Brooke Fraser
Encyclopedia
Brooke Gabrielle Fraser Ligertwood, better known as Brooke Fraser (born 15 December 1983) is a New Zealand
award-winning folk-pop
and Christian music
artist. Her third studio album Flags
has become the most successful album of her career, with the single "Something in the Water
" reaching number one on the RIANZ singles chart in 2010.
, Fiji
, and his wife Lynda Fraser. She grew up in Naenae
, Lower Hutt
and attended Dyer Street School, Naenae Intermediate School and Naenae College.
Fraser took piano
lessons between the ages of seven and seventeen. She started writing songs at age twelve and taught herself the acoustic guitar
at fifteen, although despite her singing
success she has never taken singing lessons.
She performed at Parachute
, an annual New Zealand music festival in 2000 – including a special guest performance in 2007.
She began writing for the Soul Purpose magazine at age fifteen, and was later made editor in 2002. She gave up her job as editor shortly after moving to Auckland
in late 2002 in order to pursue her music career.
, Scotty Pearson, the drummer for Elemeno P
, organised a meeting with producer Matty J for her. Matty J became her manager, liaising with the major labels who had shown interest and compared their offers. Fraser had about five different labels offer her deals and chose to sign a multi-album deal with Sony Music at the age of 17.
, was released in New Zealand in late 2003, debuting at number one and achieved gold status in the same week. The album eventually went seven times platinum, selling over 105,000 copies in New Zealand alone. It remained on the album charts for sixty-six weeks. All five singles from the album reached the top twenty in the New Zealand Singles Chart
. Her album also topped the New Zealand Top 50 Albums of 2004
.
Following the release of What to Do with Daylight, Fraser toured Australia and New Zealand with American
artist John Mayer
and then toured New Zealand with veteran U.K.
rock artist David Bowie
. Whilst on tour with John Mayer
, she met with his guitarist and keyboardist Michael Chaves who, after recording Mayer's album Heavier Things
, Fraser enlisted to play on her album and future concerts.
to immerse herself in Rwanda
before visiting her sponsor children in Tanzania, as she is an advocate for child sponsorship. In this trip, she was so moved that she wrote the song Albertine about a young child (named Albertine), whom she met while in Rwanda. It was later decided to make this song the album's title track.
For the second album, Fraser decided to enlist a new band, primarily constructed from American
musicians who'd worked with an array of notable artists, both live and recorded. In 2006, Fraser and the band went into the studio in Los Angeles
to record the album. Later Fraser allowed her fans to listen to the album's first single Deciphering Me
via her MySpace
page. The single was later released initially to radio and ultimately to CD single, and achieved number four in the New Zealand single charts.
On 4 December 2006 Albertine
was released in New Zealand, achieving double platinum status less than a month after its release and has remained, to date, in the top 20 every week since. The album was released in Australia and internationally on 31 March 2007. In Australia, it charted at number twenty-nine in its first week on 9 April and has thus far achieved Gold sales status.
On 6 April 2007, Fraser performed "Deciphering Me" for the Good Friday Appeal
, an annual televised fundraising event to raise money for the Royal Children's Hospital
in Melbourne
.
In 2008, Fraser appeared on the Dave Barnes
song "Believe" from his album Me + You + the World, performing backing vocals.
Albertine was also Fraser's U.S. debut, released 27 May 2008 and entered the Billboard 200
at number ninety on 19 July 2008. Her album propelled in success with online sales after being chosen as Editor's Choice on iTunes
. On 4 July 2008 Fraser supported Canadian artist/U2
collaborator Daniel Lanois
at the Montreal Jazz Festival. In August she toured the southern U.S. In September, she re-toured several major U.S. cities and completed the tour at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, UK.
in the US, and climbed as high as #3 on the U.S iTunes album chart. "Flags" has been certified Gold in Australia and 3x Platinum in New Zealand where it was the 6th highest selling album of 2010. The first single, “Something in the Water,” has achieved extensive radio success across the globe, notably receiving BBC Radio 2 A-list rotation upon release. The single has gone on to achieve double platinum sales in NZ where it spent 21 weeks in the 2010 singles chart.The single has reached #2 in the Dutch airplay chart whilst residing in the top 5 singles chart for 6 consecutive weeks. The single has charted in Poland and Belgium at #15 and #23 respectively,as well as being certified Gold in both Germany and Italy."Flags" was released in July 2011 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and debuted in the following positions: #6 in Germany, #33 in Austria & #24 in Switzerland. One month on from release, "Flags" remained in the German top 20 at #13 and "Something in the Water" on the singles charts at #8. "Flags" was released in October 2011 in Hungary, reaching #15 on the national album chart by 2nd week of release. “Flags” is due to be released in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland on 7 November 2011.Flags has received accolades from peers and press alike. Sara Bareilles
announced to her 2 million followers on Twitter
“If you don’t know her, you should. @brookefraser is a freakin gem. New album out now. Yay.” and Women’s Wear Daily has called Brooke “The Kiwi Norah Jones.
