Q&A today: Roses In Hand

Q&A

Some time ago we discovered a hidden gem called "Paradise", now we are able to present Jess and Sam from "Roses In Hand" in a short Q&A part. Read something about their inspiration, their first ever self-written songs or what's next for the Band. Thanks for your time!

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Roses In Hand is …?

Jess: Roses In Hand is a pop duo from Australia! Sam and I met in the recording studio writing for a movie, and we started busking together not long after. We’ve been doing music full time together up until covid hit. Now we’re focusing on getting our music out in the world, that’s been sitting waiting to be heard.

Sam: Roses In Hand are an independent duo, now introducing a pop sound, after years of doing “the dues” of live performances and touring. The name is about one door closing, and others opening, always presenting something new. It originated from when I was younger and had someone close a door on me with roses in my hand.

Who inspired you to make music in general ...and especially to the song "Paradise"?

Sam: My inspirations change. We often get inspiration from each other and our experiences. We wanted Paradise to fit in with what was on the radio, and to be an icebreaker for what’s to come. Paradise is about staying eager and comparing to the voluntary party where everybody gets together in a momentous crowd of celebration.

Jess: In general, I’ve been inspired by big voices. My musical inspirations change, depending on what type of song I’m writing at the time. I am inspired by experiences, whether it be mine or someone else’s. Sam inspired the song paradise - I’m thankful for him.

What is your creative process like and did you change it for your latest release?

Jess: I don’t have a process! It changes. Sometimes I dive into my “idea book”, where I write lyrical ideas, phrases or words and piece them together like a puzzle. Sometimes I sit with Sam and we come up with something together. Or a song comes to me as Paradise did.

I came up with Paradise while driving and immediately called Sam (he was 3 hours away) to help me produce a demo virtually. We created so many different versions of this song, where we ended up giving the song to our friend Bobby Kidd (Mister Kidd Productions, So Loud It Hz Studios) to produce. 

We said, “go for your life, make it sound commercial and uplifting”. It was nice to have help from Bobby and Mark Lenzo (Illawarra Music Foundry). Mark helped Sam with the Mastering and did our lyric video. We let go with Paradise - sometimes it’s nice to put your arms up and let it run its course.

Sam: Our creative processes change, depending on the situation and the song. It’s good to change it up so we get different things, and try different avenues to be creative. Often we get new outcomes that we wouldn’t think would work. 

We did this song a bit different, and had a small production team, with Bobby Kidd from Mister Kidd Productions and Mark Lenzo from Illawarra Music Foundry, that we connected with to help push the song and make it better. Our team was a great way to enhance what we’ve already done.

The track creates a great atmosphere, how much time did you spend to find the right sounds?

Jess: We worked on this song for most of 2021. A lot of demos, production and different versions of the mixing and mastering process. Our producer Bobby did a great job with the production. It’s really interesting how each song has its own path, and you have to find the right way to light it up - sometimes it’s not what you expect it to be!

Sam: It wasn’t about the sound, it was about the song. We wanted to serve the song for what it was, and originally we didn’t expect the song to go in this direction, however, the song lead us in the direction it is today. We felt it was a good time to release the song - we were sitting on it for quite some time.

Also, the Vocal part sounds amazing, how many "Takes" did it take or is it more a step by step procedure?

Jess: Thankyou! It took about a day to get all of the vocal parts down. I wanted heaps of vocals and love harmonies. It was definitely a step by step process, seeing what can work where, and being able to use “backup” lyrics I had for the song, to enhance a certain section. I worked really hard on my vocals to be able to get that big note I wanted!

Sam: It depends on the situation. It’s overloaded with vocals. We wanted the song to be a paradise of lyrical entertainment. If you listen to the song more than once, you’ll hear something new each time. Put some headphones on or turn it up loud in the car - you’ll hear more and more vocals and elements.

What's your most useful talent besides music?

Jess: Anything creative! I love designing, drawing and coding.

Sam: I can host a great dinner party.

How would you describe 2021 in a sentence?

Jess: A roller coaster.

Sam: A time for reflection.

What was the first-ever song you listened to or remember?

Sam: I remember being at a huge concert, I must’ve just been able to walk. It was my dad, the lead singer and guitarist. I just remember thinking how cool it was, that the whole room was singing and dancing along - I wanted to be that cool when I was older.

Jess: Ooh. I remember my dad cleaning the house, listening to “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen.

What do you prefer, a live gig or a studio session?

Sam: It’s like steak or ice cream. Steak is a really great way to start a meal, and ice cream is a great way to finish. But to answer your question, as live touring performers, we would sometimes come up with a song on the spot at a gig, just for fun. The process was always testing our songs in a live setting to see how they would respond with the crowd.

Jess: I love both. I love performing live, and being able to be vulnerable vocally in a live session. I overthink alot in a studio session but enjoy the challenge of experimenting to get the sound I want in a recording environment.

Do you remember your first ever self-written song?

Sam: Yeah - “Jones Beach”. It was about surfing, I was 5. My dad just purchased a reel to reel system.

Jess: The first song I ever wrote was called “Me, Myself and I”. I just learned how to do power chords on the guitar. The first “real song” I wrote and recorded, called “Ifs and Maybes” got tattooed on my arm.

What’s next for you?

Sam: Our focus has changed from touring all the time to make our way through life, to now producing the songs we’ve been writing on tour so that more people can hear us. Our message has always been optimistic with dark undertones. 

That’s why we’ve taken a different direction with paradise. Giving a euphoric vibe to an un-europhic time. We’re looking forward to experimenting with new sounds. Can’t wait to get our new vibes out there and get back on tour when we can.

Jess: Music. We’ve always focused on performing, however, covid has unfortunately changed that. It’s changed our perspective and has given us the opportunity to work on recording and giving life to our songs. We will be working on new music, and building our online persona.

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