Born and raised in Northampton, V V Brown made her name in music in the early 00s, with a unique and soulful sound that drew from a wide range of influences. Her 2009 debut album, Travelling Like The Light featured iconic hits like ‘Shark in the Water’ and ‘Game Over’. Now, after taking time away from the industry, she’s back and ready to share her music with the world again – only this time as her fully authentic self, unbound by the music industry’s expectations.

In an industry where success can hinge on conforming to certain expectations,  V V rightfully insists on acknowledging the challenges she faced as a black artist and notes how her black identity was not always welcomed in her music.

“Behind the scenes, there were lots of conversations going on where I wanted to have a say about who I was, and my blackness, my identity. But in those circumstances, it was very difficult to do that and it was deemed that it wouldn’t sell. So as a young artist, I had to navigate around my authenticity to survive. And I did release music that I still believed in – but my identity was often muted.”