Rozzi – Orange Skies

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Intimate, soulful, feminine

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) Lauryn Hill, Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Beyoncé, Aretha Franklin, H.E.R., Joni Mitchell

Q) Talk about the story behind “Orange Skies.”

A) I wrote “Orange Skies” with my friend Eric Leva during the 2019 LA fires. We wanted to capture how personal the fires were, how personal climate change is. Every detail in the verses is a moment from my life growing up in California because those are the moments we stand to lose if we don’t act on those things that we are doing that are creating global warming. Every little thing we love is at risk.

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

A) I think young people are incredibly aware (and afraid!) of climate change. So, the song speaks to that fear and the urgency they feel about the issue.

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

A) We wanted to artfully capture the beauty of California, which is the setting for the fires that touched my life personally, while making people feel the anticipation and anxiety of what’s coming and what’s already here. There’s a dark pulse throughout the video which is meant to be the impending doom of climate change if we don’t act now.

Q) What made you decide to donate a portion of the proceeds from “Orange Skies” to the American Red Cross and The Bay Area’s Sonoma Family Meal?

A) The whole intention of the song is help. We wanted to raise awareness and we wanted to actually get money to people who lost everything in the fires. The Red Cross and Sonoma Family Meal are two organizations with programs that are directly helping people who need it. I was so proud to partner with them.

Q) What is your songwriting process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) I always write lyrics first, actually. My songs are driven by my personal life, so it’s easier to get out what I want to say on my own, and then add music with a collaborator later. For me, it can be hard to hear melodies or production without a clear emotional intention behind it. I need the words to hear all of that.

Q) How much of a hand do you have in the production of your music?

A) It depends on the song, but I like to be very involved. George Moore, who is producing most of my album, is someone I sought out. He produced a song called “Evergreen” for Yebba and I liked it so much I had my manager track him down. We spent some time together in London right before COVID hit and have been finishing everything remotely since. He’s brilliant and has extraordinary taste, so I really love everything he sends me, but he’s also extremely open and receptive to my ideas and my vision.