‘I had 70 operations, was sectioned at 14 – then a gift from my 00s rock icons saved my life’-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

Brodie Brown is turning trauma into music – with epic results (Picture: Brodie Brown)

Brodie Brown isn’t an ordinary 17 year old. 

At 14-years-old Brodie was sectioned, and since the age of two he’s endured over 70 operations on his throat. 

He was born with a rare condition called cystic hygroma – or lymphangioma – a birth defect which forced him to spend much of his childhood and teens not in school, but in Great Ormond Street Hospital fighting to breathe.

Brodie spent his 15th birthday in a psychiatric hospital after he suffered a traumatic mental breakdown. Then one of his favourite bands, The Fratellis, sent him a bass guitar and he found a reason to live. 

But Brodie’s health struggles are not what make him special: he’s been through all of this, and despite the odds this lad from Scotland – who chats to me in a break from his McDonald’s shift – is on his way to becoming an international songwriting sensation. 

Having won best break up song and best rock song previously, the Stirling-born songwriter and singer now hoping to get the coveted best song prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, endorsed by Yoko Ono and judged by the likes of Flea from Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sean Paul and Natasha Bedingfield. 

Brodie was born with a birth defect that culminated in over 70 operations in hospital (Picture: Brodie Brown)

He’s grown up largely in hospital (Picture: Brodie Brown)

Despite having no traditional school qualifications, Brodie was offered a place at WaterBear College of Music in Brighton starting in September on the strength of his songwriting and performance portfolio. 

Talking to Metro.co.uk about his childhood icons The Fratellis’ life-changing gift to him, Brodie said: ‘They heard about my story, how I was having a hard time. So they thought they’d try and help a Scottish boy out. Then it saved my life.’  

He explained: ‘I was in a very dark place. I had a lot of struggles. I was sectioned a few times. It was just giving me something different to try to keep going, something as a motivation. And it worked. It kept me busy, kept me out of trouble. And I learnt how to process my emotions in a positive way.‘ 

Now Brodie uses songwriting as a cathartic outlet for his emotions. 

‘When I first started, it was just me messing around on my guitar, and then I tried to put words to it. So I wrote poetry when I was in the psychiatric hospital. And so that’s where it started,’ he said. 

Brodie’s life changed when rock band The Fratellis gifted him a guitar on his 15th birthday (Picture: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns)

Brodie can’t remember much of his childhood in hospital, as his trauma response has blocked it from memory. 

‘I would love to talk about it but my brain has blocked it out,’ he said. ‘It’s created quite a lot of trauma surrounding hospitals. I don’t have a lot of memories. I’m just grateful for the support I got that means I can be alive today.’ 

Without his suffering, Brodie thinks his music wouldn’t be quite so raw: it’s definitely present in his offbeat rally-cry anthems – Monsters, It’s Never Enough, and Be My Guest – which are an intriguing and Fratellis-catchy blend of punk, gospel, and rock. You read that right – Brodie commissions a gospel choir from Nigeria to backtrack and often introduce his songs, sending them a brief and a rough guitar track. 

‘There’s a bit of a language barrier, but we’ve learned to work around it,’ Brodie explained. ‘So for example, in my song, Be My Guest, I said to tell the story of Icarus flying too close to the sun, but on a saxophone. And then that’s how I got the result I wanted.’  

While his physical health is now better than ever, mental illness is still a battle. Brodie still suffers from psychosis to this day and spent time in a psychiatric hospital just a year ago. 

Brodie would love to play Glastonbury one day (Picture: Brodie Brown)

His advice to others who are suffering is simple (Picture: Brodie Brown)

While conversations have opened up surrounding mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, other very serious conditions – like psychosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder – are still very much taboo. 

‘I feel like there’s a lot less stigma around mental health now,’ Brodie said. ‘But there are certain mental illnesses that are slightly incomprehensible to someone who doesn’t have it. 

‘It’s very difficult to imagine what it would be like, and there’s less information surrounding that for the general public. 

‘I have psychosis and I’ve been suffering with it for quite a few years, and it’s hard to describe to people but I work with a great team who are very helpful. It’s very challenging, but I am using music as a way to deal with it. It really works.’  

For others suffering as Brodie has, his advice is simple: ‘Find something you really love and put all your effort into it.’

As for what’s next, Brodie would like to play at Glastonbury one day. Emily Eavis, have you heard this kid..? 

Voting for The John Lennon Songwriting Contest is open now until 30 May 2024. Please vote here: jlsc.com/vote

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