Interview Upbringing: Broods

NZ sibling duo discuss their first gig, best ever show and the advice they swear by.

Words: Jamie Milton
4th July 2014

New Zealand sibling duo Broods have shared almost every living moment together, from trivial things to the seriously important stuff, like being one of the most exciting new pop acts on the whole bloody planet. Now they’re leaving home together, travelling thousands of miles in the same plane, sharing the same mind-boggling surreal experiences every single day.

Georgia and Caleb Nott have seen new cities for the first time, toured with Ellie Goulding, being spoken about as the next big thing since Lorde. But this journey had to start somewhere. In Upbringing, we ask our favourite acts about where it all began; the musical experiences that shaped who they are today.

Check out ‘Mother & Father’ below and read up on the Nott siblings’ tales of saving up life savings for a gig, playing their home city to thousands of people and the advice they’ve stuck to in these initial months as a band.

What’s the first gig you ever went to?
Georgia: Have you heard of Brooke Fraser? She’s a Kiwi songwriter and we went with my mum for her birthday. I was about twelve and me and my sister ran back into the arena to go and meet her. We weren’t meant to, but… We went back and it was this massive dream come true. We hugged her and she signed our t-shirts, told me that I was pretty. I’ll never forget that! It’s so weird that we’re sort of doing that now in the US. Those things that stuck with us - you wonder if they’ll stick with your fans. People that had such an impact on you and you’re in the situation where you can impact on people - it’s kinda buzzy. It’s the best thing hands down when people tell you you’ve done something personally for them when they listened to your music.

Growing up, was a personal attachment for music important to you?
G: For me personally, I needed to have a personal attachment to a song. It helped me grow as a person. When people say that you’ve done that to them, it’s like ‘Wow’. It’s crazy.
Caleb: I never listened to songs like that. I’m more into listening to what sounds they’re making. I never listen to lyrics - it’s shocking. That’s why I love Radiohead. I just sit there, put my headphones on and go ‘Fuck, what’s going on?’ There’s so many things to listen to and every time you listen, you find something new that you haven’t heard before.
G: Like a Baz Luhrmann film!

"It’s so weird that our first proper show was at a sold out arena."

What happened in your first ever gig?
C: It sucked man, we made so many mistakes. We think we did well at the time but, looking back, it was just shit.
G: It was at a private bar called King’s Arms. And it was basically just an invite-only thing for people we wanted to show - friends and people in the industry. And it was the most terrifying thing. At showcases, nobody stands at the front. They’re just at the back assessing you.
C: It’s cool that those people like our friends saw us play there and then they didn’t see us again until the other week, supporting Ellie Goulding. It’s good to have people that go from start to finish and tell you the difference.

What’s the best gig you’ve played so far?
C: Probably with Ellie [Goulding] because it’s the first time we’ve played in New Zealand.
G: I think the Auckland show was my favourite. Everyone there was so stoked that we were there. People had signs for Broods as well as for Ellie.
C: Some people bought $70 tickets just to see us for the first time. It’s pretty crazy.
G: It’s weird that we’re going back to the same cities as the ones with Ellie and we’re playing smaller venues with way cheaper tickets. It’s so weird that our first proper show was at a sold out arena. It took a while to get into the groove for arena shows. Once you do, it’s awesome.
C: People initially are like ‘Who are these guys?’, but when we play ‘Bridges’ they get their phones out.
G: Supporting Ellie was pretty cool. She’s a sweetheart.

What’s the weirdest tour experience you’ve had?
C: Georgia actually called Ellie [Goulding] up while she was live on radio.
G: And because we know the people at the radio stations quite well, she let the conversation continue.
C: The hosts were like “Georgia, this is a really bad time!” They put her on loudspeaker.
G: We actually had an interview with the same people the day after, and so the conversation revolved around that.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given as a band?
C: We’ve been talking about that quite a lot in the past couple of weeks. We used to wonder what to say, how to be. Even last time you talked to us we were probably a little uptight because we didn’t have any idea of what we were doing.
G: At the start it was what are we supposed to be, rather than what we want to be. We’ve realised we’re allowed to be ourselves - we don’t have to fake it. We love it and we want to keep loving it.
C: Advice-wise, I’ve got a quote up on my wall at home and it’s the best thing to live by. It’s so true: “Nothing worth having comes easy.” If you want an easy life, you’ll be content enough, but if you work your arse off then you’re gonna be so satisfied with yourself and what you’re doing. Sometimes you’ll be like ‘I think I’ll stay at home today. Don’t really wanna go to this photoshoot.’ But getting off your arse is the best thing you can do with yourself. It’s the same with your relationships with people - the ones you work for are the ones you get the most out of. It’s the best thing to live by.

Tags: Broods, Upbringing, Features