on her follow-up, though she remains tight-lipped about what we can expect from the forthcoming record.
“I’m writing at the moment, I’m deep in the writing zone so I don’t know when I’m going to release it. I’m just working on who I want to produce some of these tracks I’ve been working on, I’m in creation stage at the moment.”
Browne will play a pop-up show in Melbourne as well as a handful of festival appearances at the tail end of the year. Of her upcoming performances, she says, “The show’s always quite sassy. I’ve got some really sick dancers with extraordinary ability, but it’s also got heart because that record really means a lot to me.
“At that point I really had a lot to say and a lot to explore, just to find my own personal voice, alone. It’s got heart but its also super fun.”
