Rose Gray – Higher Than the Sun

By starrymag | March 26, 2023

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Kinetic alt electronic pop

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Madonna, Deeelite, Enya, Bjork

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Ecstasy.”

 

A) It’s about the feeling of release, and that comes in so many different forms. I usually overthink narratives for my tunes, but I wanted this to be free from constraint and not tied to anything too specific.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think freedom and release, the idea of allowing oneself to fully shout and dance and scream. To feel everything

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) We wanted to create this story that a clone had escaped from her room and discovered the control room for the experiment. It reminded of some of my favorite early 00’s music video.

 

Q) You worked with Alex Metric, Ghostculture, Frank Colucci and Nick Godmode on the production for your new EP, but how much of a say do you have when it comes to your music?

 

A) I like to think I’m a big part of that process. I love melody. It tends to start with that, and lyrics are often coexisting at the same time as we collectively find the song.

 

Q) Your EP Higher Than the Sun is out now. What was the most challenging aspect for you creatively with it?

 

A) I like the idea of structure and common threads between songs, so I guess finding the right order and space between worlds was important to me on this EP.

 

Q) Which track(s) holds a special place in your heart and why is it so significant for you?

 

A) “Promise Me” – as a track, as a concept, it formed so easily and organic. The collaboration with Nick Sylvester – it was a match made in heaven.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to Higher Than the Sun as a whole?

 

A) As I felt when I started discovering artists that made me feel uninhibited and creative, I want the same thing for my listeners. I want people to sing loud in the car, in the club, in the shower, allowing it to move you and connect you to something higher than what we’re experiencing in an often-mundane world.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) I loved performing at Printworks. I’ve been there so many times on a night out it was kind of wild to be there on the other side of it. I thrive in big, high-pressured environments, so anywhere that feels like there’s a risk things could go wrong, I kind of like it.

 

Q) Your single “Prettier Than You” is the FIFA 2023 soundtrack song. What does this accomplishment mean to you?

 

A) It meant a lot more to my teenage brother who is a religious FIFA player, but to me it was another step in the right direction of diversifying fan base and reaching people across the board. Just a really cool thing to be a part of, too. I now have football boys and girls on side, which is fun.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) Shygirl and The Chemical Brothers

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) It’s a massive part of the pulse in that world. It’s expected of an artist now days. Sometimes I look back at the 80/90’s, a time without social media, where I could just create music and tour without the heavy expectation of content.

In a dream world I would be phoneless, writing music and touring. Can you imagine?

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Love you, love you, love you, thank you for letting me be me…[laughs]