After the success of 2018 single Nightfall, Perth-based rapper Rosel has once again teamed up with fellow local singer/songwriter Corey Holland for another R&B and hip hop-inspired single. Runaway is not so much a departure from their previous sounds but more of an expansion of it, with smooth, textured tones while retaining the characteristic bounce and emotive depth fans have to come to expect from the pair. BRAYDEN EDWARDS caught up with Rosel to find out what he has been up to since his last release, why working with Holland again was an easy decision to make and where he expects his restless musical creativity to take him next.
We last spoke to you two years ago when you released your single and video for Nightfall. What’s different in the world of Rosel now compared to then?
I’ve progressed a lot and I’m striving to do that even more. I’ve met new people including my manager Raj along the way and have been building newfound relationships as time passes. I’ve taken on new and further aspects of music production and audio engineering and gotten better for it. Overall, there’s been growth in all aspects of my music career and I’m going to continue to do that throughout the following years.
For your new single you have again collaborated with Corey Holland. What was it that made you want to work with him again on this song?
Originally, I wanted to experiment with a few other Perth artists on the track. I was with kicking it back with Corey this one time and decided to bounce the track idea off him. Before I could even explain the concept, he was already singing some melodies to create the chorus of Runaway. So we booked a studio session and the rest was history.
It’s almost like we were destined to revisit the vibe of our first collaboration, and in many ways the concept is quite similar. To say the least Corey and I have a strong chemistry, and I believe that’s what makes us work well together on tracks.
And did the song turn out how you anticipated, or were there ideas that came out in the studio that took it to places maybe you weren’t expecting?
Oh for sure! The topic and inspiration was always going to be the same. I had imagined the sonics and beat would be different, but it was just one of those moments where we were so immersed in the studio session, variations of the final track started to flow and it all moulded together perfectly.
There were also so many small ideas coming in and out of the studio for the track, at one point it was hard to keep up with it and it took some time just to figure out what to keep and how to use them to create something we were very happy about. It was all worth it at the end though!
It feels like you have explored some new ideas musically on this release as well. Was there anything in particular you were listening to that you feel may have inspired that?
Yeah there was a few while working on this track, I was listening to a bit of G-Eazy, 6LACK, J.Cole to name a few. But I try not to get my inspiration from other artists and avoid jumping on trends. I tried to have my own style and voice on it so I limit my music consumption. I just kept my head down and focused on bringing in my own authentic self at that moment.
And lyrically, what was the message you were hoping to convey on this song?
Affection and commitment to someone. To be absolutely devoted to someone else to the point of letting other things go in life just to be with them. You ever felt like you wanted to run away with someone and just do your thing? That’s probably the easiest way to explain it.
What’s next for Rosel in 2020 and beyond? Has the time in lockdown motivated you to spend more time on upcoming music or projects than you otherwise might not have got to?
Definitely more and more music, and just bigger moves. I’d like to get a body of work out soon too. Lockdown has given me a lot of motive to focus on music and explore new ideas and sounds. I’ve already been making some new stuff that I’m really excited to see finished and out into the fan’s hands. I look forward to everybody listening to all the new stuff.
I know that this time can be tough on creativity on a lot of artists but with support for each other and having great people around you will help. I try to stay consistent, keep a winning routine, and create more accountability for myself. Consistent hard work creates the path to greatness. I think I read that somewhere anyway (laughs). If anyone wants to keep up to date with what I’m up to you can follow me on Facebook and instagram, while the new single is out now on Soundcloud, YouTube and other streaming platforms.
