“Success for me right now looks like not giving up.” That’s how Brenda Carsey puts it—clear, grounded, and full of quiet persistence. It’s a sentence that sticks, not because it reaches for drama, but because it comes from someone who’s walked the long road with eyes wide open.
Brenda’s music lives in the in-between spaces—where chamber pop brushes against soul, where a playful rap verse can sit comfortably beside raw, reflective lyricism. She’s a singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist and her sound doesn’t chase trends—it feels more like it’s in dialogue with the listener, inviting them to slow down, feel something, and maybe even shift perspective.
Raised in a world of choirs, orchestras, marching bands, and later cabaret shows and experimental projects, Brenda’s artistic upbringing was anything but linear. That eclectic foundation now filters into every part of her work—be it a stripped-back vocal performance or a layered, theatrical music video. She’s based in Los Angeles but very much rooted in her own inner compass, shaped by years of crafting, reflecting, and, as she puts it, “choosing the path that chose me.”
Her latest release, “Go Do Something About It,” blends a cheeky tone with a deeper call for accountability. Over a hip-hop-infused beat laced with reggae and trap textures, she explores the energy we carry and how it affects those around us. The video brings that message to life through red yarn, pink fabric, dunce caps, and metaphor-rich visuals. “Everywhere we go, we leave pieces of us behind—some of us more than others,” she says, describing the symbolic red yarn that threads through the video. It’s a reminder that what we do, and how we show up, leaves a mark.
In our conversation, Brenda opens up about the discipline behind self-reflection, the small joys that keep her grounded, and the vulnerability it takes to be yourself—even on camera.
Photography by Armond Aghakani
Congratulations on your new release, “Go Do Something About It”. The song tackles finger-pointing and personal accountability. Was there a moment in your life where you had to turn the mirror on yourself in the same way?
Constantly! Reflection, Thoughtfulness, Self-Awareness, and Growth are a constant commitment for me. Not a one day epiphany where you change and are fixed forever, but a daily practice. We all have our bad days and can be messy and emotional and imperfect. That’s part of the human experience. But finding balance and bringing to the forefront of your consciousness being aware of yourself, taking responsibility for things that are your own doing, apologizing, asking questions and listening to others… all of those characteristics are important in finding balance as a person and contributing positive energy to the world.
What’s the boldest line in this song for you personally?
My favorite part of this song, the part that packs the most density of meaning and dissection of current culture in a short sentence, is in verse 3, the rap verse, specifically the lyrics: “Don’t need to be using or abusing to be. Don’t need to be hating or flexing on me. You gotta stop this come up mentality. Your purpose ain’t fighting or collecting things.”
What’s the one thing you hope someone does after hearing this song?
I hope people take a moment to think about how they treat others around them. I hope people pause the blame and finger pointing and reflect on their possible contribution to the fights and circumstances that may find them. I hope people grow to understand the positive difference between self awareness and self reflection versus self judgement and self consciousness.
“We all have our bad days and can be messy and emotional and imperfect. That’s part of the human experience.”
What was the vision behind the video?
Dreams brought to life. Observations and experiences painted through the magic of theater and metaphor to inspire an open, youthful state to listen to a really big message.
It all started with the red yarn. I saw that the most clearly in my head. Tons of red yarn and me following that red yarn everywhere, collecting as I go, till I find the source of it: the viewer. The yarn represents our energy, the pieces of us we leave behind that are invisible but still affect everything around us long after we leave. Everywhere we go we leave pieces of us behind, some of us more than others.
The pink fabric represents the folds of the brain – vast, pliable, and delicate. I walk around lost through the folds of someone’s mind trying to find my way out of the never-ending labyrinth of judgements, projections, insecurities, obsessions, addictions…
The dunce cap, arguably the most iconic imagery of the video, was an idea I mentioned to my director and collaborator Jacob McCaslin that he became obsessed with. So I made that dunce cap with my partner and Jacob had this really clear vision of me in a dark room with a blinding spotlight on me that would move and allow us to transition to the yarn scene (I love how that all turned out!), all to represent how people can sometime make us feel – small, awkward, uncomfortable, blamed.
The other shots where I’m lip syncing, dancing, etc. are moments for me to challenge myself to just be myself. Something that’s hard to do, especially on camera. I wanted it to be colorful, playful, sexy, silly, stupid, all the things!
The closing shot, the walkout one shot, was something we decided to end with as a way to break the illusion of the curated set and everything we, both crew and the viewer, went through together throughout the song and video. In the end, taking it past art and creation and out to the streets with an invitation from me to join me but with the choice in the hands of the viewer.
