Q&A: Belle Roscoe Talks New Music, Festivals & Climate Change
- by Andrew Braithwaite
- in Interviews
The enchanting Belle Roscoe, a talented sibling duo from Australia, captivate their audience with a mesmerizing blend of contemporary Americana and timeless folk-rock reminiscent of the '70s. Their latest single, "The Birds," showcases their unique style, and now they unveil the eagerly awaited music video for the song, just in time for their performance at the esteemed Black Deer Festival on June 17th. In our recent interview with Belle Roscoe, we delved deeper into their story, asking them a series of questions.
Tell us about your new single, "The Birds," and the inspiration behind it.
We wrote 'The Birds' while performing and writing in Cuba. We were reflecting on the climate crisis and the dramatic effect it is having on the human race – in particular, refugees escaping affected areas. It's meant to inspire people to remember that we are all in this together and that no one should be left behind. The video is an extension of this and features the band's spirit animal, "Mojo the Walrus," once again, and his quest to plant a seed of hope.
Tell us about Mojo the Walrus and his importance in the video for "The Birds." What does Mojo represent?
Mojo is our spirit animal, a rock 'n' roll moral compass that is not constrained by trending or popular social conscience and can be disruptive in the way he delivers important messages. He always tries to be on the right side of history and stands up for what we believe is right, not what is popular. In the music video for "The Birds," he is the last beacon of hope for the planet and all its inhabitants.
Who directed the video, and when did you first become interested in climate change?
We do everything in-house. We directed, produced, and edited the video ourselves. Being Australian, climate change has always been a referenced topic given our geographic location. We've experienced more and more extreme conditions in the last decade - floods, droughts, and bushfires all happening consecutively. Now we are even more aware of its impact on a global level and have a greater understanding of fossil fuels, government inaction, and big company corruption.
What music did you grow up listening to? And when did you both first decide to be in a band together?
Our parents had amazing taste in music. Early on, we were jumping between Elvis, Kris Kristofferson, and Dolly Parton, later being introduced to bands like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Beach Boys, Van Morrison, and Tom Petty. None of us were ever trained musicians; we just had instruments in the house, and everyone took to it. Singing in harmony was a prerequisite in the family, however! We only started our first real band together when we were traveling overseas and ran out of money. We were at a house party, and there was a guitar, and we just started singing songs. That led to offers to perform in bars and clubs in Paris, so we deferred our studies and did that for a year.
What is the music scene like in Melbourne?
The talent is world-class. Australian musicians are some of the best bandmates to have. They have the ability to sit back in the pocket and, when given the chance, break free and do something unexpected. Melbourne has always been the music mecca of the southern hemisphere. Everywhere you go, you can see and hear live music. It is a fantastic and creative city to grow up in.
What can we expect on the "Talking To The Walrus" EP that's coming later this year?
Old school analogue vibes. We recorded this EP in Nashville with Grammy award winner Matt Ross-Spang producing. We live, straight to tape, and never opened a computer. We focused on capturing the perfect energy and not the 'perfect take'. We've never been happier coming out of a studio. This batch of songs are the ones we always knew we had in us and wanted to create. If we're honest, we were probably never good enough until now to create them. Each song highlights our sibling harmonies and has a soaring '70s folk-rock sonic edge to them.
What's been the biggest hurdle you've had to overcome, and what's the best advice you've been given?
Understanding who you can trust. In this industry, you never know; everyone is a smiling assassin! ;-) Learning to recognize the good from the bad has always been the hardest hurdle. It can be a devastating industry to be in, but every now and then, a little sunlight creeps through the cracks, and you can't imagine doing anything else... The best piece of advice we have ever been given was the simplest: "Just keep turning up."
If you could create a dream festival, who would you have as headliners?
If it's our dream festival, obviously we would headline, and everyone would come to see us! We'd probably give a slot to Arcade Fire, Father John Misty, Sharon Van Etten, Nick Cave, and bring Oasis on stage for a comeback set and watch that implode. Only to be sued by ticket holders. Well, it was a nice dream while it lasted...
What other artists are you listening to at the moment? Anyone you can recommend for us to listen to?
We've been enjoying Marlon Williams recently. Give him a spin.
You're going to be playing The Black Deer Festival. What do you love most about playing live? And are you planning on playing any more gigs in the UK soon?
Playing live is the real perk. As siblings, we have a lot of fun on stage. Performing in front of an audience and making a connection is what it's all about. It's where our music makes sense. We are actually playing a show in London just after the Black Deer Festival. It's going to be a more intimate show at Pizza Express Live in Holborn. Want to come?
