We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brittney Renee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brittney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I absolutely wish I started my creative career sooner but I feel like there was a lot I would have never known about myself had I never left New England. It was financially tough for me to leave and I didn’t know how people moved across the country until someone I took a makeup course from told me that people rented out rooms to single people moving from all over the world! I had always wanted to pursue an arts career or path (if you will) but growing up in New England I felt like opportunities were limited and most of the region were not the most open minded. I was fortunate to grow up in Providence, RI which is a great college town with a lot of artsy expressive people so I got exposed to a lot of great music having access to both WBRU and WAAF in Boston in the 2000s. I sang in competitions when I lived in RI during college but I knew I wanted to go to new levels as a rock vocalist that I felt like I didn’t have resources to achieve when I lived there. I moved to LA in 2016 and I got my feet wet with film and TV acting. I saw everything that went into making a strong show production and I made my independent TV pilot called Totally Starstruck! I knew I could write as I had a huge turnout of actors with interest but I had a small budget. I made some mistakes along the way but it really showed me that a strong team is the foundation of a solid production. Along the way I figured out that I was more into music than acting so I started singing at open jams in LA shortly before Covid. I now live in Vegas which is a bit of a different animal. While living in Vegas I have been exposed to some amazing burlesque artists each having their unique style and presence. I moved to Vegas to sing in hotel shows but that turned out easier said than done. I have been in a couple bands throughout the time I have been here but nothing that has really stuck due to a variety of factors. I have a new tribute act in the works currently and although I can’t share what it is I can promise it will be amazing!!! It is something that has not yet gone female fronted today the least.

Brittney, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I feel as though I have a strong sense of visionary and if I know exactly what I want I stick to it. If something doesn’t work I try something else. If I say I want something to pan out I pull through. I am all about growth and I feel like sometimes business has to come first as much as no one likes to hear that. I also feel as though as a rock/metal vocalist I like to use it to my advantage mixing burlesque elements as I have done in the past with some previous numbers I have done which have helped me distinguish myself from others. I feel like everything I have created had been influenced by the music I grew up with in so many ways.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

One huge problem in the music industry is that it’s almost impossible for most people nowadays to make a living off of their original music alone due to all the streaming and satellite radio while very few people but music anymore. The other problem is the pay to play model at a huge amount of venues all over the country which hurts artists all over because we spend a lot of money on our gear and lessons alone. Take into account the amount of gas (and parking at the venue a lot of times) these expenses all add up. The problem is a lot of venues tend to book more cover and tribute bands because they know an audience will show up as opposed to an original band that no one knows about material from so there venues have to know their employees will be paid to keep their venue doors open.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being a singer is that you brought someone else joy and enlightenment. They feel your joys and pains, ups and downs, etc. It also feels good when you inspire others to do what you do because they felt how passionate you were about something. I did my first event under my new company Rebel 95 Entertainment where I had three bands and burlesque performers. They were so enlightened to be part of my first event knowing that I create opportunities for artists to get out and be known or have an outlet to showcase themselves. I feel like sometimes our opportunities can feel limited so it’s a great feeling when I feel like I can open doors for other creatives.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @iambrittneyrenee
• Facebook: Brittney Renee
• Other: IG @Rebel95entertainment Facebook: Rebel 95 entertainment

Image Credits
Photo with pink jacket: Marie LaGrasta Story photo: Corinna Gregory Other green shirt photo: Diana Vargas