ROSES & REVOLUTIONS – ARTIST SPOTLIGHT AND INTERVIEW

Roses & Revolutions is a mesmerizing duo whose music creates spellbinding soundscapes and magical moments. They just released a new EP entitled Midnight Monsters (via Nettwerk Records) that offers six tracks full of surreal images and ethereal depth. R & R mixes bewitching synths with enchanting rhythms to forge a sublime universe where both light and dark intertwine. The EP was written this past year in a milieu where people felt extremely anxious and vulnerable. With Midnight Monsters, Roses & Revolutions conceived a sweeping EP that blurs fantasy and reality with a sense of timelessness and escape that unfolds like a short film noir.

Based in Rochester, N.Y., Roses & Revolutions is comprised of Alyssa Coco (Vocals) and Matt Merritt (Guitar). They first met through music, playing in various bands together until they realized they had a certain profound chemistry. Their first single, “The Pines” garnished them over 11 million streams and a headlining tour. When lockdown threatened to deflate their momentum, Roses & Revolution used the time to compose a sound that transcends the mundane and transports the listener to a world of alternating realities

Speaking of the EP: “There’s a little town near us, and at night it was completely deserted, so we would go for a walk, recalls Matt. At the time, it was winter, and we would come home to our bedroom studio and just write and record. Alyssa adds, As the sun goes down, I get  down, and it’s always been like that for me. But that also happens to be the time that Matt and I are the most creative. So we were capturing those midnight monsters and getting them into songs”.

Roses & Revolutions were kind enough to sit with AMP for this interesting interview.

AMP: How did your collaboration begin?
R&R: The two of us played in different bands before creating music together. We met through music, when Matt invited me (Alyssa) to sing with the band he was in at the time, and the two of us felt an instant connection with writing and playing together.

 

AMP: I would describe your new album as hauntingly beautiful. How would you describe your music?

R&R: Thank you so much. That’s exactly how we hope people perceive this particular EP. The music leans a bit more dark and melancholy with glimmers of hope. Each song is kind of like a little journal entry and is definitely the next chapter in the R&R world sonically. Hauntingly beautiful is a perfect way to describe it. 🙂

 

AMP: How were you able to capture such aesthetically beautiful textures on the album? 
R&R: We had a lot of freedom creatively with this EP. We recorded most of it in our primitive bedroom recording studio and used a lot of voice memos from night strolls. Also, we mainly used organic instruments for this set of songs, but manipulated them to sound not so traditional and give it a more distinct aesthetic that fit the content of the songs so well.

 

AMP: Your songs deal with many thought provoking themes. How did the themes of isolation and darkness impact the songwriting on ‘Midnight Monsters’?

R&R: We didn’t set out to write a “quarantine-y” EP, but inevitably, it was very much front and center of our lives for a while like everyone else. It seeped in. The world felt dark and isolated. Uncertain. A common theme of our quarantine was going on walks in a nearby village late at night. Every time we came back from those walks, we felt inspired to write… so this EP was a direct result of those walks.

 

AMP: Exciting to see the upcoming tour dates with Joshua Radin. Any other plans to tour this year?

R&R: We are SO looking forward to sharing the stage with Joshua Radin. We’ve both been big fans for a long time. “Paperweight” is one of my all-time favorite songs. As of now, those are the only dates in the books, but you never know 🙂

 

AMP: What’s the future like for Roses & Revolutions?
R&R: “Midnight Monsters” comes out October 15th and we have a surprise cover coming out the following month. We’ll be releasing a lot more music in 2022 and hopefully back on the road more consistently! We can’t wait to play live again.

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