INTERVIEW: Brooke Eden Wants You To Get On the Floor and "Giddy Up"
In our interview, we talk about Brook Eden's line dancing-driven tour, her new song "Giddy Up," and the ways that queer people have always had a place in country music.
In case you haven't noticed, line dancing and queers have been going together like peanut butter and jelly lately. Nashville's Brooke Eden has a song for us all to step to with "Giddy Up" – but Eden herself is an old hat. As we discuss in our interview below, "Giddy Up" and the current country moment feel like a big bang of Eden's two most cherished communities coming together. Over the last few years, Eden has become a critically-acclaimed force to be reckoned with in Nashville. Heralded by Billboard as a “fiery country star-in-the-making,”and named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country as well as a Music Row “Next Big Thing.” In our interview, we talk about Eden's line dancing-driven tour and her latest work.
What do you feel make a song good for line dancing?
What do you feel make a song good for line dancing? It’s a certain energy that just makes you want to move. I love a call to action…like an invitation to the dance floor and some lyrical instructions for steps to the dance!
Planning tour logistics is always kind of a headache...but what went into making sure you'd play spaces that are ideal for line dancing?
We wanted to make sure these were honky tonks…where people go there intending on dancing…everywhere we went on this tour had line dancing nights, where people go to learn the latest line dances to country music.
What do you make of the fact that line dancing has become so popular among the LGBTQ+ community? I have friends who would never listen to country who adore going to these parties.
It truly feels like the two sides of my life have somehow found each other. I grew up singing in a line dancing bar with my dad’s band…it’s always felt like such a part of me. When I graduated college with plans on moving to Nashville, I started bartending at a line dancing bar to save up money for my move. The line dancing community there became my “after college community.” It wasn’t long after I moved to Nashville that I realized my queerness wasn’t something I could deny anymore. My line dancing community never blinked an eye when I started dating a girl…there was only love and acceptance.
With that being said – I was the only queer person in that group and always wished my queerness and my country music space could be a little more neon rainbow and a little less two very separate worlds. Fast forward to today…seeing so many queer people finding their community in a country music space…I think it’s a huge indication of where country music is going.
What do you hope fans will get out of "Giddy Up?"
I hope no matter if they’re from a small town or a big city, whether they were born with country music in their veins or just bought their first pair of boots, or no matter their cultural background or sexual orientation, that they feel like they’re invited to the country music party.
Country music isn't always welcoming to LGBTQIA+ artists. How have you healed or expanded your relationship with country music?
I know I belong here. I was born into this music/culture and have seen the immense changes that are happening at a rapid pace. Nothing changes if you’re not willing to be a little uncomfortable and vulnerable and I’m proud to be a part of the inclusivity that country music is seeing. Country music is all about stories, and queer people have incredible stories to tell.
Just because we think it's a great song title, we wanted to throw in Brooke's song "Rainbow Rodeo" ;)
Dance with Brooke!
- May 17 - Austin, TX
- May 29 - Nashville, TN
- June 1 - West Hollywood, CA - WeHo Pride
- June 2 - Nashville, TN
- June 8 - Washington, DC - World Pride
- June 14 - Arlington, TX - Arlington Pride
- July 7 - San Rafael, CA
Brook Eden – WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | YOUTUBE | FACEBOOK
