Every now and then you hear a voice that speaks to your spirit. One that makes you stop and listen and say, “Wow. I like that. Give me more.” Such is the case with Sheena Brook, an acoustic pop singer/songwriter with a little soul and a whole lotta story to tell, who made a name for herself on Season 12 of NBC’s “The Voice,” where she was hand-picked by Adam Levine to be on his team. Afterwards she recorded with multi-platinum artists and continues to perform for captivated audiences, as she has for decades.
That’s because Sheena simply has a voice that enchants. When she owns the song, you can see the transformation onstage: her confidence carries the performance, and she glows from something special within, that extra little fire that not everyone has. Her songs are down-to-earth, completely relatable and addictive, whether it’s the fed-up stance of Take the High Road (The First Time, 2024) or the gritty refrain from the single Bad Bitches Like Me (2022), which will make you hesitate to ever get on Sheena’s bad side. Wrong Tree (2024) will have you laughing out loud, while Voodoo (The First Time, 2024) will keep your foot tapping and leave you wondering if perhaps she’s bewitched you. Who knows? With a voice like that, she just might be a modern-day siren.
Watch out.
Listen to this track, Tongues of Angels, her 2023 single, a head-bopping tune with a clever libretto, and you’ll immediately get a sense of why so many people are turning on to Sheena Brook, a feisty, fun-loving, authentic artist whose music is striking a chord with folks today.
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A musician for her whole life, Sheena grew up in the church choir and was raised to take over as worship leader from her youth. “I honestly don’t think I’ve ever tried to be anything else,” Sheena remarked. “If it wasn’t for coming out, I probably would still be there.”
But come out she did, and Sheena now tells her story wherever she performs, and is known for her blatant honesty, sense of humor, and authenticity. We asked what inspires her to create music. “I often feel if one single voice would have told me it was okay to be myself, that my life would be a whole lot different. I wouldn’t change that adversity because it made me who I am, but telling my story and encouraging people to love themselves is a huge reason I write music.”
Naples Noteworthy wondered if being authentic to yourself, and opening yourself to genuine love, has anything to do with making good music.
“For me it does,” Sheena affirmed. “I can feel the difference when I am singing a song that I wrote for me and from my experience versus maybe a song written for another artist. I still try to put my heart into these songs, too. What’s the point in creating music if not to make us feel something? And, I believe the more authentic we are at whatever it is we do, the more ‘success’ we find.”
One of Sheena’s songs, Pray Again (2023), suggests a faith in God. We asked if that was something she stands by. “I think that song rings true to many,” she replied. “Sometimes we don’t see the need to pray until something life-threatening comes along. I have an interesting relationship to my faith: I was raised very religious, went to bible college and was ordained. People assume when you’re gay that you lose that, like it’s one or the other. I know many people in the LGBTQ+ community that have very strong bonds with their faith. I think I’m somewhere in-between those places, but what is faith without doubt?”
Sheena and her wife lost a great deal with Hurricane Ian. “I say often that I don’t wish a loss like that on anyone,” Sheena related. “Recovering is a long process–I am so lucky to have my wife to go through it with me. She’s quite tenacious and has fought very hard to get us on track with so many logistics when it comes to FEMA and home insurance and just being homeowners. Our friends and loved ones have really shown us tremendous support which helped us overcome so much. We’ve had some difficult choices to make, such as leaving our dream home and charting a new course. We did land on our feet, but we are still trying to figure out where exactly we belong.”
As everyone knows, it’s difficult to break into and stay popular in the music industry. Naples Noteworthy asked what some of the biggest challenges were that Sheena faced as a musician and how she overcame them.
“It is true that the industry is hard and gets harder for different reasons, such as finding your audience, finding people who believe in you enough to be on your team, expenses, algorithms and making content,” Sheena replied. “I try to remind myself that there is room in this space for everyone and that I determine what success looks like. Society has made us feel (especially as women) that there is limited space for us. ‘We already have one like you’ is something a label has said to me. It’s just a matter of saying ‘great, this is not the space for me but there is space for me out there, just not here’.”
