Cracking The Code: Rosie Darling Releases Sad Summer Pop Anthem “Fucked Up Summer”
[UNPUBLISHED:] For any readers who may be new to your music, can you give a quick introduction and how you got started in your music career?
[ROSIE DARLING:] My name is Rosie Darling, which a lot of people think is a stage name but it’s actually my real name. I started singing and writing when I was eleven or twelve, right when Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus were coming up. My dad taught me some guitar, and from there I started to see that a lot of artists like Taylor Swift could write their own songs which influenced me to start writing myself. I wasn’t great at writing at first, but I’ve really put in the time and now it’s one of my favorite things about the music industry. It always feels like trying to crack a code, and when you get the right lyrics with the right melody… it's just so rewarding.
I think my newest release “Fucked Up Summer” is a jam that is super angsty and poppy. I’m getting away from some of the ballad-y songs like “Coping” and “Witness” a bit, and it's been super fun. I've been so comfortable writing ballads, but since moving to LA, I've been able to meet people who complement my process and pull me into a new world of music that is different but still feels like me. I’m experimenting right now, but staying in line with who I am.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I know you’re moving into some new sound experimentation, but I have to mention that I really adore your ballads. I have also definitely cried my eyes out to “Coping” more times than I can count.
[ROSIE:] “Coping” is seriously…. I don’t even have a problem saying it's a banger. When I wrote that, I was not even at the stage where I was putting out music. I had the song for like two or three years before it ever saw the light of day, and I would just listen to it by myself or play it for my friends. I’m just so happy that the song translated so well. It kickstarted my belief in myself as a full-fledged writer and artist.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I also want to give you a massive congratulations on “Fucked Up Summer.” Everyone needs the perfect sad summer pop banger you’ve created. How are you feeling now that it’s out in the world, and what has the response been like?
[ROSIE:] I am so excited. It's one of those songs, like “Coping” which I wrote it two or three years ago when I wasn't releasing music quite yet. I was trying to experiment more with writing and create something out of my comfort zone, which I feel you can tell in the verses. One of my favorite things about this song is there's a line in the first verse about counting the exit signs and then it comes back in the second verse where I still count the exit signs. It's me being a bit of a nerd, but I love my songs to feel like a movie and have those creative writing moments that connect and call back. I have a lot of people listen to my music and ask, “Who hurt you?” and it's always like, “No one, I just love writing!” There are universal feelings that we all feel, so it's just me trying to find the right way to say and express those feelings.
“Fucked Up Summer” specifically is incredibly fun and I cannot wait to sing it live, especially at a summer show. I think everybody at some point in their life has had a breakup of some kind like this. Summer is a time where you can grow apart from people, romantic or not, so I hope people are finding their own story within it. I went through a couple of different versions of this song, but I worked with Justin Gammella and David Arkwright on it and they knew my sound so well to be able to push me further. It's great to have people in the room who can pull new sounds, emotions, and feelings out of you. Being able to collaborate with some of the same people on songs for the next EP is also really important to me, and we’ve all been on the same page and working towards the same goal. I’ve been waiting a long time for this song to come out, so I'm excited.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Since you wrote “Fucked Up Summer” two or three years ago, what made now the right time to release it?
[ROSIE:] I think this song was such a statement, even just the title having the word fuck in it. I’m not an aggressive person at all, so I think that I needed to find the right timing for it. Everyone that I showed it to was always super excited about it, but “Coping'' was having its moment on the first EP and I couldn't just release all of my good songs at once! But yeah, I feel like I needed to mentally prepare myself to release “Fucked Up Summer.” Being a newer artist, I'm also still figuring out my sound and my vibe, and I needed to build some trust with my listeners and my audience. They know I'm a bit angsty and a bit sad, but here's a new chapter sonically that's a bit different for them to get to know. “Fucked Up Summer” is still very much me, however, because I always try to go for a feeling, like that swarm of vocals in the intro and outro. The lyrics, melody, and production are always so important, but with the vocals, I want there to be moments that take you a step further, and this song checks all the boxes for me.
