Local Feature: Oh, Rose

Olivia Rose was born in Asheville North Carolina, but has been living in Olympia Washington since 2012 and fronting Oh, Rose since 2014. She originally visited Olympia to visit friends, but she liked the community that she found.

Oh, Rose is personal. Lyrically: an outpouring of Olivia. Musically: a group of friends who love and trust like family. Neighborly: a great example of what Washington offers Portland outside of no sales tax.

Recently Oh, Rose released their second full-length LP While My Father Sleeps—an album shaped and delayed and defined by the death of Olivia’s mom. More recently they co-headlined KEXP’s Death and Music concert at the Seattle town hall.

I was fortunate enough to talk to Olivia about life, their latest release, and Oh, Rose and the gang (Sarah Redden, Laim Hindahl, Kevin Christopher). We will be fortunate enough to see them in Portland with Phantogram at the Crystal Ballroom on December 10th, 2019.

Eleven: Why do you write music? To learn about yourself? Because you are a productive individual who was brought up to be a functioning adult? 

Olivia Rose: No. I write because I have to write. And I’m not even regimented about that. I was playing and singing on the piano last night and I was patting myself on the back: “You go girl, you can do this.” (snaps fingers)

11: Are you drawn to any other arts outside of music?

Rose: Aside from music, video is very cool and fun and important to me. I’ve edited and directed our last two music videos “25, Alive” and “Baby”.

11: The first time I heard the song “25, Alive” and the first time I saw the video for it gave me completely different experiences. The emotional arc of the song flipped 180° for me with the visual and lyrical juxtaposition.

Rose: I really like the song changed for you.

11: It’s clear from your performances and videos that you guys all love each other deeply.

Rose: We’re like a family and we’re very close to each other’s families. When we formed in 2014, we met up and started playing together for a month and then went on tour for two months. So we became close on the road. I had this thing in my head that if we can’t get through being together like 24/7 for two months than it’s not gonna work as a band. Sarah is my best friend—she’s my sister—we’ve lived together for seven years. Liam and Kevin live together, they’ve lived together since 2014.

11: Who drives the van when you go on tour?

Rose: We all drive.

11: All of y—

Rose: (interrupting) Hell yeah.

11: Does the van have a name?

Rose: Squeaky.

11: Everyone in Oh, Rose has very good hair… But who has the best hair, and why is it Liam? (I point to the blonde maned and banged drummer on a recent press photo)

Rose: (Laughs) It is Liam. Do you know why he has the best hair? Because I made it the best. I cut those bangs and made him get bangs.

11: How did you guys decide to sequence While My Father Sleeps? Is the album meant to be a complete narrative?

Rose: I like to think of the songs more like vignettes and glimpses into emotions and experiences. The sequence of “Phoenix” followed by “Water” was very much intentional because I think those two songs hold hands… but the order was hard.

11: How critical do you get during recording? How close do the songs need to match the vision in your head?

Rose: I think it’s a ‘how much do I hate this’ gauge?  Sometimes you just need to tell yourself: “dude… just stop… I’m sorry if this is making you uncomfortable, but this is what you sound like.” A really awesome thing I’ve gathered from this band is learning to just tolerate the sound of my own voice. 

11: The album sounds very, very, tight and polished. It sounds like a lot of hours in the studio. Was it?

Rose: With While My Father Sleeps… we recorded it twice. We didn’t even change the songs, but I think it was important to capture it both times. With recording it’s just a glimpse into where you’re at in time…if we had released the first recordings we would have had a very different vibe and feeling… like a scared rabbit.

11: How close were those recordings?

Rose: A year apart.

11: When were the songs on the album shaped and written?

Rose: With our last two albums a lot of the songs were cemented the way they are just from touring and playing the songs so many times. We’ve been touring While My Father Sleeps in one way or another with these songs since—some of them—since 2015. So we know them.

11: I was really struck by the arrangement of “Water” but there are these crashing cymbals at the end that sound just like crashing waves in the distance. It’s so good.

Rose: We did that song in one take… it wasn’t supposed to be on the album. We were recording with our friend River Nason who was helping us engineer and one day I said “Hey… I have this song… Umm,  hit record.” I started playing [Water] and Kevin and Liam joined in… By the end of it, River was crying and said “we’re not doing that again, that’s going on the album.” 

11: Is that usual for you guys?

Rose: (Shaking head) No.

11: There’s a lot of variation in your vocal delivery from song to song. Is it always Olivia singing? Or do you feel like some songs feature different narrators?

Rose: That’s a good question… yeah, I think that there are multiple narrators for sure…

11: …like during the song “Baby” I hear the voice of the inner child and the doubtful voice of a negative, self-critical ego.

Rose: Yeah.

11: Is having multiple voices you plan out when you start writing? Or do you recognize [the voices] as different and significant and meaningful after the song is finished and you’ve had some distance to reflect on it?  

Rose: Oh, it’s always after the fact. I think that’s probably true with a lot of songwriters, but it still surprises me when I listen back to the songs. I’m like—sigh—“How did you know and why did it take me—the living, breathing, seemingly functioning young adult woman so long to get there in my mind?”

