Rose Bates is a singer-songwriter based in London. Amassing radio play across the UK and impressively working with the producer of Trey Songs and Seal, Rose is beginning to make a name for herself in the music industry.
Finding out that The USA is a huge point of inspiration for Rose, I needed to find out more on what this really means to her and how she incorporates it into her music. “California stands for creativity and expression and holistic tendencies in my eyes. And I relate to that much more. When I write I imagine my memories in America and the emotions it brings up for me, which are hugely positive”. This inspiration is definitely evident in Rose’s music. You can feel the positive vibes of California radiating through even though her music has more of a low-fi, atmospheric feel. Her music has a beautiful cinematic feel to it and you can definitely imagine it being featured on an American teen film or TV show.
After releasing her debut EP Daydreaming, her music caught the attention of Judy Stakee, ex-senior VP at Warner Chappell and was offered the chance of a lifetime, a songwriting camp in Nashville. As you could imagine, getting to complete a songwriting camp in Nashville was an incredible experience for Rose and is something that most artists would love the opportunity to attend. “Being put in a space where you only have to think about your creativity and bonding with other people like you is such a great little bubble to be in.”
It comes as no surprise that this experience led to one of Rose’s most memorable experiences when playing her music. “There weren’t many people. It was a small crowd of other writers and musicians and in the evening we’d present what we’d been writing with our chosen workshop groups for the day. And playing to other creatives in such a peaceful space was an amazing feeling”.
Sexuality is something that Rose is very open about and I admire her for being such a young artist who is not afraid to let the world know exactly who she is. “Just because I’m openly gay, doesn’t make me any less of a pop artist than someone heterosexual. I feel I have a duty to educate people on these things and be a bridge between my community and the mainstream pop world”. It is inspiring to see an artist be so open about their sexuality, especially within their lyrics. For this reason, I wanted to ask what Rose whether she believes being open about your sexuality is something that is important for artists today. “Some people are more private with it. But for me and my own music, I think it is. I feel there’s still so much stigma and stereotypes around the word ‘Lesbian’. For example, I’m not the stereotype of a lesbian many people believe in. I’m not masculine, I’m very feminine and I celebrate my femininity all the time. But that doesn’t make me any less of a lesbian.”
With five releases planned for 2020, it is clear to see that Rose loves creating music. “I’m very excited about them. Especially for the next track, which I feel I come across a lot more upfront and confident. That’s a side to me I’m still learning to express in my work.” I am excited to see what Rose will be coming out with next. Keep your eyes on her socials to find out more about her next release.
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