The Fratellis gifted him a guitar, now teenager Brodie Brown is on his way to music stardom

This talented musician has battled illness to become a singer songwriter

It’s incredible what an impact a small gesture of kindness can have.

Just two years ago, 17-year-old Kent-based Brodie Brown, originally from Stirling, was sectioned and in hospital, where he spent his 15th birthday.

He was suffering from a psychotic break, which was partially induced by an extremely tough childhood, during which he underwent numerous operations on his throat for a rare disease called lymphangioma or cystic hygroma.

Brodie Brown's artwork for Monsters

While his son was in hospital, Brown’s dad contacted Scottish band, Glasgow-based The Fratellis, of Chelsea Dagger fame, and their bass player, Barry, sent over the gift of a bass guitar.

“My dad knows someone in the music industry, and he reached out and shared my story,” says Brodie, who lives at home with his ‘incredibly supportive’ parents and younger sister. “They decided they wanted to give me an instrument to try, so there was something new to focus on when things weren’t so good. It’s all gone from there”.

While recovering, the teenager threw himself into learning to play this instrument, and, this year, his debut single, Monsters, was shortlisted for Song of the Year in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, which is supported by Yoko Ono and features judges including Flea from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, George Clinton, Jimmy Cliff and other industry professionals.

This piece also won the same award’s Grand Prize for Best Rock Song back in 2023.

LONDON - OCTOBER 06: (R-L) Barry, Jon and Mince Fratelli of the band The Fratellis attend the Q Awards 2008 held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on October 6, 2008 in London, England . (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

Unfortunately, he didn’t win this year, but being a finalist has confirmed his rising star status.

“I was up against a band who do headline tours around America, and have had millions of streams, so it was quite stiff competition,” says the teenager.

Monsters is one of those tunes that really gets stuck in your head, with lyrics that include, “I’m surrounded by monsters, screaming in my head, they used to be friendly, now they want me dead,” to a surprisingly jaunty ska-like riff.

“I basically put every chord I knew into one song, wrote some lyrics from some poetry I’d written and made it into a song,” says the multi-talented Brown, who also created the single’s artwork.

There’s a horn section, and a Nigerian gospel choir, who Brown contacted via social media and asked to provide backing vocals.

“I work with them to create a different element to my songs,” he says.

The teenager’s vocals are punky and shouty in parts. They require a good set of pipes.

“I’ve had 70 operations, they never thought I’d talk again, so the fact that I’ve had a tracheotomy twice and can use my voice to help other people and myself is incredible”, says Brown, whose condition meant that he couldn’t breathe properly.

The Brown family originally moved away from Scotland to be nearer Great Ormond Street hospital for Brodie’s operations. Although Brown has now got an English accent, he still considers himself “100 per cent Scottish”.

He’s now been discharged from Great Ormond Street, and only goes in for a check up now and then, but the prognosis is all positive.

Brown will soon be heading off to university, where he’ll be studying music and songwriting at WaterBear College of Music in Brighton.

“When we heard his music, we knew we had to help, even though he didn’t meet the entry requirements. WaterBear exists to find and nurture raw talent so we worked with our partners at Falmouth University to formally recognise Brodie’s real-world musical achievements, and I am so pleased that we could offer a place on the degree due to the sheer quality of his musical output,” says this institution’s founder, Bruce Dickinson. “This was so important to me, as I too left formal education with very few qualifications having spent my youth in van touring, and I was later able to get myself onto a degree course in the same way as Brodie. Music can change our lives and I see that everyday. Well done Brodie. Where you tread others will follow”.

So, what does he see himself doing in ten years?

“Just go to uni, continue touring and playing lots of gigs. I want to play King Tut’s in Glasgow. That’d be a goal,” he says.

Perhaps The Fratellis will come to see him play, while he’s in their hometown. He’s been to see them play plenty of times.

“I’ve been backstage at a couple of their shows, been to some soundchecks, they did a charity thing with a few other bands, including Ash and Kaiser Chiefs, so we got to go backstage there as well, and meet the band again. It’s amazing,” says Brown. “Their bassist has heard my music. He thought it was very cool that I managed to carry on and stick with the music. I’m not in regular contact with them but I’ve heard that they have heard my songs”.

He’s continues to be a fan of the Scottish band, but he’s got wide raging inspiration.

As he says, “I listen to lots of different things, variations of rock, some punky music, some country music, it’s just so eclectic. I listen to everything to have the largest amount of influences I can”.

Since writing Monsters, Brodie has written and recorded over a dozen more songs and released his debut EP, Just Another Day in Paradise, available on Spotify. It’s Never Enough also won the Best Break-Up Song category at The John Lennon Songwriting Competition.