In its review of Flags, Glide Magazine said: "Brooke Fraser’s third release, Flags, is a wonder. From the stunning lyrical imagery throughout to the impressive guest vocalists who join her (Cary Brothers
, Jon Foreman
and Aqualung
among them), from Fraser’s ethereal and breathy performances to the wide-ranging soundscapes, this record is drenched in beauty and stands as one of the more remarkable achievements of 2010."
In support of "Flags" release in Switzerland, Brooke will be appearing in November 2011 at the “ENERGY STARS FOR FREE” event in Zurich alongside Lenny Kravitz & Snow Patrol.
, where she has lived since 2004. On 17 March 2008 she married Scott Ligertwood, in Sydney, changing her name to Brooke Ligertwood. "Brooke Fraser" has remained her stage name for her activity as a Sony BMG recording/touring artist. She continues to write songs for Hillsong Church
, now as "Brooke Ligertwood". Among her notable congregational songs are "Desert song" and "Hosanna". After touring her second album Albertine for almost 4 years, Fraser returned home to Sydney. She took almost a year off from music-making. After attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
in the US and seeing Fleet Foxes
set she was inspired to work on her latest album Flags.
Fraser also runs a blog from her website where she comments on everything from touring, to fashion and food.
ran a birthday campaign asking her fans to donate $27 in honor of her 27th birthday. The goal was to raise $50,000 to build clean water wells in Ethiopia. Joining the likes of Justin Bieber
, Will Smith
and Adam Lambert
Fraser's birthday campaign was a success raising over $54,000. She has vowed to continue her work with charity: water
on future projects.
Fraser has worked with World Vision
as an Artist Associate since 2001. She has visited Cambodia
and Tanzania
with World Vision, the Philippines
with Opportunity International
and independently traveled to Rwanda
in June 2005, in June 2006 as part of charity event "Hope Rwanda", and in May 2007 when she filmed the music video for the song "Albertine" off her second studio album of the same name. In 2006 she, along with Petra Bagust
and Tau from Spacifix
, appeared in an advertisement for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine; an event which raises funds for children in third world countries. She also sponsors eleven children through World Vision and makes child ways of contributing to the work of World Vision (i.e. fundraising t-shirts etc.).
|-
|2004
|"Better
"
|rowspan="2"|Most Played Composition in New Zealand
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|2007
|rowspan="2"|Deciphering Me
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|APRA Silver Scroll
|
|-
|"Albertine
"
|
New Zealand Music Awards
|-
|rowspan="6"|2004
|Herself
|People's Choice Award
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|What To Do With Daylight
|Album of the Year
|
|-
|Best Female Solo Artist
|
|-
|Breakthrough Artist of the Year
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|"Lifeline"
|Single of the Year
|
|-
|Songwriter of the Year
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|2007
|Herself
|People's Choice Award
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|Albertine
|Album of the Year
|
|-
|Best Female Solo Artist
|
|-
|Highest Selling Album
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|"Deciphering Me
"
|Single of the Year
|
|-
|Airplay Record of the Year
|
|-
|2009
|Herself
|International Achievement
|
|-
|rowspan="5"|2011
|Flags
|Album of the Year
|
|-
|Flags
|Best Pop Album
|
|-
|"Something in the Water
"
|Single of the Year
|
|-
|Herself
|Best Female Artist
|
|-
|Herself
|People's Choice Award
|
GMA Dove Awards
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
award-winning folk-pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and Christian music
Christian music
Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely across the world....
artist. Her third studio album Flags
Flags (album)
Flags is the third studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Brooke Fraser. It was released on 8 October 2010 by Sony Music Entertainment in Australia...
has become the most successful album of her career, with the single "Something in the Water
Something in the Water (song)
"Something in the Water" is the lead single from Brooke Fraser's third studio album, Flags. It was released by Sony Music Entertainment in New Zealand on 2 August 2010.-Background and reception:...
" reaching number one on the RIANZ singles chart in 2010.
Early life
Fraser is the eldest of the three children born to former All Black Bernie Fraser, who was born in LautokaLautoka
Lautoka is the second largest city of Fiji and the second largest in the South Pacific. It is in the west of the island of Viti Levu, 24 kilometres north of Nadi, and is the second port of entry in Fiji, after Suva. Lying in the heart of Fiji's sugar cane growing region, it is known as the Sugar...
, Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, and his wife Lynda Fraser. She grew up in Naenae
Naenae
Naenae is a suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in the North Island of New Zealand. It lies on the eastern edge of the floodplain of the Hutt River, four kilometres from the Lower Hutt Central business district. A small tributary of the Hutt, the Waiwhetu Stream, flows through the suburb.Naenae has a...
, Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...
and attended Dyer Street School, Naenae Intermediate School and Naenae College.
Fraser took piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
lessons between the ages of seven and seventeen. She started writing songs at age twelve and taught herself the acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
at fifteen, although despite her singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
success she has never taken singing lessons.
She performed at Parachute
Parachute music festival
The Parachute Music Festival is a Christian music festival held annually at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.The festival is run by Parachute Music and lasts for four days and three nights. 'Parachute' is the Southern Hemisphere's largest Christian music festival, primarily...
, an annual New Zealand music festival in 2000 – including a special guest performance in 2007.
She began writing for the Soul Purpose magazine at age fifteen, and was later made editor in 2002. She gave up her job as editor shortly after moving to Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
in late 2002 in order to pursue her music career.
Musical career
In 2002, while Fraser was in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, Scotty Pearson, the drummer for Elemeno P
Elemeno P
Elemeno P is a New Zealand rock band. The band's first album, Love & Disrespect was released on 4 July 2003, and reached number one on the RIANZ albums chart. Their second album, Trouble in Paradise was released on 24 November 2005 and includes the singles 11:57, Burn, One Left Standing and You Are...
, organised a meeting with producer Matty J for her. Matty J became her manager, liaising with the major labels who had shown interest and compared their offers. Fraser had about five different labels offer her deals and chose to sign a multi-album deal with Sony Music at the age of 17.
What to Do With Daylight
Fraser's first album, What to Do with DaylightWhat To Do With Daylight
What to Do with Daylight is the debut album by New Zealand singer/songwriter, Brooke Fraser released in 2004. What to Do with Daylight was the top New Zealand album for 2004 , and went seven times Platinum....
, was released in New Zealand in late 2003, debuting at number one and achieved gold status in the same week. The album eventually went seven times platinum, selling over 105,000 copies in New Zealand alone. It remained on the album charts for sixty-six weeks. All five singles from the album reached the top twenty in the New Zealand Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
. Her album also topped the New Zealand Top 50 Albums of 2004
New Zealand Top 50 Albums of 2004
-Chart:-External links:*...
.
Following the release of What to Do with Daylight, Fraser toured Australia and New Zealand with American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
and then toured New Zealand with veteran U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock artist David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
. Whilst on tour with John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
, she met with his guitarist and keyboardist Michael Chaves who, after recording Mayer's album Heavier Things
Heavier Things
Heavier Things is the second studio album by American musician John Mayer, released September 9, 2003 on Columbia Records in the United States. The title of the album itself is a subtle response to certain criticism of Mayer's music. The album debuted at number 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart,...
, Fraser enlisted to play on her album and future concerts.
Albertine
In 2005, prior to writing and preparing her follow-up album, Fraser took a trip to AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to immerse herself in Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
before visiting her sponsor children in Tanzania, as she is an advocate for child sponsorship. In this trip, she was so moved that she wrote the song Albertine about a young child (named Albertine), whom she met while in Rwanda. It was later decided to make this song the album's title track.
For the second album, Fraser decided to enlist a new band, primarily constructed from American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musicians who'd worked with an array of notable artists, both live and recorded. In 2006, Fraser and the band went into the studio in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to record the album. Later Fraser allowed her fans to listen to the album's first single Deciphering Me
Deciphering Me
"Deciphering Me" is artist/songwriter Brooke Fraser's sixth single, and her first single from her second studio album Albertine. The song debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number forty on 23 October 2006 and on 4 December 2006, peaked at number four. It remained on the chart for a total...
via her MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page. The single was later released initially to radio and ultimately to CD single, and achieved number four in the New Zealand single charts.
