Songwriters often use their songs as an outlet and a way of dealing with emotions. BIMM Bristol’s Brandon Van Der Berg latest release, ‘Go’, reflects his struggle with mental health.
Take a listen here, and discover more about the track below.
What was your inspiration when you began writing the track?
I broke up with my girlfriend, a very unoriginal inspiration, but to me, it was genuine love that had just been snatched away from me by myself. I was incredibly lost and deeply struggling with my mental health. This song was the only catharsis I had for months.
Are there any artists that inspire you when writing?
I don’t really look to artists stylistically for inspiration, but I look to my favourite songwriters, such as Fleetwood Mac, who motivate me to write the best songs that I can and they inspire me to improve continuously.
What is key to your sound, and how do you make your music stand out?
My music is generally about my struggles with mental health, which I am very open about, so this is extremely key to my sound. Although I’ve never tried to make my music stand out, it does come out into this emo-indie-folk vibe which I don’t really hear much of.
How does your songwriting process work?
Lyrically, It almost always starts as an outlet to some kind of trauma or emotion, but whenever I’ve written a guitar line I really like, I’ve never had the intent to sit down and write a song. They’re complete accidents.
Describe your sound in 3 words…
Emo
Indie
Folk
How has studying at BIMM helped you develop as an artist?
Greatly. Meeting the people at BIMM made me realise just how much room I had to improve, and without coming here, I seriously doubt I would have challenged myself to improve, both me as a person and a musician.
What’s next for you?
I’m relatively inexperienced as a solo artist in the industry, so just learning the in’s and outs of the industry and releasing/pushing my music out there as much as possible.
