Singer-songwriter Brooke Garwood’s dreamy yet distinctive vocal stylings gentle rise to the surface of her songs. She developed her flavor of dazzling, alluring folk pop as she attended College of Charleston, performing with various ensembles and penning original music.
With her new solo project Sun Child, Garwood heightens the emotional heft of her songwriting and toys with dream-pop and psychedelic tinges to forge a new identity — one that comes to light on her new EP Everything, which she released in April.
“I went for a fuller sound with this project — more of a full-band vibe and a little bit more in the psychedelic realm,” Garwood told the Charleston City Paper.
Garwood performed as Brooke & Rattle for years leading up the 2020 pandemic shutdown in an alternative roots ensemble with percussionist/guitarist Johnny Holiday. She also released spacey, glowing folk songs as Girl Pluto with local violinist Emma Dooley in the fall of 2021.
While those projects were fueled by instrumental collaborations, somehow Sun Child captures a rich, incandescent sound despite it being Garwood’s first dive into solo recording. Working with Patrick Taylor of alternative band Trash Panda in his home studio, she leaned into her most contemporary instincts, playing on her love of Billie EIlish and Mount Joy as well as up-and-coming indie rock outfits like Slow Pulp.
Trash Panda drummer Christian Pittman laid down percussion on a few tracks, with Taylor providing the bulk of the instrumentation.
“He added bass and electric guitar to the songs, and then we worked on a keyboard,” Garwood said. “He had an output on the keyboard that sounded like strings, and we used that for ‘Sheep’ and ‘Boots.’ We worked together on the whole thing, so it was a really cool process. A lot went into it.”
It’s not difficult to hear what Garwood is talking about on Everything. Even on songs that feel like solo performances, like the piano ballad “Boots,” there are subtly layered vocals and reverb-drenched electric guitars buoying the tender delivery. And on bouncier cuts like “Backseat,” the effect is even more pronounced, with swirling production that feels like a DIY version of something that Japanese Breakfast or Soccer Mommy might come up with.
Overall, the new recordings resound as a bit of a coming out party for Garwood’s artistic expression. After she completes a bachelor’s degree in social work at Florida State University, she plans to do a summer tour and release more music in the fall upon her return to the Holy City.
For Garwood, the titular song “Everything” captures where she’s at in her life.
“The song is about accepting the fact that everything happens for a reason — no matter how good or bad it is. That is my mindset right now. What is meant to happen will happen. I go back and forth sometimes with the feeling of ‘Why should I put the energy into music?’ I really just do it for me. And if my music helps people and people want to listen to it, that’s great. But if not, then that’s okay, too.”
Chelsea Grinstead contributed to this article.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.