Rosie Carney just released her extremely personal debut album Bare last month and we can't get enough of how vulnerable she is, we talked to the singer-songwriter about what has been inspiring her lately.
How old were you when you first started writing your own music? What drew you to music in the first place?
I was 10 years old when I started writing music on the Piano, and 12 when I picked up the guitar and started writing songs.
You had trouble with the industry when you first started out. What pushed you to keep making music even when it looked like it wasn’t going to work out?
Reminding myself of the truth behind why I make music. I make it for myself, to release certain things I might not be able to talk about. Of course being a successful musician is my dream, but just reminding myself of the honesty behind each song and being familiar with the place they’ve come from.
How did that experience affect how you approach your art?
Well of course, when you fall into something so systematic, you find yourself leaving behind anything that felt natural or organic and trying to abide to the expectations and pressures the industry can have – trying to write a hit, trying to stand out. You can easily lose yourself and the true artist that’s inside you when trying to conform to something that seems so unnatural. There was a time after I got dropped that I couldn’t write music. I wanted to make something of myself after going through something so horrible, but failed to do so. The songs were there all along, I just looked in the wrong places. Head songs are very different to heart songs.
What does your writing process look like? Do you write lyrics or instrumental parts first?
A dark room with maybe a faint light in a corner somewhere and me singing gibberish on top of a melody I’ve just come up with.
How would you describe the process of making this album? Was it all written in one setting or is it a culmination of all your writing up to now?
Many many years of lots of living and nearly dying.
Is there a central message to the album that you would like people to know?
Honesty.
What was the most challenging and the most rewarding part of the recording process?
I don’t think that there are any challenging parts. I think it’s all very rewarding. I really enjoy the whole process of recording music. Slowly bringing it to life with each note and texture. There’s nothing else I’d rather be doing with my time. Of course, writing songs about hard situations can be difficult. Reliving the emotions in order to make the song as real as possible. It can be quite emotionally demanding. But taking that and turning it into something you know potentially millions of people could hear and connect with – I can only see that as rewarding.
What artists do you find exciting right now?
HER, Perfume Genius, Billie Eilish…. Myself..
What artists do you think have impacted or influenced you the most in your life?
Justin Vernon, Joni Mitchell, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey to name a few.
What was it like to work with Lisa Hannigan? What do you like about collaborating with other artists and do you see yourself doing it more in the future?
Well, we were’t together when the recording took place, we arranged things over email. It was honestly, and still is, so surreal to have her sing on my song. I really look up to Lisa, always have, so it was definitely one of those ‘pinch me’ moments. I’m really open to collaborating with different artists. When I was signed to Polydor, I actually spent most of my time in the studio with different artists and producers. If you click with the other artist, and your both on the same creative page, then it can actually be really fun.
What advice would you give to young girls?
Toughen up. Don’t let any person, not just men, but any other person make you feel incapable of achieving something. Be mindful. Find out what you want to do in life, then use all your strength to pursuit it. Create your own opportunities. Be nice. Us women have to stick together, otherwise shit can really hit the fan. It’s easier to love.
Is there anything else you would like to mention?
Be kind to animals.
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