Brit Drozda knows the importance of hustle in today’s music business.

The dynamic folk-rock singer-songwriter is set to release her second full length album Make Something Beautiful this Friday night at the Visulite, a follow up to her 2016 release Let Me Hang the Moon.  Brit has graced stages from The Evening Muse to Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.

Her love of music started at a very young age.  She grew up in New York where she started playing the piano at age four and fell in love with Broadway and singing show tunes during this time.

“A cup of Norah Jones-inspired piano pop. A few sprigs of ’70s folk-rock creativity. And a good dollop of entrepreneurial spirit. Mix it all together, and you get the musical delight that is Brit Drozda” – Joni Deutsch of WFAE

Make Something Beautiful can be described as a collection of folk songs with the intention to inspire beauty and pose a call to human action of kindness and artistry.  

Each song taps into different human emotions with the intention to turn sadness, tragedy, heartbreak, reflection, nostalgia, love into relatable works of art.  In the day and age of ever-popular single releases, Brit seeks to bring an engaging and extended listening experience to her audience.

We caught up with Brit this week ahead of her album release party this Friday to discuss her music, writing approach to this album, and what to expect at her show.

Tell me about the personnel on this album and where it was recorded.
Make Something Beautiful features top-tier musicians from the Charlotte area. Jonathan Erickson lends his talent on drums, while Stacey Leazer plays electric bass and upright bass on several tracks. Matt Branniff contributes his soulful lines on melodica, organ and keys, while Eleazar Shafer brings a pensive trumpet line to “Change Tomorrow.”

Dan Hood plays pedal steel while Randy DeBruhl picks the banjo on “Ribbon.” Multi-talented singer-songwriter and recording artist Jason Scavone not only lends his vocals to several tracks as backgrounds, but also colors the album with guitar and bass and polishes the folk sound of the album with his production.

Make Something Beautiful was recorded at Sioux Sioux Studios in Charlotte and  all songs mastered by Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering.

Was there anything in particular that helped or influenced your writing process for this album?
The overarching theme of the album is “Make Something Beautiful.”   The goal and inspiration for this full length album was to take human experience and turn it into something beautiful.

Each song captures an emotion or an experience and interprets it through music.  The album and the title track is also a call to action to inspire others to “Make Something Beautiful.”  If you are blessed with an artistic passion, nurture it, create, and make the world more beautiful with your gift.

It also doesn’t take artistic creativity to “make something beautiful.”  The song and album are hopes to awaken human emotion, draw empathy, and influence positive human action.  Being a kind person, helping those in need, holding your child, being a good parent and friend is in turn “making something beautiful” in that it makes life so fulfilling and inspiring for everyone around you.

Sonically, I’ve been tapping into my piano background and writing at a piano more.  I grew up playing classical piano and have always loved the sound of an acoustic piano in music.  With the Jason Scavone’s brilliant production too, I’ve been able to hone my sound.  It’s Folk Rock.  By infusing acoustic guitar, banjo, upright bass, organ and pedal steel into some of the songs, there are nods to folk and even gospel music as well.

What would you like your fans to know about this new album?
It can be listened to on Spotify, iTunes, or purchased via my website.  I’ll be coming out with a vinyl copy this summer.

This album is meant to inspire my fans to go out and create beautiful things and experiences.  I hope the lyrics speak to them, but I also hope they enjoy the Folk-Rock, Folk-Pop sound that I’ve been really working to tap into.

I was listening to your cover of “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World earlier.  It’s an interesting take on a guitar driven, uptempo song.  What brought you to cover that song?

I was in my car one day when it came on the radio.   I used to jam out to that song in high school, but I have to admit that I never really paid much attention to the lyrics.  When I listened to them closer, I realized how powerful they were.

I’ve played the song at several yoga events that Fit Atelier, a local Charlotte ath-leisure and boutique fitness location.  I would play a live music set during a candlelit yoga classes.  When I played The Middle at the end of the classes, many of the participants came over to ask me where they could find the song.  So, I recorded it.

I felt like the words needed to be heard.  I give Jimmy Eat World a ton of credit with how powerful of a song they wrote and how it doesn’t need the high energy to really speak to listeners. I love performing it because the words speak to me every time.

Who will be joining you on stage Friday night at the Visulite and can we expect any surprises?

Jason Scavone, Stacey Leazer, Matt Branniff and Jonathan Erickson will be the core band and there might be a couple guest musicians as well.

There just might be a video surprise that will premiere that night.  I’ve been working on a music video for “Make Something Beautiful” and attendees might get a sneak peak.

Courtney Lynn and Quinn are opening up, and they are an incredible Charlotte Folk duo.

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Tickets for Friday nights show can be purchased here.

Website: britdrozda.com

Instagram: @britdrozda

Twitter: @britdrozda

Track Listing for Make Something Beautiful

1. Perfect to Pieces
2. Make Something Beautiful
3. Together
4. Free
5. The Best Part
6. This Too Shall Pass
7. Breathing*
8. Make No Mistake
9. Change Tomorrow
10. No Way

All tracks written by Brit Drozda and produced by Jason Scavone

*Written by Brit Drozda and Jason Scavone