Courtney Brocks
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Courtney Brocks

Dover, New Hampshire, United States | SELF

Dover, New Hampshire, United States | SELF
Band Folk Singer/Songwriter

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Music

Press


"Back to the Music: Courtney Brocks Releases Album, "...After, Before""

The six tunes contained on this EP are lush, carefully crafted portraits of an artist who has a keen sense of what it takes to weave a web around your heart and soul and keep you captive for the entirety of the 24 minutes that she's singing. The tunes are "earthy, soulful, and honest." She's got a voice that blends a bit of Joni Mitchell and Kris Delmhorst with a delivery that is similar to that of her good friend Anais Mitchell. That sentiment helps given the fact that the only other musician on the disc is Chorney, who has a knack for tastefully implementing himself into any musical situation he's a part of. His addition of guitar, prepared guitar (which allows him to eke out sounds reminiscent of a banjo), lap steel, baritone sax, percussion and vocals, encompass Brocks' tunes in a sort of ethereal landscape that fully beguiles the listener's attention. - Spotlight Magazine


Discography

"After, Before"

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Bio

Courtney Brocks writes songs that want to take you someplace, and chances are, you'll want to go. With memorable melodies, infectious rhythms, and warm, earthy vocals, Brocks's songs traverse a variety of geographical and emotional landscapes, inviting you to come along as she explores the terrains of love, belief, and just-plain living. Her new e.p. "After, Before" conveys a spirit of travel and a longing for direction in songs that find the author looking for solace in the deserts of Arizona ("Arizona"), pondering the sustainability of a love left halfway around the world ("China"), and lamenting an American dream done wrong while celebrating a 4th of July in Spain ("Saints and Acquaintances").

Brocks began writing and performing at open mics in coffeehouses and bars in Ft. Lauderdale, FL at age 16. Her academic studies brought her to Vermont, where she encountered a thriving folk-acoustic world and eventually recorded two now out-of-print cds. She later moved to southwestern Colorado, where, among other pursuits, she wrote and recorded the music and lyrics for David Nighteagle's NAMMY award-nominated album, "Torn from the Heart." She moved to New Hampshire and put music aside for a number of years until a fateful encounter brought her together with writer-producer Michael Chorney, widely known in the contemporary folk world for producing Anais Mitchell's "Hymns for the Exiled" and "The Brightness," and arranging the score for her folk opera, "Hadestown." After joining Mitchell on a couple of songs at a Newmarket, NH show, Brocks accepted Chorney's generous invitation to record a few songs at his Bristol, Vermont studio. "After, Before," beautifully recorded and produced by Chorney, is the result.

Since recording "After, Before," Brocks has played regularly with a host of talented musicians on the Seacoast of New Hampshire, most notably Jeff Hawkinson, Jesse Dold, Cole Gove, Martin England, and Eric Ott. Her songs and performances are garnering increased attention; she has opened for such national acts as "These United States" and "The Honey Dewdrops," and was nominated for a Spotlight Awards in 2010 and 2011. She continues to write and perform songs that take eager listeners on journeys; they know that wherever the destination, they're glad to take the trip.