Brandon Howard Roy unveils a self-love anthem with “Give Me Love”
Multi-talented Queer singer-songwriter and entertainer Brandon Howard Roy recently shared his indie-pop self-love anthem, “Give Me Love,” which was released independently with support from Music PEI.
The multiple Music PEI Award-nominated artist channels his practice of radical self-love into this track filled with colourful emotive runs and catchy lyrics. The first release since his debut album, Tough Stuff, which was nominated for multiple East Coast Music Awards and explored themes of darkness, Brandon Howard Roy puts the emphasis on getting through that darkness and celebrating light, which can be heard throughout the vibrant composition of “Give Me Love.”
Watch the video for “Give Me Love” below, and find out more about Brandon Howard Roy via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I sure can! My name is Brandon Howard Roy, and I am a Queer singer-songwriter based in Charlottetown, Epektwitk/PEI. I was born and raised in Montreal, went to a musical theatre school outside of Toronto, and worked as an actor on stages around the country for several years. I’d been writing songs my entire life, and right before the pandemic, I decided to base myself in PEI, assembled a band, and began recording and playing shows. My music and performance style is most often compared to Mika and Freddie Mercury. I like to think I have Lizzo’s attitude, or at least I’m working towards it!
For the past two years, I’ve been fortunate to have worked on building an incredible fanbase on the East Coast and playing as many shows as I could. My debut album, Tough Stuff, came out early last year and was nominated for Pop Recording of the Year at the 2022 East Coast Music Awards. I’ve just wrapped up my first Canadian tour and am ready to hit the road again!
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
My most recent release is a tune called “Give Me Love,” which I’ve described as my self-love anthem. When people listen to it, I want them to feel like they’re getting a warm hug; Like they’re seeing an old friend at a party, or their food has arrived at a restaurant, or like they’ve just found twenty dollars on the ground. I think we all deserve a little love and joy every single day, and this song celebrates all those moments!
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
I’ve found that my writing can’t help but mirror exactly where I’m at and what I’m feeling. When writing the songs that ended up on my first record, I was finishing up theatre school and starting to work professionally as an actor. I realized that even though I was living the dream, I set out for myself, it wasn’t fulfilling in the way I thought it would be. That was a scary thing to realize after investing every part of myself in theatre for so many years, and so those songs all reflect the uncertainty I was feeling. They’re all fun pop jams, but I explored some darkness, and people really responded to that contrast.
Once I pivoted to begin my journey in the music industry after writing songs my whole life, I really felt like I’d arrived where I was supposed to be. The more people listen to my music. I realize they’re coming to it for the love, the joy, and optimism. Now that I’m at a point where I’m really starting to love myself and what I’m doing, my writing is reflecting that.
Do you have any upcoming shows or festivals you’d like to tell us about?
We’ve just wrapped up the Give Me Love Canadian Tour, where we made stops in Montague, Charlottetown, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and at the Sound of Music Festival in Burlington, so I’m taking a well-deserved couple of weeks off! This summer, my band will be playing the Pride Ceilidh at the Under the Spire Music Festival, and I’ll be playing a songwriter’s circle for Pride PEI at Copper Bottom Brewing alongside Tanya Davis and Noah Malcolm. We’ll be embarking on an East Coast tour this fall. Stay tuned to my website and socials for dates!
What’s your goal for 2022?
Going on my first ever tour this year may have been the most fun I’ve ever had, so I can’t wait to do more of it! I make music for lots of reasons, but it’s mainly to connect with people, and having had the chance to do that again is such a gift. I have another single ready to go later this year and will be going out on the road again to promote it.
Other than that, I plan to write up a storm this summer and choose which songs I want to be on my sophomore record. It will be self-titled, and you can expect it to hit your ears in 2023. I also love making homemade pasta, and I’m always working on perfecting my recipe.
Connect with Brandon Howard Roy:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok