By ARIANNA MCMILLON | Intern
Multi-Grammy nominated music artist, producer and songwriter Brody Brown has collaborated with many top international music stars such as Bruno Mars, Adele, Stevie Wonder and now Pacific Palisades resident, Danielle Prou.
Prou is a 16-year-old multi-talented indie singer/songwriter who recently teamed up with the 26-year-old Compton native producer to debut a five-song studio EP titled “Heart,” available everywhere on iTunes.
Photo courtesy of Danielle Prou
“With this EP there’s something unique because we are setting a foundation,” Brown said. “We are not coming in with tracks; we are doing everything straight off how we feel. It’s emotional.”
Born in New South Wales, Australia to an American father and Cambodian refugee mother, Prou’s deep voice is often compared to the soulful, rich sounds of Neo-Soul artists Norah Jones and Alicia Keys.
She calls her music “a blend of alternative, rock and pop.”
Classic rock band, The Eagles, influence the young artist to write her own music such as her most popular song “Awkward.”
Prou’s interest in singing was spurred when she starred in the musical Oklahoma as part of a group called Kids On Stage at the age of 7.
Her love of the stage remains one of her most rewarding experiences, according to the teen.
“When it comes to everyday life, I tend to be more of an introvert, but when I get to be on stage, I am way more confident than I would be in a room full of people,” she said in an interview with the Palisadian-Post.
Of all the places she’s performed so far, Prou named the Whisky-A-Go-Go on Sunset Boulevard as the coolest due to its history and location on the famous Sunset Strip.
Prou admitted she finds it incredibly difficult to balance her schoolwork and music with normal teenage life.
Because much of her time is focused on music, she has had to learn how to “bargain” with people who are working with her.
She said she’ll tell them, “I’ve worked a lot and there’s a birthday party I don’t want to miss.”
In her spare time, Prou devotes herself to volunteering for a national non-profit organization called Lion’s Heart. The organization helps gather teens together to participate in community service acts.
Prou is known as the “face of the organization” thanks to a promotional video she stars in touting Lion Heart’s involvement with many different communities worldwide.
When she isn’t working or volunteering, Prou is enjoying her local Palisades surroundings.
“I love exploring and going on adventures, so it’s a good thing I live in the Palisades mountains. There are local hiking trails—part of Topanga State Park—that I love to go on. I pack a backpack with sunscreen and water and bring my iPod, then I’m good to go,” she said.
In the future, Prou hopes to gain more fans and acknowledged that the process is slow-going.
“That’s the nature of business,” she said.
“The entertainment business is hard to crack,” Prou added. “There are a lot of ups and downs, especially downs… It is hard and takes a lot of work but it also is so rewarding in the long run. It takes passion.”
Additional reporting by Erin Hinds
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