On 4 December 2006 Albertine
Albertine (album)
Albertine is the second album by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Brooke Fraser. It was released in New Zealand and in the Oceanic region's iTunes store on 4 December 2006. The album was released in Australia on 31 March 2007, where it peaked at #29. The album's lead single is "Deciphering Me". The...
was released in New Zealand, achieving double platinum status less than a month after its release and has remained, to date, in the top 20 every week since. The album was released in Australia and internationally on 31 March 2007. In Australia, it charted at number twenty-nine in its first week on 9 April and has thus far achieved Gold sales status.
On 6 April 2007, Fraser performed "Deciphering Me" for the Good Friday Appeal
Good Friday Appeal
The Good Friday Appeal is a fundraising activity on behalf of the Royal Children's Hospital, in Melbourne, Australia. In 2010, the appeal raised A$14,462,000....
, an annual televised fundraising event to raise money for the Royal Children's Hospital
Royal Children's Hospital
The Royal Children's Hospital is a major children's hospital in Melbourne, Australia.As the major paediatric hospital in Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital and offers a full range of clinical services, tertiary care and health promotion and prevention programs for children and adolescents...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
In 2008, Fraser appeared on the Dave Barnes
Dave Barnes
Dave Barnes is an American rock-R&B-contemporary Christian singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee.-Early life:...
song "Believe" from his album Me + You + the World, performing backing vocals.
Albertine was also Fraser's U.S. debut, released 27 May 2008 and entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number ninety on 19 July 2008. Her album propelled in success with online sales after being chosen as Editor's Choice on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. On 4 July 2008 Fraser supported Canadian artist/U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
collaborator Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Lanois born September 19, 1951 in Hull, Quebec) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He has released a number of albums of his own work and has produced albums for a wide variety of artists, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris, Willie...
at the Montreal Jazz Festival. In August she toured the southern U.S. In September, she re-toured several major U.S. cities and completed the tour at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, UK.
Flags
Flags was recorded at East West Studios in Hollywood in the summer of 2010 and released by Wood & Bone Records on 12 October 2010. Fraser celebrated with sold-out tours in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Flags reached the #1 spot on the New Zealand album chart, #3 in Australia, and entered at #59 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the US, and climbed as high as #3 on the U.S iTunes album chart. "Flags" has been certified Gold in Australia and 3x Platinum in New Zealand where it was the 6th highest selling album of 2010. The first single, “Something in the Water,” has achieved extensive radio success across the globe, notably receiving BBC Radio 2 A-list rotation upon release. The single has gone on to achieve double platinum sales in NZ where it spent 21 weeks in the 2010 singles chart.The single has reached #2 in the Dutch airplay chart whilst residing in the top 5 singles chart for 6 consecutive weeks. The single has charted in Poland and Belgium at #15 and #23 respectively,as well as being certified Gold in both Germany and Italy."Flags" was released in July 2011 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and debuted in the following positions: #6 in Germany, #33 in Austria & #24 in Switzerland. One month on from release, "Flags" remained in the German top 20 at #13 and "Something in the Water" on the singles charts at #8. "Flags" was released in October 2011 in Hungary, reaching #15 on the national album chart by 2nd week of release. “Flags” is due to be released in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland on 7 November 2011.Flags has received accolades from peers and press alike. Sara Bareilles
Sara Bareilles
Sara Beth Bareilles is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She achieved mainstream success in 2007 with the hit single "Love Song", which brought her into the number one spot on the Billboard Pop 100 chart. She has sold over 1 million records in the United States alone and has been...
announced to her 2 million followers on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
“If you don’t know her, you should. @brookefraser is a freakin gem. New album out now. Yay.” and Women’s Wear Daily has called Brooke “The Kiwi Norah Jones.
In its review of Flags, Glide Magazine said: "Brooke Fraser’s third release, Flags, is a wonder. From the stunning lyrical imagery throughout to the impressive guest vocalists who join her (Cary Brothers
Cary Brothers
Cary Brothers is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained national attention with his song "Blue Eyes" on the Platinum-selling,...
