Getting to know.....Daisy: Your new favourite popstar!
Daisy is getting ready to try her hand at being an amateur musician.Who are you?I'm Nathalie Ruth Brooks, I'm 17-years old, and I come from East Kilbride in Scotland. But you can call me Daisy.
Why the name Daisy?When I was younger, I used to have a bright yellow face to go with my white hair.....nah, not really, but. When I was a wee girl, my mum used to always put me in those awful dresses with the little flowers on them? Aye, them. One day, my dad just started calling me his wee Daisy, and then it stuck from there. Everyone calls me it now, even like my best pals and teachers and stuff.
What do you do?I sing and play guitar. I've only been learning guitar for like 2 years or something, because I thought it would be quite cool. I saw people like Kate Nash and even Amy McDonald on telly playing their guitars and that and I thought it was really cool to see a girl with a guitar, so I thought I would go with it and see if I could learn. I wouldn't even call myself all that good at playing, but I can play all the wee quirky riffs that I write. Obviously. Sorry I'm getting all flustered, but. But aye, I just like singing songs about people and things that I see. I'm not into singing about my boyfriends and stuff. Seems like a wee bit of a cliche. So I like songs about...well like folk I see in the street and that. Or stuff that makes me laugh. Cultural stuff and that. I'm like acoustic music for the Zooey Deschanel fan in your life, my mate Dave says. I kicked him when he said it, but it's probably quite accurate actually.
Who would you most liken yourself to musically?I'd like to say no one. It would be cool to like plough my own furrow. Is that the right phrase? But...aye, I don't think many people can say they sound like themselves and no one else. I suppose if you asked someone else who I sounded like, they would probably say like....Evangeline Wolfe or Katie [Merjos]. I like them both. I'd rather sound a wee bit individual and be people like "oh aye, that's that Daisy lassie!" but if I had to be likened to anyone, I suppose it could be a lot worse than those two (laughs).
Why did you choose to become a musician?I just like music. I'm sorry, I'm all over these cliches, but. But aye, I just like listening to music and as I got a bit older, I just thought it would be something I could do to be creative. When I got too old for a diary and that, know? I never imagined that any of the stuff I wrote would get recorded properly though. I just liked recording videos of me playing on YouTube and then folk were like "aw you've totally got a unique voice, man," and I was like really? So then I got my mum and dad to spend all my birthday money on getting me somewhere to record a couple of songs, which was cool.
Also, have you ever been to East Kilbride? I don't think you'd ask why I want to get the chance to get out if you had.
What are your goals?I dunno, I really don't want to be like looking away into the future, because you never know what could happen. I could put this song on iTunes and then everybody will be like "aw, man Daisy, that's pure minging. Stop!" know? So aye, it's just playing it by ear the now. If somebody phoned me and was like "aye do you want to play T in the Park," though...that would be nice. Maybe some day I can do something like that. If not, then I can go back to just being me in my room singing on YouTube for like 80 folk that like me and I can concentrate on school and getting my exams. My gran's always like that "Daisy get your exams before you try this music hing. Nobody gets famous for long enough to make money," but I'm not even in it for the money, but. It just seemed cool to put some music on the internet for folk to listen to. Maybe I'd get to see a bit of the world? That would be nice. Furthest we've ever been on holiday was like Butlins in Ayr. It would be nice to get to go on a plane someday. I bet that's a total shite ambition, eh? I bet everyone else is like that "I want to be number one in the charts and that," and all "nah I just want to go on a plane, but." We'll see what happens.
Daisy's videos have been garnering attention on YouTube, where she performs her own material.You're still at school too. How does that fit into your schedule?Fit in? Nah, school is still my schedule. I'm sadly not one of these well spoiled child stars who's like getting schooled for an hour a week when they're on tour. My maw's like that "you're getting your highers and if your grades slip then you're stopping all this music stuff." I can't complain though, eh? If I don't get to do this for a job then I'll need to do something else.
And what would you like to do if you weren't able to be a musician?I think I would just be like somebody working in a bank or that. I've never really thought about it, to be honest. I probably should think about getting a career and that but I've never really sat down and thought about it. As long as I'm not a hairdresser, but. Everybody I know's like that "I want to be a hairdresser," and I'm like that "aye there's only so many hairdressers in the world."