Changes in technology in the past decade or so have affected the music industry in a big way. We asked about this, and whether these changes have made it easier or perhaps harder for musicians today. “It’s way easier to get music out there in so many ways,” Sheena confirmed. “There are at-home studios that blow my mind, and I can zoom write with anyone across the world. The catch with that is there is a lot of content out there. Anyone who takes the time to like something of mine in this over-saturated space where everything is at our fingertips is something I never want to take for granted.”
Sheena says strong women who project personality and grit inspire her. “I am also inspired by songwriters that are so good with words that you feel what they’re saying as much as the music.”
As far as her favorite type of venue to perform in, Sheena loves it all. “I appreciate all kinds of venues and love to change things up and adapt between big concert stages and bar corners. If I had to choose, I love songwriter festivals and intimate shows where I get to know the audience as they get to know me, too.”
When she’s on a big stage, in front of a large crowd, she sometimes gets the jitters, but overall, she feels as though it’s where she was meant to be. “I’m always a little nervous,” she confessed. “I want to do well and deliver what I feel I have to offer. I do believe I am most in my purpose when I am onstage.”
As for advice she would give a young musician hoping to “make it” in today’s competitive world, Sheena offered these words, “I think it’s important to celebrate every win, even the small ones. There is always someone you’re looking at saying, ‘If I can only get to where they are.’ Meanwhile, there is someone looking up at you, saying the same thing. Use your superpower and that is perspective.”
Naples Noteworthy asked Sheena if, now that she’s walking with the superstars, looking back on her life, there were things she might have done differently? “I try so hard not to look back in that way,” she answered. “All of the things I wish I would have done–standing up for myself, setting boundaries, coming out, and saying, ‘No’ to conversion therapy–without those adversities, I wouldn’t be me, so I think I would tell the old me to, ‘Hang in there, I am coming’.”
Does her life bring her joy? “’We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.’ —Joseph Campbell. Life has brought me so many joys in my relationship, family, and career and has also brought a lot of sorrows, as well. I choose to live in a place of joy, whether it is swinging in my favor or not.”
Naples Noteworthy asked Sheena if she could have coffee with any musician, alive or dead, who would it be, and why? “This question is so hard, but I guess I would have to say Sara Bareilles,” Sheena decided. “I think her music really made me fall in love with lyrics and writing.”
For fun, Sheena loves to go on nature walks with the dogs, camping adventures, and spend days at the pool. “Any downtown festival with tents all lined up is always top on my list.”
Her idea of a perfect evening? “Grilling out by the pool is always one of my favorite ways to end a day.”
In ten years, she sees herself finishing a book and several albums. “I love artists and those that create. I hope to be still moving forward, giving what I have to people who could use support and encouragement through my music, and any other means I have.”
Her final remarks? “Be yourself, be kind, be unrelenting in both of those things.”
See Sheena Brook Perform at These Upcoming Events:
- Thursday, November 14 7:30-8:30 Sofar Sounds, Fort Myers
- Thursday, November 21 6:00-9:00 The Colony Golf and Country Club Bonita Springs
- Friday, November 22 6:00-9:00 Voodoo Brewing Co. Fort Myers
- Friday, November 29 6:00-9:00 Cold Water Oyster Market Bar Fort Myers
- Saturday, November 30 5:00-8:00 Cabanas Beach Bar & Grille Fort Myers Beach
- Friday, December 6 7:00-10:00 Coste at DiamondHead Fort Myers
- Saturday, December 7 6:00-8:00 Friendsgiving/Pine Tree Palooza Sanibel
The First Time © 2024 Seven12 Global
Bad Bitches Like Me © 2022 Seven12 Global
Wrong Tree © 2024 Seven12 Global
Pray Again © 2023 Seven12 Global
Sheena lives in Fort Myers with her wife Summer and their two year and a half old Golden Retrievers, Shiloh (boy) and Stevie (girl); they’re a great cure for depression.
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