, Jon Foreman
Jon Foreman
Jonathan Mark Foreman is the lead singer, lead guitarist, main songwriter and co-founder of the alternative rock band Switchfoot. He started Switchfoot in 1996 with drummer Chad Butler and bassist Tim Foreman ....
and Aqualung
Aqualung (musician)
Matthew "Matt" Hales , better known as Aqualung, is an English singer and songwriter best known in the UK for his song "Strange and Beautiful", which was featured on a television advertisement for the new Volkswagen New Beetle during the summer of 2002 and went on to become a Top 10 hit in the UK...
among them), from Fraser’s ethereal and breathy performances to the wide-ranging soundscapes, this record is drenched in beauty and stands as one of the more remarkable achievements of 2010."
In support of "Flags" release in Switzerland, Brooke will be appearing in November 2011 at the “ENERGY STARS FOR FREE” event in Zurich alongside Lenny Kravitz & Snow Patrol.
Personal life
After the success of her first album, Fraser moved to SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, where she has lived since 2004. On 17 March 2008 she married Scott Ligertwood, in Sydney, changing her name to Brooke Ligertwood. "Brooke Fraser" has remained her stage name for her activity as a Sony BMG recording/touring artist. She continues to write songs for Hillsong Church
Hillsong Church
Hillsong Church is a Pentecostal megachurch affiliated with Australian Christian Churches and located in Sydney, Australia. The church's senior pastors, Brian and Bobbie Houston, began the church in 1983 as the Hills Christian Life Centre in Baulkham Hills...
, now as "Brooke Ligertwood". Among her notable congregational songs are "Desert song" and "Hosanna". After touring her second album Albertine for almost 4 years, Fraser returned home to Sydney. She took almost a year off from music-making. After attending the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
in the US and seeing Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes are a folk rock band which formed in Seattle, Washington. They are signed to the Sub Pop and Bella Union record labels. The band came to prominence in 2008 with the release of their second EP, Sun Giant, and their debut full length album Fleet Foxes...
set she was inspired to work on her latest album Flags.
Fraser also runs a blog from her website where she comments on everything from touring, to fashion and food.
Charity work
Even though Fraser has enjoyed success in her career for many years, she has always used her position to highlight many worthy causes and charity projects, and raising large amounts of money for them in the process. In late 2010 whilst on tour in the U.S. promoting her third album Flags, Fraser, in conjunction with charity: waterCharity: water
charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Founded in 2006, it has helped fund 3,962 projects in 19 countries, benefiting over 1,794,983 people...
ran a birthday campaign asking her fans to donate $27 in honor of her 27th birthday. The goal was to raise $50,000 to build clean water wells in Ethiopia. Joining the likes of Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert is an American singer, songwriter, and actor from San Diego, California. In May 2009, he finished as the runner-up on the eighth season of American Idol...
Fraser's birthday campaign was a success raising over $54,000. She has vowed to continue her work with charity: water
Charity: water
charity: water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. Founded in 2006, it has helped fund 3,962 projects in 19 countries, benefiting over 1,794,983 people...
on future projects.
Fraser has worked with World Vision
World Vision
World Vision, founded in the USA in 1950, is an evangelical relief and development organization whose stated goal is "to follow our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of...
as an Artist Associate since 2001. She has visited Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
with World Vision, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
with Opportunity International
Opportunity International
Opportunity International is an organization that provides small business loans, savings, insurance and training to more than two million people working their way out of poverty in the developing world...
and independently traveled to Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
in June 2005, in June 2006 as part of charity event "Hope Rwanda", and in May 2007 when she filmed the music video for the song "Albertine" off her second studio album of the same name. In 2006 she, along with Petra Bagust
Petra Bagust
Petra Bagust is a New Zealand television presenter, well known as host of New Zealand program What's Really in Our...? and previously What's Really in Our Food?, which first aired on TV3 in June 2008.Bagust is currently co-presenting TVNZ's Breakfast....
and Tau from Spacifix
Spacifix
Spacifix is a New Zealand Funk/Soul/Blues/R&B and Reggae boy group from West Auckland, New Zealand. They formed in April 2003 with the view of entering the Smoke Free Pacifika Beats national competition. Aged between 13 and 18 years they won the competition first time up...
, appeared in an advertisement for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine; an event which raises funds for children in third world countries. She also sponsors eleven children through World Vision and makes child ways of contributing to the work of World Vision (i.e. fundraising t-shirts etc.).
Discography
Studio albums- What to Do with DaylightWhat To Do With DaylightWhat to Do with Daylight is the debut album by New Zealand singer/songwriter, Brooke Fraser released in 2004. What to Do with Daylight was the top New Zealand album for 2004 , and went seven times Platinum....