11: Have you found yourself writing and tapping into a voice that knows something about you on an emotional level before you can fully recognize it mentally? 

Rose: Yeah, it’s this weird thing where I’ll finally get to a point in understanding or processing something that happened in my past and when I listen back I say to myself: “This is exactly what I was talking about.”

11: Did these sort of premonitions start with While My Father Sleeps?

Rose: No that existed with the [previous album] Seven too. For example, there’s a song called “Winter”—it’s about sleeping alone in your bed and knowing that the person you love is sleeping with someone else. I was dating someone at the time and had met up with them and their band on tour in Austin for a little bit before returning home to Olympia by myself. The night I came back I started writing “Winter and I found out later that—on that night—my boyfriend was actually cheating on me.

11: That is unreal. 

Rose: I was like, “What the hell?!” What is that?

(Both shake heads)

11: How does your ability to sometimes predict the future make you feel about the future of Oh, Rose? 

Rose: I am sooo optimistic and so ready to like record. 

11: Is it a relief to be able to move on from While My Father Sleeps?

Rose: I dunno… I’m totally sick of it (laughing), but I have a lot of respect for it. I’m okay talking about it too, because I think it’s important for people who listen to our music—and hopefully for people who eventually find these songs—to know that I’m talking about loss and grief. People experience loss in so many ways, it doesn’t have to be the physical loss of a parent. It could be losing a friend… a lover… anything. There are emotional ties in all those relationships and I’m examining those feelings in my music…

I don’t know if this is a thing that other people do, but the first things I do if I hear a band I like: 1. I’m gonna google a video of them playing live—because recordings are one thing and live is very different—and  2. I’ll wikipedia them and read their story and read interviews—y’know, who are these people?

11: Totally.

Rose:  For me, you’re trying to find yourself reflected in these artists that you admire. You want to find a piece of yourself Not just in the music, because you’ve already found it—that’s what drew you to them— but also in their stories and lives.

11: Being able to find that connection through art is so powerful. It helps validates your feelings and experiences. Especially around personal pains and tragedies that can feel isolating and hard to share.

Rose: This is why I decided to tell my story about grief and loss. It’s because we need to forward these conversations and because I cannot honestly talk about my music without talking about my life and experience. That’s gonna be the highs and the lows. Just like how you can’t talk about Oh, Rose without talking about how much all four of us genuinely love each other. Y’know or that… that…

11: …or that Liam has the best hair…

Rose: …or that Liam has the best hair. Actually, [looking at the cover of While My Father Sleeps] I think my brother might have the best hair.

Olivia Rose was born in Asheville, North Carolina, but has been living in Olympia, Washington since 2012 and fronting Oh, Rose since 2014. She originally visited Olympia to visit friends, but she liked the community that she found. 

Oh, Rose is personal. Lyrically, an outpouring of Olivia; musically, a group of friends who love and trust like family; neighborly, a great example of what Washington offers Portland outside of no sales tax.

Recently Oh, Rose released their second full-length LP While My Father Sleeps—an album shaped, delayed and defined by the death of Olivia’s mom. And even more recently, they co-headlined KEXP’s Death and Music concert at the Seattle town hall.

I was fortunate enough to talk with Olivia about life, their latest release, and Oh, Rose and the gang: Sarah Redden, Laim Hindahl and Kevin Christopher. We will be fortunate enough to see them in Portland with Phantogram at the Crystal Ballroom on December 10th, 2019.

Eleven: Why do you write music? To learn about yourself? Because you are a productive individual who was brought up to be a functioning adult? 

Olivia Rose: No. I write because I have to write. And I’m not even regimented about that. I was playing and singing on the piano last night and I was patting myself on the back: “You go girl, you can do this.” (snaps fingers)

11: Are you drawn to any other arts outside of music?

OR: Aside from music, video is very cool and fun and important to me. I’ve edited and directed our last two music videos “25, Alive” and “Baby”.

11: The first time I heard the song “25, Alive” and the first time I saw the video for it gave me completely different experiences. The emotional arc of the song flipped 180° for me with the visual and lyrical juxtaposition.

OR: I really like the song changed for you.

11: It’s clear from your performances and videos that you guys all love each other deeply.

OR: We’re like a family and we’re very close to each other’s families. When we formed in 2014, we met up and started playing together for a month and then went on tour for two months. So we became close on the road. I had this thing in my head that if we can’t get through being together like 24/7 for two months than it’s not gonna work as a band. Sarah is my best friend—she’s my sister—we’ve lived together for seven years. Liam and Kevin live together, they’ve lived together since 2014.

11: Who drives the van when you go on tour?

OR: We all drive.

11: All of y—

OR: (interrupting) Hell yeah.

11: Does the van have a name?

OR: Squeaky.

11: Everyone in Oh, Rose has very good hair… But who has the best hair, and why is it Liam? (I point to the blonde maned and banged drummer on a recent press photo)

OR: (Laughs) It is Liam. Do you know why he has the best hair? Because I made it the best. I cut those bangs and made him get bangs.

11: How did you guys decide to sequence While My Father Sleeps? Is the album meant to be a complete narrative?