[UNPUBLISHED:] This song is definitely different, but it rings true to who you are for any of your listeners.
[ROSIE:] Yeah, and when you hear the song, I think you can be like, “Oh, there’s going to be a crazy music video!” but that's not me. We did a visualizer for the video and we just were out at a baseball field at night. There are a lot of moody lights and silhouettes, but I liked letting this song speak for itself. Music videos can be a really big statement on their own. I feel confident enough about my songs and the sound that I know they'll find the people that need them, crazy music videos or not. I like that I've got all the creative control with my music and I’ve been able to do what feels authentic to me, even if this song could also lend itself to some crazy videos and concepts.
[UNPUBLISHED:] The visualizer is steeped in moody pinks, purples, and reds, without a lot of chaos going on, was there a specific storyline that was being followed in the video, or was the goal to just ride into the mood?
[ROSIE:] It was mostly finding a mood and just rolling with it. I’ve been really in the mindset of sometimes less is more, and there's a song on the next EP, “Say Less,” which is a shorter song that still feels complete like my full-length songs. I think I've been coming to the belief that people are going to find their own narrative in the world and in the music I write, so I don't need to control where they are going to take it. I’ve worked with Laura-Lynn Petrick on that video, and we talked about how it didn’t need to be super blocked out or choreographed. It was very in the moment and just feeling it out. When I think of Summer, I do think of being a kid and those images of a high school football stadium or a park. You don’t have to be doing some crazy thing to get people to listen. That less is more mentality is something I'm living by right now, and I think that video came out so cool.
[UNPUBLISHED:] I saw a shoutout to Halsey on your Instagram where you said this song was inspired by them after you met them. Can you tell us more about that experience?
[ROSIE:] I love Halsey, and they know that I think that. I met them in Whole Foods a few years ago and it was so random. I saw them walking in and threw my car into park. I was lucky I didn't get towed, and then I ran in looking for them. People tell me I sound like Halsey a lot. I had been in LA for maybe a year at that point and every session I went to record in, someone told me I sounded like Halsey. I think they’re so badass and creative and talented and they’ve inspired and motivated me, so I thought, “I’m going to just go say hi.” They were so nice and talked to me for a few minutes. I told them about how people compare my sound to theirs and how I had been writing a song that was inspired by one of their songs. They literally handed me their phone and told me to follow myself, which was so insane.
I went into a session later that week on such a high that I had met them, so when we started writing to the guitar in “Fucked Up Summer” it just sounded like such a Halsey song and I honed in on that. With every lyric, I was trying to imagine what it would sound like if they would sing it because I couldn’t imagine releasing a song called “Fucked Up Summer.” After some time I had gotten it to someone on her team, and they agreed that it was so Halsey, but early Halsey so they wouldn’t probably release it now. From there, I just kept it in my back pocket for a few years.
Even the line about combat boots…I don't even know what that is for me, but I think Halsey would say it. To me, “Fucked Up Summer” is more of a creative writing piece since I was trying to connect with what Halsey would say. I love it, and I love Halsey. I don't think I would have written a song like this if I hadn't met them. I didn’t lose any steam throughout that session afterward and it was so special, I knew right away. I didn't know when it would come out or what artist would release it, but I'm excited that I eventually grew into it.
[UNPUBLISHED:] They really just handed you their phone in the middle of Whole Foods?
[ROSIE:] I was like, “What is happening?” They were so nice and it's one of my favorite moments in LA. I remember it so exactly and I love that I can look back on it and see how much it impacted me and how much I've grown.
[UNPUBLISHED:] With all of your songs, you’re clearly connected with some deep emotions. What does it feel like releasing such personal songs?
