A Conversation With Claire Brooks: Her Life on Tour, Visiting New Places, and Upcoming Plans
For Claire Brooks, born and raised in Los Angeles, music was always part of her life as she grew up in an artistic family. After receiving her B.S in Mechanical Engineering for Product Design at Stanford University, the singer has now kicked off her first-ever tour, 13 shows supporting Carpetman throughout Europe in 2025. Before heading to Prague, she sat down with us to tell us all about life on tour, visiting new places, and upcoming plans regarding her music and more.
HERE'S THE FULL INTERVIEW:
Andy: Claire, you are currently on your first-ever tour as you're opening for Carpetman all throughout Europe. Just yesterday you played a show in Bratislava, and tomorrow you're playing a show in Prague. How has the tour been so far, and can you give us some of your favorite memories?
Claire Brooks: It's been insane. It's been very intense and educational for me. I feel lucky to be able to play my music live in front of large groups of new people - I feel like this is something that I've been thinking about on tour.
It's such a privilege to get out of social media work, like, "Is this going to work on TikTok? Is this post going to go viral? Am I going to get enough comments to feel like I can't delete it?" It's so nice to be able to actually give people the gift of music and improve my craft, seeing what songs work and what don't. It really feels like the most intense and fulfilling way I've interacted with music since I played in my college dining hall. So it's awesome.
Andy: What are your favorite memories?
Claire Brooks: There's been so much. So much has happened in the last two weeks. I feel like I've lived a decade. The Hamburg show was really, really fun. It was at Turmzimmer, at this bunker. It was the craziest venue I've ever seen. Not only that, but there was a huge carnival going on right next door. What is that carnival?
Andy: It's called Dom. It's not there every day. For every season, there is a period of time, I think three weeks, when it's going on. So, I would say you were really lucky that it was happening when you played the show.
Claire Brooks: I felt really lucky. That place was awesome. A fun memory was when an incredible cinematographer was with me, taking photos and videos of the tour, we snuck into the carnival with this big-ass camera and shot a music video walking through the carnival. It's going to be so cool. We ended up shooting a ton of visuals all around Europe. It feels very special and also really interesting.
It's a cool way to document the experience as well. That was a great memory, trying to sneak the camera into the carnival. We got stopped a few times, but it worked.
Andy: That sounds great. You also saw a lot of places. So far, you have been to places such as Paris, Vienna, London, Milan, and Berlin. What was your favorite place you visited so far?
Claire Brooks: Oh my god. I'm not just trying to gas you up, but Hamburg was one of them for sure. But I think Milan was my favorite place so far. We had an off day in Milan, and it was just incredible. I had never been there, but I felt strangely connected to it, which I wasn't expecting. I've also heard great things about Prague, so we'll see.
Andy: What do your off days look like? I think today is your off day, right? After this interview, what's your day going to be like?
Claire Brooks: Our off days have kind of switched around now, because before, we were traveling by train and plane, so we had a lot more time in each city for the off days, but now we're traveling in a van. So it will take us a while to get to Prague from Bratislava. So I don't know, honestly, how much of the off day we can really enjoy, but in the past, my group has been doing a really good job at making sure we properly explore each place.
We always walk around, we buy food, we try to go and see the social life, landmarks and nature, and also just shoot a lot. We try to shoot a lot of those visualizers I was talking about.
Honestly, I'm super grateful for the two people that I'm traveling with, because I feel like they do a really good job of being like, "Alright, now, let's explore", when I can easily just pass out. But it's been really fulfilling and awesome.
Andy: And now that we're talking about visualizers that you are shooting, it sounds like there's a new project coming. Last month, you released your song "MORTAL HIDE", which is the first single of your new project, right?
Claire Brooks: Yeah, it's the first single.
Andy: So what can we expect from you next year regarding music?
Claire Brooks: Well, fuck. I mean, I think yeah, I'll be releasing a project in 2026, and who knows if that's the only thing I'll be releasing. I've been working on quite a bit of music over the last year, and it feels really special. It honestly feels like the first project that is diverse yet compact enough to really encapsulate my essence in a way that I just don't think I've done before. And it almost feels like this is me. If you fuck with me, this is what you fuck with. And if you don't, I don't give a shit.
Andy: Oh, I think that's a really great way to think! Now that the tour is almost over, if you could turn back time and talk to yourself before this tour started, what advice would you give yourself? Is it true how you imagined it? Is it drastically different?