OR: I like to think of the songs more like vignettes and glimpses into emotions and experiences. The sequence of “Phoenix” followed by “Water” was very much intentional because I think those two songs hold hands… but the order was hard.

11: How critical do you get during recording? How close do the songs need to match the vision in your head?

OR: I think it’s a “How much do I hate this” gauge?  Sometimes you just need to tell yourself: “Dude… just stop… I’m sorry if this is making you uncomfortable, but this is what you sound like.” A really awesome thing I’ve gathered from this band is learning to just tolerate the sound of my own voice. 

11: The album sounds very, very, tight and polished. It sounds like a lot of hours in the studio. Was it?

OR: With While My Father Sleeps… we recorded it twice. We didn’t even change the songs, but I think it was important to capture it both times. With recording, it’s just a glimpse into where you’re at in time… if we had released the first recordings we would have had a very different vibe and feeling… like a scared rabbit.

11: How close were those recordings?

OR: A year apart.

11: When were the songs on the album shaped and written?

OR: With our last two albums a lot of the songs were cemented the way they are just from touring and playing the songs so many times. We’ve been touring While My Father Sleeps in one way or another with these songs, some of them since 2015. So we know them.

11: I was really struck by the arrangement of “Water” but there are these crashing cymbals at the end that sound just like crashing waves in the distance. It’s so good.

OR: We did that song in one take. It wasn’t supposed to be on the album. We were recording with our friend River Nason who was helping us engineer and one day I said, “Hey, I have this song. Umm, hit record.” I started playing [Water] and Kevin and Liam joined in. By the end of it, River was crying and said “We’re not doing that again, that’s going on the album.” 

11: Is that usual for you guys?

OR: (Shaking head) No.

11: There’s a lot of variation in your vocal delivery from song to song. Is it always Olivia singing? Or do you feel like some songs feature different narrators?

OR: That’s a good question… yeah, I think that there are multiple narrators for sure.

11: Like during the song “Baby” I hear the voice of the inner child and the doubtful voice of a negative, self-critical ego.

OR: Yeah.

11: Is having multiple voices something you plan out when you start writing? Or do you recognize the voices as different, significant and meaningful after the song is finished and you’ve had some distance to reflect on it?  

OR: Oh, it’s always after the fact. I think that’s probably true with a lot of songwriters, but it still surprises me when I listen back to the songs. I’m like—sigh—“How did you know and why did it take me—the living, breathing, seemingly functioning young adult woman so long to get there in my mind?”

11: Have you found yourself writing and tapping into a voice that knows something about you on an emotional level before you can fully recognize it mentally? 

OR: Yeah, it’s this weird thing where I’ll finally get to a point in understanding or processing something that happened in my past and when I listen back I say to myself: “This is exactly what I was talking about.”

11: Did these sort of premonitions start with While My Father Sleeps?

OR: No that existed with the [previous album] Seven too. For example, there’s a song called “Winter”—it’s about sleeping alone in your bed and knowing that the person you love is sleeping with someone else. I was dating someone at the time and had met up with them and their band on tour in Austin for a little bit before returning home to Olympia by myself. The night I came back I started writing “Winter” and I found out later that—on that night—my boyfriend was actually cheating on me.

11: That is unreal.

OR: I was like, “What the hell?! What is that?”

11: How does your ability to sometimes predict the future make you feel about the future of Oh, Rose? 

OR: I am sooo optimistic and so ready to record. 

11: Is it a relief to be able to move on from While My Father Sleeps?

OR: I’m totally sick of it (laughing), but I have a lot of respect for it. I’m okay talking about it too, because I think it’s important for people who listen to our music, and hopefully for people who eventually find these songs, to know that I’m talking about loss and grief. People experience loss in so many ways, it doesn’t have to be the physical loss of a parent. It could be losing a friend, a lover, anything. There are emotional ties in all those relationships and I’m examining those feelings in my music.

I don’t know if this is a thing that other people do, but the first things I do if I hear a band I like—1. I’m gonna Google a video of them playing live, because recordings are one thing and live is very different, and 2. I’ll Wikipedia them and read their story and read interviews—y’know, who are these people?

11: Totally.

OR:  For me, you’re trying to find yourself reflected in these artists that you admire. You want to find a piece of yourself Not just in the music, because you’ve already found it—that’s what drew you to them— but also in their stories and lives.

11: Being able to find that connection through art is so powerful. It helps validate your feelings and experiences. Especially around personal pains and tragedies that can feel isolating and hard to share.

OR: This is why I decided to tell my story about grief and loss. It’s because we need to forward these conversations and because I cannot honestly talk about my music without talking about my life and experience. That’s gonna be the highs and the lows. Just like how you can’t talk about Oh, Rose without talking about how much all four of us genuinely love each other. Y’know or that… that…

11: …or that Liam has the best hair…
OR: …or that Liam has the best hair. Actually, [looking at the cover of While My Father Sleeps] I think my brother might have the best hair.

11: …or that Liam has the best hair…

Rose: …or that Liam has the best hair. Actually, [looking at the cover of While My Father Sleeps] I think my brother might have the best hair.