Interview: Greta van den Brink

How did this all start, did you grow up loving music, singing. Was this always a dream for you?
‍I definitely grew up loving singing. When I was four my parents lost me at a Guy Fawkes school BBQ and I made my way to the stage and sung a song I made up on the spot. A lot of the music I heard as a kid was from Dean Martin, Franki Valli and Frank Sinatra so I’m no stranger to an old love song. I dreamed of being an actor. Although there is a video of me at 7 being asked what I want to be when I grow up and I said an actor and a rockstar so maybe deep down it was. But no I came to music late and somewhat suddenly.

Who are your music inspirations?
‍I love Raye, Ella Langley, Laci Kaye Booth, Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan, Colter Wall, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, Chris Issak, Hozier. Chris Stapelton, Bruce Springsteen, Teddy Swims, Lana del Rey.

Who are your music idols?
‍Lady Gaga, Etta James, Shaina Twain, DOLLY PARTON, I’ll be honest there is a long list.

What keeps you motivated?
‍The fear of not living up to potential, which is not great and I do try to remember that running away from what you don’t want to be and moving towards what you do lead you to different places.

Let’s talk about your new single, Chill Cool Girl, what was the inspiration for this and what are you hoping people take from it?
‍The day before I wrote this song, my best friend and I were talking about our new relationships and realized we were both slipping into old patterns, specifically, being the “Chill Cool Girl.” No boundaries, no big feelings, always agreeable. Not because you are that person, but because you don’t want to come off as “crazy.” You’ve already heard about the so-called “crazy ex” (who might’ve just had perfectly reasonable needs), and you don’t want to be the next one in that narrative. It felt good to call myself out on it. Now, when I feel that Chill Cool Girl energy creeping back in, I know it’s time to stand my ground or have the hard conversation. I hope listeners can laugh a bit at the idea, because it is kind of ridiculous, but also recognize those moments where we shrink ourselves to fit someone else’s comfort. You don’t have to be chill.

Your debut single Road to Hell ended up on a Netflix soundtrack, that’s a huge first step. How did that opportunity come about?
‍That was wild and yet so natural. I had written the song months before I had an audition for the show and had produced part  of it with Ethan Jupe. While I was on the show Michael Dorman who played Graham Lawson heard the track and played it for all the producers while we were shooting. By the end of the shoot I had my first sync deal.

Chill Cool Girl is the first taste of your debut album This Wasn’t Planned. What can listeners expect from the full record?
‍This album is no stranger to a slide guitar.

You’ve quickly carved out a space in the New Zealand indie scene. What’s been the most surprising part of that journey so far?
‍It’s funny, it doesn’t feel fast and then I look back and remember I released my first single end of last year. Getting lucky in meeting the kindest, talented, honest, creatives early on and having the pleasure of working with them.

What do you have coming up that you can share with us?
‍I’ve just finished working on a horror movie that is so scary I’m unsure if I’ll even be able to watch!

What burger do you think ‘Chill Cool Girl’ would be if it were on the BF menu?
‍She’s a C N cheese for sure

What would your ideal BF burger contain?
‍We are talking an NZ Beef paddy (maybe two if we’re hungry) cheese, avo, beetroot, lettuce, special BF sauce. That sounds glorious.

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Sound Check, Vibe Check

1. What is your go to song to Jam out to in the car? Currently Raye’s “WHERE IS MY HUSBAND” hates to see my coming. My friend have done a lot of therapeutic scream singing to it.

2. Who is your favourite artist at the moment? Olivia Dean is a God send but also RAYE.

3. One thing you can’t perform without? A little bit of unchecked confidence.

4. One artist or band you would love to co-lab with? There is a HUGE list but Lana del Rey comes to mind.

5. Go to BurgerFuel order? C N Cheese, kumara fries, aioli maybe a little chocolate shake.

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Fire or Backfire?

1.     Pickles in burgers - Fire

2.    Crocs - Absolutely not

3.    Karaoke - Fire

4.    BurgerFuel Aioli - Fire

5.    Acoustic performances - Fire

6.    NZ Music Month - Fire

7.    Festivals - Fire

8.    Singing in the shower - Fire

9. Pineapple on pizza - I sit on the fence

10. Supermarket in bare feet - If you are less that20m from a beach yes, otherwise no

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Check out Greta's new music HERE and stay up to date on everything she gets up to HERE.

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