We recently had the chance to interview the lovely singer-songwriter from New York, Rosie! Rosie was just signed to Arista records and you may know her viral song “Never the 1” that blew up on Tiktok! We’re so excited to have her in our On The Rise Class of 2021! Check out our interview below!
For readers who don’t know you or your music, can you share with us how you began your musical journey?!
The first instrument I learned was Violin, so I originally fell in love with classical music but I discovered the guitar and began to write more contemporary songs when I was 12. Nine years later, here I am equally as excited about songwriting as the 12-year-old who had just learned how to play guitar and express herself through music!
Growing up, how did music impact your life?
I grew up with an extremely musical family so engaging in the arts was always encouraged. I grew up listening to Steely Dan and Kool & The Gang because of my father, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Barry Manilow because of my mother, and Frank Sinatra and Randy Newman because of my brother, so the way I see it, I was always destined to be a musician.
We love your new single “Retail Therapy”! What did your process look like for this song in particular?
I wrote a complete version of “Retail Therapy” when I was in Boston over the summer, but something about the chorus felt off, so when I returned to New York I showed the song to my brother and together we completely rewrote the hook and post and turned it into the sad girl pop song that it is today!
As a songwriter, do you have a consistent method when writing? Where do you find the most inspiration??
I love writing songs based off of concepts. I find that working within a box such as a title or even a word turns the process into a type of puzzle or game, and the only way to complete the puzzle or win the game is to write a great song! Obviously I don’t win every time but it’s still fun to try!
As for my songwriting/artist inspirations: Amy Allen, Dan Wilson, Luz, Laura Elliot, Ethan Gruska, Ben Rector, JP Saxe, and sooooo many more!
Your single “never the 1” absolutely blew up on TikTok and just in general, what was your reaction to all of the amazing feedback and success of the song?!
I feel so blessed every single day for the amount of love that I have received and continue to receive on “Never the 1”. The fact that it’s been just over three months and it has 7 million streams on Spotify alone blows my mind! If I could use one word to describe this entire experience it would be “grateful” !
As a woman in music, do you see a need for more equality and opportunities in the creative and entertainment industries?!
I feel that as a young woman it is a constant uphill battle trying to navigate my way through a predominantly male industry but with every new challenge comes a new opportunity to rise above, persevere and grow, not only as a musician but as a human being. I’m super lucky to already have some wonderful women on my team that guide me through this journey.
What would your advice be for fellow singer-songwriters who want to make it in the industry?
My advice for fellow songwriters is always the same:
#1 Out-work everyone, and you’ll become someone.
#2 The more you write, the better you become, the better you become the more opportunities you will receive! Simple
#3 Put yourself out there in any way that you can, otherwise #1 & #2 don’t mean anything!!!
To date, what has been your biggest accomplishment?
I’m not sure what my biggest accomplishment is but I do know that every little accomplishment leads to a bigger one so I’m just tryna keep an eye on my future.
But if I had to choose: I’d say singing a major label record and committing to a publishing deal by 21 🙂
Where do you see yourself in five years?!
I see myself equally as excited about music as the little 12-year-old girl with the guitar whether that means touring, writing for other artists or releasing top 40 hits! Whatever I am, I will be there because of hard work, gratitude and passion.
CONNECT WITH ROSIE: Instagram, Spotify, Facebook, & Twitter