Claire Brooks: Pack different. I've had to ship clothes back twice, and that's a pretty penny. Besides that, I'm honestly proud of myself. I think I've done a pretty good job, all things considered. But also, I've been mentally and physically preparing for this for what kind of feels like all my life. I don't know if there's anything where I was like, "Oh my god, I have to actually look at the audience on stage". I think there were certain things that felt very good. And yeah, also taking in every second. I can't believe it's almost over. It's insane.
Andy: What was your favorite venue? Not like the crowd or city, but the favorite venue itself? Do you have a dream venue you would love to play one day? Maybe even headlining?
Claire Brooks: Oh, I hate to say it again: Hamburg was pretty sick. It was in a bunker. But I think the venue that lent itself best to the performance was probably in Switzerland. The sound was incredible. And they had this projector on the back of the stage, and the lights were amazing. But honestly, it's also been really, really, really awesome being able to go to all these different venues in these different places because it's a different way to experience the taste of the culture there too.
Andy: Now that you have been on tour, what would you say is your favorite activity as an artist? Is it touring? Is it writing? Is it just being in the studio?
Claire Brooks: When I'm not nervous? Playing live and being able to find those people in the audience that I can giggle with - not actually, but lock eyes with and be like, "You and me together, bitch".
But honestly, writing. Writing and actually singing and feeling the music move through me, as cheesy as that sounds. Those are the two things that I've just been doing ever since I could talk. So it feels like I'm most connected to those. But I've been having a lot of fun performing, and, I mean, granted, performing in this regard is definitely a muscle I need to strengthen.
So right now, it feels like a huge learning experience, but I see myself in the future craving it when I get home, and as I improve, just really feeling like it's the thing that I enjoy the most out of this really strange career.
Andy: You're also a woman in STEM - or at least you have a degree in that field. How do you think your degree has helped you in the way you look at music?
Claire Brooks: I'm a very cerebral and logical thinker, and I apply that to creation. I think when you do apply that to creation, you kind of get something that you wouldn't expect. I think the way it's applied most is being able to identify patterns in the world. Once you can identify patterns, you can be really intentional about breaking them, and that feels like a really important concept in engineering. It's just seeing what the patterns are, and how you can stress that you can test the limit of things while still being acceptable in certain codes of conduct or whatever, and music is the same. It's like, "How can I write a song that has the sentiment of one thing", but maybe I'm doing something completely different. So I think pattern making and breaking feels like the biggest parallel for me.
Andy: You do have a song called "PISCES FINE" - it's a very fun song. Are you into astrology?
Claire Brooks: Personally, I'm not asking people what their sign is, but I'm really into belief systems in general, so I think it's really dope that people are so enamored with astrology, but no, personally, I'm not like, "What is your rising? Oh, you're a Gemini, don't talk to me". I don't really give a shit.
Andy: We at THE UNSEEN Magazine curate a playlist with artists' favorites, and I wanted to ask you, what would you put into that playlist? It can be any song.
Claire Brooks: Andy, this is a really tough question… "Neon Guts" by Lil Uzi Vert. That's been the soundtrack of my life. It's been my tour hype song if I'm ever in a bad mood, which I don't have time for on this tour.
Andy: Do you listen to that song before you go on stage?
Claire Brooks: Yes, that one and "NOW OR NEVER".
Andy: Is it like a tour ritual?
Claire Brooks: I'm trying to find some sort of ritual because it is nice to have some rhythm, you know? Some sort of pattern.
Andy: Thank you so much, Claire. Thank you for taking the time to talk to us!
Claire Brooks: Likewise. Thank you for having me. This has been awesome. When are you coming to America?
Andy: Next time! Are you touring next year? So, would there be an opportunity to see you live?
Claire Brooks: I would love to. That's the plan. If all goes to plan, I will be able to do this again…I'm just going to say yes because that's usually how I get shit done. Yeah, I'm touring next year.
Andy: Right, manifest it! I'll see you whether it is in America or here in Europe. I can't wait.
LISTEN TO CLAIRE'S NEWEST SONG "MORTAL HIDE" HERE:
LISTEN TO OUR ARTIST RECOMMENDATION PLAYLIST HERE:
INTERVIEW BY
Andy
(Live) music is one of my biggest passions, which is why I enjoy exploring pop culture in my writings. From analyzing albums to reviewing concerts. I'm especially interested in fandom culture, which often comes through in my work.