(2003) - AlbertineAlbertine (album)Albertine is the second album by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Brooke Fraser. It was released in New Zealand and in the Oceanic region's iTunes store on 4 December 2006. The album was released in Australia on 31 March 2007, where it peaked at #29. The album's lead single is "Deciphering Me". The...
(2006) - FlagsFlags (album)Flags is the third studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Brooke Fraser. It was released on 8 October 2010 by Sony Music Entertainment in Australia...
(2010)
Awards and nominations
APRA AwardsAPRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
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|2004
|"Better
Better (Brooke Fraser song)
"Better" is the debut single by Brooke Fraser, from her multi-platinum and award-winning album What to Do with Daylight.-Song information:...
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|rowspan="2"|Most Played Composition in New Zealand
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|rowspan="3"|2007
|rowspan="2"|Deciphering Me
Deciphering Me
"Deciphering Me" is artist/songwriter Brooke Fraser's sixth single, and her first single from her second studio album Albertine. The song debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number forty on 23 October 2006 and on 4 December 2006, peaked at number four. It remained on the chart for a total...
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|rowspan="2"|APRA Silver Scroll
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|"Albertine
Albertine (song)
"Albertine" is a song by singer-songwriter Brooke Fraser, and the third single from her second studio album, Albertine. It was largely inspired by a Rwandan orphan, by the name of Albertine, whom Fraser met while there in 2005....
"
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New Zealand Music Awards
New Zealand Music Awards
The New Zealand Music Awards show, is a major annual New Zealand music event where musical acts and singers are awarded each year. It has occurred every year since 1965 to outstanding New Zealand musicians and groups....
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|rowspan="6"|2004
|Herself
|People's Choice Award
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|rowspan="3"|What To Do With Daylight
What To Do With Daylight
What to Do with Daylight is the debut album by New Zealand singer/songwriter, Brooke Fraser released in 2004. What to Do with Daylight was the top New Zealand album for 2004 , and went seven times Platinum....
|Album of the Year
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|Best Female Solo Artist
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|Breakthrough Artist of the Year
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|rowspan="2"|"Lifeline"
|Single of the Year
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|Songwriter of the Year
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|rowspan="6"|2007
|Herself
|People's Choice Award
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|rowspan="3"|Albertine
Albertine (album)
Albertine is the second album by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Brooke Fraser. It was released in New Zealand and in the Oceanic region's iTunes store on 4 December 2006. The album was released in Australia on 31 March 2007, where it peaked at #29. The album's lead single is "Deciphering Me". The...
|Album of the Year
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|Best Female Solo Artist
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|Highest Selling Album
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|rowspan="2"|"Deciphering Me
Deciphering Me
"Deciphering Me" is artist/songwriter Brooke Fraser's sixth single, and her first single from her second studio album Albertine. The song debuted on the New Zealand Singles Chart at number forty on 23 October 2006 and on 4 December 2006, peaked at number four. It remained on the chart for a total...
"
|Single of the Year
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|Airplay Record of the Year
New Zealand Music Award for Airplay Record of the Year
The New Zealand Music Award for Airplay Record of the Year is a New Zealand Music Award presented annually to songs by local artists that receive high airplay. It was first presented in 2004 to Goldenhorse for "Maybe Tomorrow". 2004 was the only occasion that nominees were announced for the award;...
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|2009
2009 New Zealand Music Awards
The 2009 New Zealand Music Awards was the 44th holding of the annual ceremony featuring awards for musical artists based in or originating from New Zealand. Finalists for the three technical awards were announced on 6 August 2009, with winners announced on 2 September at the Langham Hotel....
|Herself
|International Achievement
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|rowspan="5"|2011
|Flags
Flags (album)
Flags is the third studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter, Brooke Fraser. It was released on 8 October 2010 by Sony Music Entertainment in Australia...
|Album of the Year
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|Flags
|Best Pop Album
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|"Something in the Water
Something in the Water (song)
"Something in the Water" is the lead single from Brooke Fraser's third studio album, Flags. It was released by Sony Music Entertainment in New Zealand on 2 August 2010.-Background and reception:...
"
|Single of the Year
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|Herself
|Best Female Artist
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|Herself
|People's Choice Award
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GMA Dove Awards
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Dove Awards of 2009 The 40th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 23, 2009 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2008. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Rebecca St... |
Herself | Female Vocalist of the Year |