V V Brown Announces She’s Quitting the Music Industry
V V Brown is officially signing off as a full-time musical artist.
The Northampton-born singer, who released three studio albums and is perhaps most well known for her 2009 U.S. Billboard Hot 100-charting hit "Shark In The Water," wrote an impassioned note to fans on her Instagram announcing her decision to move on to the next chapter of her life.
"It's been 15 years of self promotion and I want to do something external from that hemisphere. Music you are everything but it's time to say goodbye for now. Maybe an album will be released as a hobby and my ideas will still manifest for fun but for now I put a peace sign up and say thanks for the ride," the Travelling Like the Light singer-songwriter wrote, detailing her bumpy ride from label deals, to being dropped and in major debt, to more label deals and eventually gaining success as an artist.
"You made me strong, determined, stable and I will always remain a fighter but it's time for a new match. Meet me in a board room running a marketing firm or negotiating a contract. New path begins today. Trust me this was a hard decision and I cried but peace paseth like a river and I peacefully take a bow. 1998-2017 are my years in this industry. You have been kind."
V V's latest studio album, Glitch, was released in 2015. The album was partially funded by fans via PledgeMusic, with 10% of all money raised going to Save The Children.
Read her full note below. We wish you the best of luck in your new endeavors, V V!
"I started in a punk band at 15. I got signed to universal at 18 and moved to LA. I made an album, bought a house, lived like a rock star, got ill advised and lost everything. I got shelved and at 21 I was in debt of over £100,000. I became addicted to sleeping pills and suffered from depression. I lived alone in what was more or less a squat. When I came back to London I wrote down every pub music venue in my note pad and played everyone one. I played in every pub with a one string guitar and eventually got signed again at 24. I met an amazing team, made an album, travelled the world and sold a bunch of records. Every "no" was answered with a "we will eventually and we won't give up" and we found our feet in other territories. I paid back my debts and started to make money. I modelled, wrote songs for other artists, set up my own label and kept going. At every gig our fans have been the most loyal and over the years we have become friends. None of this would have happend without your support! I ❤️ you and I am so grateful. You have always accepted me even through the changes. 15 years later from driving to London from school to play in my band I am now a mother and I am ready for a new start in my life. It's been 15 years of self promotion and I want to do something external from that hemisphere. Music you are everything but it's time to say goodbye for now. Maybe an album will be released as a hobby and my ideas will still manifest for fun but for now I put a peace sign up and say thanks for the ride. 🖖🏽🖖🏽 You made me strong, determined, stable and I will always remain a fighter but it's time for a new match. Meet me in a board room running a marketing firm or negotiating a contract. New path begins today. Trust me this was a hard decision and I cried but peace paseth like a river and I peacefully take a bow. 1998-2017 are my years in this industry. You have been kind. Music art and ideas will still come but loosely and I've written a book from eating cheeseburgers with Stevie wonder to hulk hogan arm wrestle as a testimony of my fight in this rat race. However... Big ❤️ Thanks for the love, tears, joy and the lessons. Vanessa Brown aka VV Brown"
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