CRS Music Management

Brooke Fraser was born and raised in a not-so-hip area of a hip little city in the most beautiful country on God”s green earth - Wellington, New Zealand. She studied piano from the age of seven, began writing songs at 12, played clarinet very averagely from 13, and at 15 got sick of writing slow piano ballads and playing "Baby Elephant Walk" in the school concert band, so taught herself the acoustic guitar.  She still has quiet aspirations of being a drummer in a hardcore band or a forensic anthropologist, or a really great knitter, but these remain pipe dreams for now.

Brooke was co-erced into playing in public during her first year in high school, when the dean of the senior year wanted an assembly “item” and one of Brooke”s so-called “friends” dobbed her in.  This led to a semi-humiliating but character building bi-weekly “gig” at the senior assembly.  Over the next few years as her songs stopped being about insects, her “gigs” became music festivals, support shows and fundraisers for a charity that she remains committed to and passionate about today - World Vision.

In 2002 at 18, Brooke signed with Sony Music (now SonyBMG) and moved to Auckland where she played regularly at the grassroots/indie/acoustic venue “The Temple” (no longer in existence) whilst continuing to write material for her debut album.

What to Do With Daylight

Brooke”s first album What To Do With Daylight was released in New Zealand in late 2003, debuting at #1 and achieved gold-selling status in the same week. The album eventually went 8 times platinum, selling over 120,000 copies in New Zealand alone. What to Do With Daylight remained in the top ten on the album charts for over a year, returned to the #1 spot twice and charted for a record 66 weeks.  All five singles from her album reached the top 20 NZ singles chart and achieved #1 airplay status.

Following the release of What To Do With Daylight, Brooke played a number of co-billed and headline tours throughout her homeland, and in 2004 toured Australia and New Zealand with American artist John Mayer and supported iconic U.K. artist David Bowie.  She then relocated to Sydney, Australia prior to the release of her album there and played various residencies throughout Sydney.  At the 2004 NZ Music Awards Brooke won “Breakthrough Artist of the Year” and “Best Female Solo Artist”, and her debut single "Better" was named the Most Performed Work on NZ Radio by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).

Albertine

In 2005, Brooke went into central east Africa to the nation of Rwanda, eleven years on from a genocide which claimed the lives of almost one million people. During the journey that she describes as one of the greatest privileges of her life, she met and befriended a number of Rwandans who entrusted their stories to her – namely a man called Joel Nsengiyumva and an orphan named Albertine. The profound impact that this trip had on Brooke inevitably coloured the songs and spirit of her sophomore album.  She wrote the song “Albertine” upon her return home and eventually it was made the title track.

In June of 2006 Brooke temporarily set up base in North Hollywood, C.A. to record, but not before making a return trip to Rwanda, the place in which the roots of the new collection of songs lay.

The album “Albertine” came to life in the North American summer of 2006 with producer Marshall Altman and a new band of American musicians affiliated with an array of notable artists, both live and recorded.  

"Deciphering Me" was the album”s first single, initially shared with MySpace fans and shortly afterward released to NZ radio, where it achieved #1 airplay status and reached #4 in the NZ singles charts. The follow-up single “Shadowfeet” also achieved #1 airplay status.

On December 4, 2006 Albertine was released in New Zealand, debuting at #1, achieving double platinum status less than a month after its release and remaining in the top 20 for almost a year, reaching five times platinum. The album was released in Australia on March 31, 2007, charting at #3 on iTunes and #29 on the Aussie album charts.

In 2007 the song “Albertine” won New Zealand”s most prestigious annual songwriting prize, the APRA Silver Scroll as Brooke continued to play sell-out theatre tours in her homeland and Australia, where she has built a strong live following.

“Albertine” the album was released on U.S. iTunes in late 2007, and in December Brooke played a brief and well-received run of U.S. shows.  

This year on May 27, “Albertine” finally hit U.S. stores, and Brooke and various forms of her band will be touring North America in support of the release from June through September 2008.

NZ MUSIC AWARDS

2004 – Best Female Solo Artist

2004 – Breakthrough Artist of the Year

2007 – Highest Selling Album (Albertine)

2007 – Airplay Record of the Year

APRA AWARDS (Australian Performing Right Association)

2004 – Most Played Composition in NZ (“Better”)

2007 – Most Played Composition in NZ (“Deciphering Me”)

2007 - The APRA Silver Scroll (“Albertine”)

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