[ROSIE:] I usually have the songs done so far in advance that I have some time to mentally prepare. With “Fucked Up Summer,” I was nervous about the aggressive title. I specifically thought about my family because I have nieces who love my music, and I obviously can't show them this one. In general, though, my songs simultaneously tap into real emotions and are also a bit of a creative writing experience. The writing part of my career is something that I never get tired of. When you crack the code… it's like an addiction. The feeling is so good. A lot of people write about the same things, but it's about the picture you can paint with your words. I think in “Fucked Up Summer,” the verses do a great job of that. The next EP I have coming out is a big creative writing experience based on real emotions, so I'm excited to share that as well.
[UNPUBLISHED:] “Coping'' was released in 2020 and has since amassed 30 million streams on Spotify. Since it was released during COVID and all of your releases since have been in the COVID era, has that changed your process of creating music?
[ROSIE:] It was so weird creating music in the era of COVID. I signed with my label on FaceTime, which is wild to say. I think it's weird because normally when you release music you go out and perform it, but now we all use things like TikTok instead. I didn’t even get on TikTok until like a year into the pandemic because I thought it was weird and there was too much social media. I still think it's weird. Luckily for my music, however, I work with the same people a lot so we were super safe whenever we got together to record.
A lot of my ideas coming up on this next EP originated from me just sitting down and starting something alone. COVID is still weird, but it's made me appreciate the opportunities I have to go out and perform. It's also super validating on the flip side because I didn't get the opportunity to go on tour and my songs are still doing well. I think a lot of people have turned to music in the pandemic while stuck at home, so maybe that worked to my advantage. I’ve only actually gotten to do one show where I have sung “Coping” live, and hearing people sing it back to me was so cool. I can’t wait to have that feeling again.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have any plans to tour in the future, especially once your EP comes out?
[ROSIE:] There are some things in the works! I don’t have the exact information yet, but be on the lookout for a post about it. Touring is a new thing to me and I am so excited. Growing up, any performance I did was in an auditorium and super structured, but this is so fast and so different. I hope I love it, and I'm sure I will, but it's a new thing I need to mentally prepare for and get ready to live in the moment with it. I know I can't control everything, so I think touring is going to help me master that skill.
[UNPUBLISHED:] With “Fucked Up Summer” now out in the world, what can we expect coming on this EP? Will there be more songs like “Fucked Up Summer” or will you go back to your roots of more ballad moments… can you give us any details?
[ROSIE:] “Fucked Up Summer” is the most aggressive one. It’s pretty 50/50 on the EP, some are more upbeat and produced songs as well as some ballad-y tracks. There's some OG Rosie on there, which will be comforting to people who love “Coping” and my other ballads. I’ve been working on the EP for a while, and I'm so excited to share it with the world.
[UNPUBLISHED:] As you’ve grown and changed throughout your music career, is there any advice you wish you had been given when you were first starting?
[ROSIE:] I waited so long to release music. I moved to LA and had a lot of people tell me that I needed to develop before I released anything, which is important. But if you’re writing something that is meaningful and matters to you, the timing is not important. It will resonate with someone, even if it's just a few people. Trying not to think of promoting and timing is also major for me because as an artist, your job is to create music and write. The more you think of the promotion and release, the more you’re pulled out of the authenticity of creating music just to create. Music always finds the people it needs to.
I also think as a new artist, you should put yourself out there! If you want to have a longstanding career, I think it's important to just start. Don’t fall into the cycle of waiting until it feels perfect. If you’re staying true to the intentions you have behind the song, people can see how genuine it is. It’s not supposed to happen overnight, it's a slow build of a relationship and connection with your listeners. It’s a process, but it’s a really beautiful process when you let it happen.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Is there anything else you want to share?
[ROSIE:] I just want to give a shoutout and thank you to anyone who is listening to my music. This next EP will have some great songs on it that I think people will like, and I should have an announcement about some shows coming up. I'm excited and grateful that you’re all joining me on my little musical journey.