Stu Brootal – the clue is in the name…
This story doesn’t have the fairytale beginning, but at the rate Stu Brootal is making waves in the industry he’s working as hard as possible to give it a fairytale ending. We caught up with ACM Guildford Production student, Stuart Ludlow, to hear his story and listen to his new album ‘Life & Other Diseases‘…
Tell us a bit about yourself…
“I am Stu Brootal. I am the product of love and loss. I am the son of an orphan. The blood of a coward runs through my veins. I make all my music myself. All my instrumentals are mine. All the mixing and mastering is mine. All my lyrics are mine. Each element reflects my mind and how it works. My music is me, entirely. I am Stu Brootal.”
What artists have influenced you most growing up?
“I’m the biggest fan of TOOL, APC, Puscifer, Lamb of God, Eyedea & Abiltiies, AESOP ROOOOOCK!!!!!, Queen, Opeth. I could go on and on but these bands mean the most to me.”
You’ve just dropped ‘Life & Other Diseases’, what was the inspiration behind the record?
“I left Texas as my life was falling to pieces. My music career was taking off and I was finally seeing a return each week from the shows. I was part of the ‘Master Of The Mic’ competition judged by some big league judges in the final round… I made it to the final round.. But unfortunately my long-term relationship, mental health, and general wellbeing forced my hand and I had to make a choice…
So, I left and now I’m in England. This album is about this whole experience and the conclusions I’ve arrived to. Plus a big inspiration was to make sure I don’t sound like these other kids who are out here adding NOTHING to the culture of hip hop and are merely feeding off its energy and using it as a way to look “cool”, whatever that means. I don’t want to be stuck inside the walls of what people WANT I wanna show them something they have NEVER SEEN and leave them wanting more.”
It’s a hard-hitting album, how do you start the creative process… what comes first when you have an idea for a track?
“Usually the music. I try and compose strange piano riffs that don’t quite work but always seem to find their way to resolve well at the end. Much like myself I guess! The music comes first, but I write and record at the same time. That is one of the many perks of not being restricted by other people’s basic boring beats.
Lyrically things just pour out. If you meet me you will understand how my energy flows and it is one of two ways… all the way out or all the way in. I can’t handle that much intensity within so I project it outward into my music and it writes itself.”
We see you’ve collaborated with Kyle Elliot and Character, how did you meet these guys and what do look for when collaborating with other artists?
“Character and I met in the Texas hip hop scene. He was a weirdo, I was a weirdo… it was great! So we hung out, wrote music and became best friends foreveeerrrrr.
Kyle is my roommate and the singer from kissed and Crowned. I am a big fan of those guys not just as a band but as musicians individually and as people. The best new friends I could ask for, hands down. So, yeah, when I need Kyle he is always there for me… so I needed his smooth vocals to sing about some evil stuff and it worked!”
Find Stu Brootal on : Spotify // Apple Music // iTunes
If you’d like to study at ACM and follow in the footsteps of our students like Stu, please call our Admissions Team on 01483 500 841 or visit www.acm.ac.uk/open-days to book a place on an ACM Open Day today.
