The concept of being 30 years old is sometimes too much to handle. It comes with a certain expectation that things should be different or that we should have reached certain milestones. There is a lot of pressure behind this age, which is probably why a lot of people cover up this pressure with elaborate birthday parties or life-changing trips around the world. For Brooklyn Doran, turning 30 is a process, one that involves looking back on her 20s and figuring out what worked and what didn’t work.
On “Wasted My Twenties,” Brooklyn tries to find closure. Taking on a grunge-leaning sound, she recounts some of the unhealthy habits she had in her twenties. Contrasting this grunge sound with sweet vocals, she sings, “Wasted my twenties / Black out at parties / Trying to meet somebody / Well, I guess I never did.” You can check it out below.
About “Wasted My Twenties,” Brooklyn shares,
“‘Wasted My Twenties’ is a song that I began writing with Jemuel Roberts (J3M) during the first few months of the pandemic while we lived and quarantined together in our small Toronto apartment. We wanted to write something real, about breaking cycles and thinking back over our twenties as we came into a new decade together and all of the stupid shit that we got up to while we were trying to make a name for ourselves. As I enter my thirties, I think back about the urgency I had in my twenties to prove myself – as a person worthy of love, as a musician and songwriter, and as an adult. It also speaks to the realness of touring in your twenties. I feel like I really paid my dues in this era, but I also look back and see more than a few unhealthy habits that could’ve been broken earlier.”
While Brooklyn may believe that her twenties were a waste, she has been out here making waves. Brooklyn has been lighting up the Toronto folk scene for over ten years, crafting haunting and witty songs and teaming up with bands for unique collaborations like “Hammering On,” which she released with Canadian punk band Cancer Bats last year. She has also worked with campaigns like The Get Real Movement x Kiehl’s, The Moosehide Campaign, and Decades Genderless Fashion. In 2020, she released “Tomorrow Never Comes,” which was dedicated to her late friend Andrew Henderson. All proceeds from “Tomorrow Never Comes” have been and continue to be donated to The 519 Will Munro Fund, the Toronto charity that provides relief for queer and trans people diagnosed with cancer.
“Wasted My Twenties” is from Brooklyn’s upcoming album, Fixer Upper, which will arrive later this year. For now, you can listen to “Wasted My Twenties” on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Catch Brooklyn on tour here.
Keep up with Brooklyn Doran: Twitter // Facebook // Instagram // YouTube // TikTok // Website