Who are your heroes?In music? Probably Amy McDonald. She's cool and Scottish and she's managed to take that brand of what she sings and make it like really famous, which is nice. Before she came out, nobody else was singing like that. There weren't that many girls in the mainstream either that were playing guitars. Well...playing them for real and not just using it like a prop, but. I'm sorry, I'm not like a feminist or that. I know it's coming across like that, but seriously I'm just a normal lassie. I like that Dylan lassie as well. She's done all her music through that Pure Volume site, which I like. She's just like doing it on her own and that, which is cool to see. Her music is really nice as well.
Do you have much experience?In music? None, mate. I just sing on YouTube really. I've never sung in front of anybody in my whole life, but. Even when I get that email like "you have new comments on your video," I'm like that "aw naw, I hope it's not "aye, you're pure shite"." So no, I'm like brand new to this for real. Might be a bit of a disaster. I'll see how folk likes my song and maybe then I'll sing in front of them.
Any pet peeves?Eh......I don't like when you get on the bus and there's loads of free seats and then that one smelly homeless gets on and sits right beside you. I'm looking around like "naw, nobody better think it's me that smells like that. I spend a lot of time on my appearance and that. If I ever smelled I would be mortified, mate.
How would your friends describe you?Probably lazy. I like to stay in at the weekends and watch the telly. Totally addicted to all they reality shows, know? I love like TOWIE and Made in Chelsea and them. They'd probably say I was a bit shy as well. And quiet.
Is there a Mr Daisy around?No. I'm too shy and quiet so guys don't take the chance to come and talk to me. Maybe they think I'm a wee bit psycho or something since I'm that quiet. Maybe. I hope no.
What have you got planned for the next few months?School. I've got my exams in May. After that I might go on holiday with some of my pals from school and see if I can have a laugh before some of them go away to uni and that in September. Like I says, though, I've never been on a plane before so I doubt that'll happen. Maybe we'll all just go to the beach and get tanked up on voddy. In music, though, no plans, no. I'm just going to put this song on iTunes on the weekend. Maybe Friday, and then see what folk think about it. I'm trying to not get any expectations or hopes for it, because then I'll be pure dead gutted if anybody hates it. That would leave me with a well red beamer.
Ok, some fun ones....who would play you in a movie of your life?Em.......god I don't even know. Maybe like that lassie in Game of Thrones. Emilia something? She's got the right colour of hair in that programme to be me, but.
Have you ever been arrested?Aye. Well, no arrested but like taken home to my mum and dad. We got caught behind the leisure centre with four bottles of Bucky (Buckfast) when we were all 15 and I got grounded for a month.
Despite her dreams, the teenager is keeping her feet planted on the ground.What can you see out the window right now?Some guy trying to stop his pure big dog attacking a bin. This is a weird place, but.
Last thing you put in your mouth?Aye? Eh, a cup? I just had a drink of juice.
What would you do if you won the lottery?Die. Literal dead on the spot.
Where's the strangest place you've had sex?Remember that leisure centre I mentioned earlier? Aye I think everything happens behind that leisure centre. It's like the cultural hub of East Kilbride teenage life. Awful (laughs).
Pirates or ninjas?Ninjas. I don't even want to know they people that say pirates.
Summer or winter?I live in Scotland....it's basically the same thing. I'll say summer though. It's nice to wear dresses and that, eh?
Haggis or irn bru?Fuck right off (laughs). That's like saying do you prefer your brain or your heart, mate?
What's your most prized possession?I've got a Faberge egg that somehow managed to make its way into my family. My gran gave me it. Although, I say Faberge.....she probably got it at the Barras. It's probably fake.
If you could be a guy for a day, what would you do?Shower. Why do they all smell like....like guys?
Last time you were embarrassed?When we were at Butlins one time, my dad won a dad dance competition. I wanted to just die right there. And the amount of red in my face, I nearly did, but!
Ever been in a fight?I refer you to the East Kilbride thing again. It's kinda a rough area. You've got to learn to fight or you'll end up in trouble. Last time I had a fight I ended up ripping out this lassie's £300 extensions. She shite herself. It was scary though. I got suspended from school for pure dead ages and she kept saying she was going to knife me!
Daisy's debut single Hipstar is out soon. 