Start Listening To: Rosali
Rosali shares musings on life, love, and the relentless pursuit of truth through her music.
Rosali, a Michigan native who journeyed through the bustling streets of Philadelphia before finding solace in the serene landscapes of North Carolina, invites us into her world of introspection and sonic exploration. With a diverse musical background spanning rock, pop, and folk, Rosali's artistry extends beyond conventional boundaries, delving into the realms of experimental guitar and evocative songwriting. Beyond her solo work, she's been involved in various projects including Long Hots, Edsel Axle, and Monocot, each offering a unique glimpse into her creative spectrum.
In this Q&A, Rosali provides us with insights into her latest album Bite Down a record that serves as a testament to personal growth and artistic evolution. Through her poignant lyrics and captivating melodies, Rosali invites listeners to navigate through the complexities of life, embracing both its horrors and joys with unwavering courage.
For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?
I’m Rosali, I grew up in a small town in Michigan, lived in Philly for years and now I live in North Carolina. I write songs the are about the complexities of existence, in the rock, pop, folk zone. I’m also an experimental guitarist. Projects outside of “Rosali” include: Long Hots, Edsel Axle, and Monocot.
Your album Bite Down reflects a period of transition for you, particularly moving from Philadelphia to North Carolina. How did this change influence your songwriting and overall musical direction?
I spend a great deal of time in solitude and quite now. I walk in the woods everyday and so I’ve found some deep peace and connection to my own internal rhythms that often got blasted from living in a major city. I loved Philly and it’s wildness, it’s roughness and all the people that I intersected with and was influenced by. But I needed a reset mentally and and my creative realm is created from internal strength with fewer distractions.
Bite Down is described as a record that embodies both horror and joy. Can you elaborate on the themes and emotions explored in this album?
The times we’re living feel like one horror show after another. It’s easy to sink into despair and fear, and I have those moments too. Feeling powerless and angry. But I also want to feel the bursting joy and love of life that is out there too. I want to fill your cups, I want genuine laughter to lighten your heart. I want to give you courage for living life.
Could you tell us about your collaboration with Mowed Sound?
I started working with Mowed Sound in 2019 after touring with them for two weeks with my other band Long Hots. They’re seriously some of the best musicians, players and thinkers I know. We all approach our art with full hearts, joy and love. We chase the high that exists in really going for it sonically, We mesh well stylistically. Our first collaboration was 2021’s No Medium (Spinster Sounds) and after touring that album I knew I had found MY BAND so here we are!
Dan Bejar of Destroyer mentioned the intriguing contrast between the wildness of the band and the calmness of your voice. How do you balance these elements in your music?
It’s partly nothing I can really help - my voice is my voice, that is how just I sing. But I honestly do want to convey truth and power through my songwriting and that comes through with my singing. And the wildness of the band is the ride we’re all on. I love to play that way too - with a lot of freedom. It’s reflecting the emotional arc of the subject matter, and my assured vocal delivery - well I want that to feel a like a calm, steady hand on your shoulder. It’s going to be OK.
Your press release talks about the Mowed Sound's telepathic connection and their ability to fill space with both abandon and attention to detail. How does this dynamic play out in the studio and during live performances?
It’s a quality I seek out in collaborators because it’s what makes playing music exciting to me. I took advantage of this strength by having us develop the songs together and track most of the album live. We sat in a circle and really just played and listened to each other and you could tell when everyone was excited about a part or the direction the song was headed by the smiles and the enthusiasm or odd-ball riffs and tones that emerged.
Our live shows we amplify this x1000. We ride the edge and take risks and really just listen to each other, and connect. We play to each other riding the ebbs and flows that each member is either pushing or pulling. No two nights are the same. Some songs we play with our wild chaos and others with a lot of openness. We’ve built so much trust between us and I am truly the luckiest person to have them.
‘On Tonight’ and ‘Rewind’ are highlighted as breezier songs on the album. What inspired these tracks and how do they fit into the larger narrative of Bite Down?
A general description for these songs, is that On Tonight is kind of about living in a flow state and Rewind is about abandoning regret - that the choices you make and the experiences you go through are all there to shape you and help you grow, and it’s all worth it. They are strong threads braided into the underlying themes of the album. My dog inspired the I love you chorus - she was really challenging - still is haha, but I’ve never known love like that so it makes it all worth it. Bite Down in about welcoming life’s up’s and downs - full facing it head on. Sometimes it’s breezy and joyful, sometimes is dark and brooding. Bite down on that layered cake baby. Sink your teeth into it.
‘Hills on Fire’ is described as a centrepiece of the album, reaching new levels of intimacy. Could you share the inspiration behind this song and its significance within the album?
It’s the most self-reflective song on the album and pulls from a lot of experiences and perspectives from a long stretch of time, some very honest and vulnerable lines in that one. It’s also about perseverance. Maybe at it’s core that’s what everything is about. We tracked almost entirely live (only the vocals are over-dubbed) and when we finished the take we all just sat in silence for awhile, knowing we’d gone someplace truly special.
What do you love right now?
My band, my dog, HC McEntire, building fires, caring for my 90 houseplants, long walks in the NC woods, almond croissants, the truth.
What do you hate right now?
Cruelty, greed, power-hungry fools, lack of critical thinking, supremacy and the destruction of the natural world.
Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?
Yo La Tengo I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One
Bite Down is moodier and more nocturnal compared to your previous album, No Medium. What prompted this shift in tone and atmosphere?
I don’t know if it was a conscious decision to make a shift, it’s just evolving as a person. Funnily enough, I’m much less of a nocturnal and moody person now. I go to bed early and wake early. I quit drinking. We recorded the album mostly in daylight hours, whereas No Medium had vocal takes at 2am. But I think that I’ve finally become very comfortable in my own skin and so I am not holding back at all, so maybe that’s the moodiness. I feel safe and supported by the band and so I can fully embody the songs. This is also a band record through and through, so with a circle of brilliant artists collaborating in the moment, with all of our ears tuned into each other, all of our energies and many moods shaped it.