You’re someone who doesn’t just sing but also produces, writes, and plays—where do you feel most ‘you’ in the creative process?
It depends on the project! I genuinely connect to so many different parts of the creative process from songwriting to singing to playing instruments to producing to arranging to mixing all the way to photo shoot set styling to video shoot ideas to video editing. I love it all! It’s all part of me and all one in the same — creation. If I had to pick only one little thing that I couldn’t live without it would be singing.
“If I had to pick only one little thing I couldn’t live without, it would be singing.”
I love your caption on Instagram from one post: “Grateful to live this life as a musician. Every day I’m able to wake and sing is a miracle.” That caption really stuck with me— how do you keep hold of that sense of wonder in an industry that can sometimes feel so demanding?
Thank you so much. That’s very cool that you found that post and that it resonated with you. Firstly, there have been periods in my life where I was too sick to sing, where I lost my voice. It’s happened multiple times in my life. And it kills my spirit. So for me, it’s that literal and that humble: to just simply be alive and healthy and have my voice and sing is truly a miracle because it fills me with joy! Secondly, I have been doing this a long time. I would of course love to be more known and revered as an artist and musician but, at the end of the day, I am going to do it no matter what because it’s truly who I am. This life I’m living, this purpose, chose me. It took me going through a lot, losing my entire identity, listening and connecting with my truth, and accepting the challenge of this path for me to chose it back. All of the unknowns, discomforts, insecurities, rejections, and judgements that come with walking this path are really tough, don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone unless it truly calls them. But it also comes with fulfillment, love, freedom, beauty, spirit, and truth. So, for me, the good outweighs the bad.
Your music pulls from so many corners—chamber pop, soul, trap, reggae. With such a wide palette, is there a genre that still feels like a foreign language to you?
I definitely bounce around don’t I?! (laughs) Music feels like home for me so nothing feels particularly foreign, just a different new expression of something familiar. I love and listen to so many different types of music and it all jumbles up and comes together inside of me and out of me into what I share with everyone. I also did choir for ten years (singing in Latin, Italian, Spanish, etc) and have done French cabarets. I also love listening to the radio, especially my local independent stations, and discovering new music from creators all over the planet that I’ve never heard of. All that being said, I have never recorded and released music with me speaking another language so perhaps I can answer your question that literally? That doing a different country’s culturally traditional music in a different language is the final foreign language for me.
“Walking through pain with grace and with an acceptance that it’s part of this physical experience.”
You’ve headlined shows and played major festivals,—what does success mean to you at this point in your journey?
Success for me right now looks like not giving up. It looks like me staying open and flexible and saying yes to things that come my way. As an artist, I would love to get an opening slot on a major tour as direct support and maybe play another major festival or two. I will definitely be making another full-length album too which I am very excited about. As a vocalist and musician, I would love to continue to do more live and studio vocal work – live, as backing vocal support for renowned artists on their tours or on TV performances or for ensemble performances for film scores with choirs; – studio, as vocal support for other artists’ projects and as lead and support for major TV/film projects, top line, sync, etc. I love singing and it’s what I am the best at so if I can continue succeeding and growing and working as a professional vocalist and musician and continue to invest in my art through this, I’m grateful. Sometimes the door you were wanting to open for you doesn’t open. Sometimes a door doesn’t even appear. Sometimes it’s a window that opens with an invitation for you to climb up and through that instead. Saying yes is all about not controlling your journey and staying fixed on how it’s supposed to unfold but instead staying open enough that you notice the signs of an opening and that you go towards where you are getting opportunities, support, and positivity. It’s all part of the unfolding unknown story of life.
Where do you see yourself in around 10 years?
I honestly have no idea! I feel like people who have the ability to see with precise clarity their ten year plan are the kinds of people who own companies and are on that capital climb tip. I’ve never been good at imagining my future that specifically, especially in the tumult of the times we are living through. BUT let’s have some fun and dream together for a moment ! First, I hope to still be alive! And if we achieve that, then I hope to have had much more success in the music industry both professionally and artistically, have a Grammy or five, have a couple more albums under my belt, have toured internationally, have played and sold out the Hollywood Bowl, have zero debt, have an average sized home with a beautiful yard with healthy, happy plants, and still be with my current partner. Maybe a kid? A dog?
The most important thing in life is?
Simply put, the most important thing in life is…living. Observing, breathing, tasting, hearing, smelling, touching…experiencing life. Saying yes, trying new things, meeting new people, observing the beauty of this planet, walking through pain with grace and with an acceptance that it’s part of this physical experience. Being kind, staying open, coming together in community. Life.
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