Many people claim that they were “born to sing,” but in Brooklyn Fenn’s case, it couldn’t be any more true.
After being struck by both traditional country and 80s rock music as a young child, Fenn very quickly envisioned herself on stage, performing the same way the artists that inspired her did. And as soon as she took the stage for the first time, she was hooked.
Her musical upbringing has culminated in the release of her debut single, “West Texas in My Eye,” earlier this month. A cover of a song on The Panhandlers’ debut album, Fenn offers a tried and true version of the tune that rings true to her life, with several thousand people having already tuned in across streaming platforms.
We chatted with Fenn all about “West Texas in My Eye,” as well as her musical upbringing, her busy year ahead and more!
Pro Country: Your bio mentions a love of old school country and rock music. Who are some of the earliest artists you remember hearing that have helped you shape your sound?
Brooklyn Fenn: Some of the earliest artists that I remember hearing when I was a kid were Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Reba and George Strait. I have always admired all of them! I love the traditional, old country sound, and my dad loves 80s rock; Bonnie Tyler, Pat Benatar and Joan Jett were some of my favorites! I loved singing all of their songs, and always dreamed of growing up to be an entertainer! I had the hair flip mastered by the time I was probably four!
PC: You grew up in a musical family and have been singing, playing guitar and writing music for most of your life. What was it about music and expressing yourself through songs that connected with you so early in your life, and when did you realize you had a true talent for it?
BF: I am the fourth of eight children. All of the siblings in my family are very musically talented! We all sing and play instruments. My parents are not. They have always supported us and enjoyed being our biggest fans! We grew up being homeschooled. For the majority of our lives, we did not have cable TV. My mom always wanted us to find better things to do! We listened to a lot of music and all taught ourselves how to sing. My brother taught himself how to play guitar, and we learned how to have a lot of fun together. When I was 16 years-old, we joined a group called Caldwell kids, which is an organization that gives voice lessons and has numerous shows throughout the year.
PC: With that early love of music in mind, when did it become evident that music was something you wanted to, and actually could, pursue as a career?
BF: Once we had joined Caldwell kids and I had taken the stage for the first time, I knew that this was what I wanted to do forever! At that point, my mom was talking to us about our future and what I wanted to do as a career, and all I could think about was singing. I also love horses and we grew up ranching, riding and rodeoing. I team rope, but I knew that would not be something that I could really do as a career. I just knew this was all I wanted to do.
PC: You finished as the runner up in last year’s Basin’s Got Talent competition. What did that recognition mean to you so early in your career? What can that do for the confidence of a young artist?
BF: Finishing runner up in last year‘s Basins Got Talent competition was great! One thing I learned about myself was that I want to be first, not second. It definitely didn’t hold me back, but instead, it propelled me to just strive to be better! I have qualified for the top 10 of Basin’s Got Talent this year, and will be competing April 6! I believe that not winning can hold you back and show you that you are not cut out for this industry or propel you to be more determined to work harder to be the best! I also think the more experience you get on a stage will make you more confident as a performer!
PC: What emotions were you feeling when release day for your debut single, “West Texas in My Eye,” was approaching as you were set to release music for the first time?
BF: I was just so excited in anticipation for my first song to be released! I have told my mom for so long that one day she would be hearing me on the radio! My brothers and sisters were so excited and actually had a countdown on our calendar! I have a lot of support from so many people, and it was just so exciting!
PC: “West Texas in My Eye” was originally recorded by The Panhandlers on their 2020 self-titled debut. What was it about the song that drew you to record it and have it serve as your first release?
BF: I am a fan of The Panhandlers, and all of those guys are so musically talented! I have loved the song since I heard it by them. I also had the opportunity to meet Charlie Stout, who was the writer of the song, and he had asked me to sing him one of his songs. That was the song I sang him, and he thought that I did a great job. Hearing him say that was amazing! Also, I wanted to do a song that had something along the lines of where I live. My family owns an excavation company here in the oil field, and I could relate to the song in so many ways. It was just perfect for me!
PC: As we write this, “West Texas in My Eye” has earned nearly 5,000 streams on Spotify alone and you’ve accumulated almost 3,000 monthly listeners in less than two weeks since the song’s release. How encouraging has the response been to “West Texas in My Eye” in the few weeks that it has been out in the world?
BF: Seeing the response to this song has been amazing! As of today, it has 8,801 monthly listeners and 15,654 streams on Spotify alone! I am blown away at the response! I was hoping for an amazing outcome like this and for it to build the momentum to jumpstart my career, but we all know that things like this are out of our control. I am grateful for the way it went! I hope that this has sparked the interest in many people that are following me and that I can continue to bring them good country music that they enjoy listening to!
PC: You’re traveling and playing live with a full band of highly-credentialed musicians. How much camaraderie do you feel with your band and how much do you enjoy the energy that a full band brings to the stage?
BF: I feel beyond blessed to have such an incredibly talented group of guys playing for me! Knowing that I have them behind me and that they have my back is incredible! They are such an amazing group of guys and we have a lot of fun on the road! This is just the beginning, and I truly look forward to what is to come! I have four brothers, but I feel like I have five more now! The energy that they bring to the stage propels me to just want to do the best that I can every time I am on stage! It definitely helps my confidence in knowing that I have an amazing band, and that people will get to hear amazing music!
PC: With “West Texas in My Eye” now released, what do you have planned for the rest of 2024?
BF: With my first song now released, I plan on kicking butt this year! For the rest of the year I hope to fill up every weekend playing live with my band! In the meantime, I plan to release one song a month and hopefully gain more momentum and make more fans! I will be hitting the studio April 18th and will be recording a few originals! I plan on continuing to write (hopefully with other songwriters), play my guitar to keep getting better, and put out an EP this year!
PC: Is there anything you’d like to add?
BF: I would really like to thank everyone that has believed in me and helped me reach the goals that I have so far! I am so grateful for the band that I have working with me. Thank you, Alan Crossland with Route One Acuff Studio, where I have recorded all of my music so far, all of my band members, and Charlie Stout, the writer of “West Texas In My Eye.” I am grateful for my parents and the way they raised all of us, for always believing in me, and encouraging me to chase my dreams! I want to thank my brothers and sisters for being the best teammates! My oldest brother Matt has done everything from making my website to distributing my music! I am so blessed!
*”West Texas in My Eye” is featured on The Best of Pro Country playlist!*
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