A Q&A with Belle Roscoe

70s folk rock-inspired brother-sister duo from Melbourne – here’s Matty from Belle Roscoe…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
‘The Birds’ – we wrote the song 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.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
The video we made ourselves on a shoestring budget. We shot it in Sardinia after a friend connected to the government swayed the film commission to give us permission. We were allowed access to some pretty secure locations that would not have been the case without his help. We are not the type of people to ask permission but usually forgiveness. We are normally used to a more guerilla approach, like the ‘Soho Shoes’ video. So it was a new experience this time and we think the results show. Matty was in hospital for two weeks and somehow managed to finish the edit. So upon reflection that was probably the hardest part.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it?
The music was produced by Matt Ross-Spang at The Bomb Shelter studio in Nashville. Matt is a Grammy award winning producer based out of Memphis. We went completely analogue on this recording. We tracked the songs live to tape with the band and chose the best take. No computers were opened and we committed to capturing the energy. He certainly brought the best performances out of us. The video we produced ourselves. We love being able to control the narrative!

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music.
We write music that we hope takes the listener on journey that lasts longer than the length of an Instagram story. We want them to consider the message. Our greatest hope is that they are inspired to stop and think… and maybe just get a little taste of the spirit of rock n roll.

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
One of us is normally tinkering with an idea and we get together and finish it. Sometimes it takes minutes to finish a song and sometimes it takes years. It’s always one guitar and two voices. When that works – we know we have a great song.

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
It is so varied, our parents had great taste in music, so that has probably always been the biggest influence. Everything from Elvis, Sinatra, Van Morrison to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. In more recent years we’ve been really getting into the lyrics of Father John Misty and the sonic flavour of bands like The War on Drugs.

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
Every country we haven’t performed in yet! We’ve done a lot of them… but there are still a few left for us to discover. The travel has always been one of the major perks of being in a band.

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
Go check out ‘Soho Shoes‘. It’s the first single from this batch of songs. It’s old school rock n roll, gospel choirs and big guitars. It’s a call to arms to all bands to deliver some music with meaning.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
In the next 12 months we want people to get into the record and come out to a show. On stage is where it all makes sense and once you’ve been a part of it you’ll come back for more… and more… and more.

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Turn it up!

For more info visit: instagram.com/belleroscoe