Konstantinos PappisLucy Rose has had a busy year. In the spring of 2016, she decided to go on a fan-organized tour across South America, where she played over 33 free gigs in eight countries over the course of two months. “If you book me a gig, I’ll come and stay” was the deal she offered. It was a true DIY experience and one that allowed her to reconnect with fans and restore her faith in music.
A year later, the singer-songwriter is on tour once again – a Worldwide Cinema tour, this time in support of her upcoming album ‘Something’s Changing’ which is out on July 14th and will be accompanied by a documentary of her Latin America tour. The follow-up to her acclaimed sophomore LP ‘Work it Out’ includes the Tim Bidwell-produced single ‘Floral Dresses’ featuring The Staves, a skeletal, reflective acoustic song about society’s perception of femininity. Most recently, she also released ‘Is This Called Home’ alongside a captivating video directed by the musician herself and featuring acclaimed Gibraltan dancer Jonathan Lutwyche dancing on top of the Lake District. The album features contributions from Daughter‘s Elena Tonra, Bear’s Den‘s Marcus Hamblett and Matthew and The Atlas‘ Emma Gatrill.
To further grow her relationship with her audience, Rose has launched a Bandsquare project – wherever you live in the world, you have the opportunity to vote for her to play in your hometown by simply heading to her page.
GIGsoup caught up with Lucy Rose to talk about her tour, her new single, and the process behind her forthcoming album.
If you had to pick one memory from your eight-week tour across South America, what would it be? Could you describe it?
Gosh I find that hard as I have so many amazing memories of the trip. I think one of the strongest memories must be the gig I played in São Paulo above the laundrette that the fan I was staying with owned. I had never played a gig in São Paulo before and I had no idea whether I had fans there and suddenly the street was full with over 1200 people, no cars could get through and everyone knew every word to my songs. Such a surreal moment.
Your single ‘Floral Dresses’ has a powerful message. How and why did you choose the floral dress in particular as a symbol?
I guess because I relate to that the most. I’ve always just worn trousers and t-shirts and at times felt like I wasn’t really a ‘girl’ because of that, and called tomboy etc and I realised that I was just as much as a girl as any girl even if I don’t fit the mold or wear dresses.
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At the start of the song, you sing about growing up “in one hell of a family.” Could you elaborate on that?
It is clear that the song marks a return to the stripped back acoustic sound of your earlier music. What pushed you in that direction?
I discovered the more I toured solo that just me and my guitar is good enough, acoustic music is what I love and I feel like what my fans want from me. That is where my heart lies when it comes to music.
Shouldwe expect something similar from the rest of the album?
Is there a concept behind your upcoming record?
I’m not sure about a concept but there’s a strong inspiration behind the record which is my trip around Latin America and the people I met. There’s a lot of self-discovery.
It really was a dream come true, I’m a huge fan of the Staves and Elena, when I asked them I really didn’t think they would say yes so it was a very surreal experience and their voices added so much to the songs.
Are you excited about playing at Latitude Festival?
