Rosey – Interview

A whole lotta Rosey!

Is life getting more hectic?

Well, yeah. (Laughs)

Is it what you expected?

No matter how much you think about something or dream about it, it’s still surreal. I still trip out all the time. This is my life and I can’t believe it. I expected it, but I still get off on it.

I read you had some insight into the industry already.

Yeah, I interned at some record labels, I worked for concert promoters, so I definitely had some insight on everything else, but I’m constantly learning.

When did you realize that you could sing?

My parents are both singers. Basically what happened was my roommates boyfriend was hanging around our apartment when I was a sophomore in college and I was singing in the shower and when I got out of the shower he was standing there and was like ‘you are going to sing in my band!’ So I started rehearsing with the band and doing gigs and I was surprised that I wasn’t nervous at all. I still wasn’t sold on the whole idea of being a professional singer until I picked up the guitar in my senior year of college. The second I picked up the guitar I started to write a song and I was like ‘wow!’ I found something different in my voice and that is when I really thought about doing something serious about it.

When you were putting the demo out there and went to a record label did you tell them you wanted to have control over your songs?

Yeah, I think a lot of artists do that. They are your songs and you want them to stay. I had to prove that the songs were good and they wanted to put me together with writers, but I was against that. What was great was that the label really just set me free in the studio and let me go at it and that is where I really shined. That was really cool.

I remember I had a demo like last year. What happened in the last year?

That is a good question. The record took two years to finish. I was sitting around a lot because my producer was working with Macy Gray on The ID at the same time. The mixing of the record took a long time. Everything takes a long time. (Laughs) You learn to be very patient. That was another thing that was good because I had the insight from working in the industry and saw how long things take. I knew I had to be ultra-patient. So things don’t happen when you hope or want. There was a lot of waiting. (Laughs) The date of the release kept changing. I didn’t care as long as it came out before I was thirty. (Laughs)

What happened to the Melissa Etheridge concert this summer?

Yep! (Laughs) That’s another part of it. I got this band and was told how great it was going to be and then they took it away. So I’m going to do a radio promotion tour instead. I guess we are trying to save money. I guess once I sell some more records I’ll have more money, so if I sell twenty or thirty more copies. (Laughs)

What is the feeling you get when fans tell you how great your voice is?

It’s awesome. It’s so hard in this industry to feel good about yourself so when you have people that like you its so good and important. It’s important for me because I give so much of myself so when I get something back it feels so good. I feel so blessed because people have been so nice to me. I know that it’s because I put out so much nice-ness myself. (Laughs) I just hope everything keeps going like it is because I know how it is in this industry, one second everything is fantastic and the next everyone forgets.

Have you ever thought about doing old standards of jazz or blues songs?

Yeah. I want to do a lot of different things from trip-hop to jazz and more. Can you hang on?

Yeah.

(Rosey gets another call)

Sorry about that, it was my carpet cleaner. I have plumbing problems. (Laughs) It’s so funny one day you’re being shot for a magazine cover and the next day you’re scrubbing shit off the floor. (we both laugh)

Good to know you can always go back to being human.

I know. (Laughs)

Were the songs on the record all new or have some been around a bit?

Some have been around since ’95. I have some from the last few years. It’s a pretty good representation of my work and me. I have some new, there are some things I wish I could have brought out but it might have been too much too soon. I didn’t want to freak people out. I really wanted to make a rock ‘n’ roll record, but no one wanted me to do that.

Think if you were a guy you wouldn’t have that problem? As well as the problem with the media looking at you as some sexy chick they can put on their cover?

(Laughs) They definitely like to tart me out in the magazines. You’ll read about these other artists and they get some really witty quotes, but mine always seems to be about some dude that I like or something about my ass. (we both laugh) I think maybe they think because I’m older they have to pull the sex side out of me. I don’t care really. The truth is I’m very, how do I say this, sensual. That is part of my personality. I think people focus on that too much.

If you were a guy think anyone would mind you rocking out?

No. And I could probably gain ten pounds and no one would complain about it. (Laughs) I’m always up for a challenge so being a woman in this industry I know I have to work hard and take good care of myself. At least I know I’ll live longer and happier. (laughs at herself)

One day when you aren’t being a singer are you going to go back to the record industry and be in charge of the knuckleheads who make the decisions for you now?

I just might. Or I might start my own label. But I think I’ll just disappear somewhere, have a few kids and grow some vegetables. (laughs)

+ charlie craine