Interview: Lucy Rose

When every lyric you sing is filled with such ethereality, a surname like “Rose” seems fitting. I catch Lucy Rose before her show in Birmingham during her March tour to talk all things tour, tea and her second album.

Lucy rose to stardom (unintentional pun, I promise) after her debut album Like I Used To was released in 2012 and following multiple collaborative works with the current kings of indie music; Bombay Bicycle Club. Now, Lucy takes to the road again armed with her home-formulated tea blends in the run up to her second album Work It Out featuring recently released ‘Our Eyes’.

“The tour is going well so far. I like getting the London shows out the way earlier on. All my friends and family come to those shows and they’re a bit nerve wracking”.

“Cardiff was one of our best shows and it was only the second night in”.

Songstress Rae Morris features on Rose’s upcoming album and conversation turns to working with her sister-in-law.

“Working with Rae was really relaxed”, Lucy tells me, “I recorded the song with my producers and there was something missing from the middle 8 and I wanted a different texture”.

“She’s got one of the best voices I know and I gave her a ring and she popped down”, Lucy laughs in some familiar form of admiration.

Rose is not one to shy away from collaborations, having worked closely with Jack Steadman (Bombay Bicycle Club) for many years across their albums after becoming friends when she first moved to London at 18 to pursue a career in music rather than studying Geography at UCL.

“I’ve been so fortunate to work with Jack [Steadman] and have been doing so for so many years now. It’s so chilled and relaxed”.

Previously, Lucy has sold her home-made/blended teas, jams and preserves. Gloriously titled 'Builder Grey' (two parts English Breakfast and one part Earl Grey) this beverage is an unlikely merchandise addition on this tour.

“I don’t have jam this time though. It was so heavy and kept smashing last time. But my best friend makes chocolate and I’ve been selling that to help him. But it all sold out last night”.

“Sorry”, she laughs.

Rose’s recently released ‘Our Eyes’ is unlike anything she has released before. The track is saturated with 80’s synths and is one of the songs from the upcoming album Lucy is trialling on her current tour. It’s an experimental track that you can expect the radio to adore. It is a great pop tune that truly showcases Rose’s voice.

“It’s the only song on the album like it”, Lucy explains.

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“Every song on the record is so different, nothing is too similar. ‘Our Eyes’ has a feel good pop synth vibe to it which is why we put it out there. Hopefully people will like it”.

The video was tweeted out by the singer and is unlike anything you’ll witness from a singer-songwriter. Period.

It’s three minutes of Lucy singing in suits consisting of animal food while the adjacent animals feast on her clothing. The mix of a mainstream pop song with a truly weird video sets Rose apart.

From new to both old and new, we chat about Lucy’s favourite songs to perform live and the production of the new album.

“I really enjoy playing cover up live. There’s a lot of drumming and my keys is playing percussion so it’s so much heavier than the other tracks”, she seems to be lost in the beauty of her own songs.

“There are a couple of interludes on this tour that are fun to play too.”

And before she forgets: “Oh, there’s a new song called ‘Sheffield’ too and it’s really rocky”.

Like I Used To, Lucy’s debut album was home-grown, cherished and born within the Rose household, however, Work It Out has adopted the more clinical approach of studio born aural masterpieces.

“This one we did in studio and was totally different”, she begins.

“Strangely I had even more control over the record. Last time I was working closely with my band and I’d work on the arrangements and we recorded them playing live. This time my producer played drums and I did everything else.”

“He really trusted my ideas and what I had written at home”.

Our time together concludes in a request to pitch Work It Out.

“Oh god. This is like writing your personal statement for university”, Lucy laughs. “Please love me”.

“It’s hard because my music’s not for everyone. Each track resemble moments in time in my life over the last three years. Each song means so much to me. Some of it’s really beautiful I think and some of it’s kinda rocky”.

The singer-songwriter releases her new album Work It Out on July 13th.

Interview: Lucy Rose

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