Unique Life Stories: Oh, Rose – “25, Alive”

Oh, Rose

“25, Alive”

While My Father Sleeps

Coming from Olympia, WA, Oh, Rose will take you by storm.  Olivia Rose, lead singer, has this tremendous, facilitating voice goes from a whisper to almost a scream, while being backed by wonderful choppy guitars, steady drums, and groove-stoked bass line.  Comprised of  Rose on vocals and guitar, Liam Hindahl on drums, Sarah Redden on synthesizer, and Kevin Christopher on bass, Oh, Rose is venomously moving and potent.  I swear, the guitar playing reminds me of Courtney Barnett, but Rose’s playing is all her own, and her song style is unique.  As Rose says about her song:

“While My Father Sleeps is the title of the book my mother wrote throughout her life,” Rose says. “It involved her relationship with my grandfather, the way she could communicate with him through the poetry of Carl Sandburg and the writings of Truman Capote. Her storytelling always inspired me to tell my own through music. The album title and artwork serves as a bookend, the songs written between two moments. The front cover shows my mother reading to my brother and me outside the North Asheville library in the summer of 1995, the back is her headstone. Though I didn’t write these songs in a state of grief, I came to know this album while I was grieving. When my mother died, I learned a new language, the language of death. At the same time, I was continuing to build strength and love within my community; my story isn’t uncommon. I hope my music finds a home with those who speak these same languages.”

This is wonderful, heartfelt, beautifully deep, dark, and mysterious music, which sets the tone for the lyrics.  What a great band.