Introducing Blake Rose, who might just be Perth's next big thing with Best of Me

Header image by Dan Prakopcyk.

Blake Rose is someone to be excited about. The Perth-raised singer/songwriter is primed to become an international export from our local pop scene, drawing a whole heap of hype incredibly early on in his career. There are reasons for this though, whether it be signing to one of the world's biggest booking companies Paradigm, or his past work capturing the attention of basically everyone, mopping up four million streams (and counting) while turning the heads of tastemakers including Zane Lowe. He's an artist set to skip the Australian market entirely, ignoring your stock-standard, triple j-influenced glow-up for something bigger and more international.

One listen to his new single, Best of Me, and the trajectory Blake Rose is set for becomes clearer. It's a single that despite a notably raw, DIY-esque edge, feels precise and focused, bringing together a percussive, indie-leaning instrumental with bright pop hooks in a way similar to some of radio's big, internationally dominating guns. In saying that, however, the single goes a little deeper than your standard, with its rising hooks telling a story of drug addiction and its effect on relationships/friendships/family, with Blake explaining that he "wanted to give people a snapshot into what that feels like and how devastating it is to watch." 

It's an impressive single that's sure to further cement his place on the brink of an alt-pop act on the rise, so take a dive into it below while you better get to know Blake Rose and what he's all about:

Tell us about yourself?

I’m a 21-year-old artist, writer and producer from Perth, Australia. I’ve been into music subconsciously from a very young age. I was always singing around the house, putting on shows for guests and dabbling in random instruments such as the Didgeridoo. I also remember singing in a talent quest when I was around five years old so I got a taste for performing very early on but it never clicked that I wanted to do music as a career until I was a teenager, even after playing the Cello for 4 years in primary school.

Throughout my childhood, there had always been an acoustic guitar sitting in our front room which was a gift to my Mum for her 21st birthday but no-one ever played it. When I was around 13 I went over to a friend’s house whose dad had just started teaching him the guitar. He showed me how to play a couple of chords and I was instantly hooked. I came home the next day and finally picked up Mum’s guitar which was the start of everything for me.

When I was 14, I went on a three-month camping trip around Australia with my parents. This was when everything clicked music wise and I figured out that I want to pursue it full time. I brought a guitar with me and continued to teach myself while we travelled as well as diving deeper into songwriting and beginning to experiment with music production. Also on this trip, I got accepted into a school program called World Challenge where I would go to Sri Lanka for three weeks to experience life in a 3rd world country. To go on this trip I had to raise $6000 so because I had no job and was on the road I decided to give busking a shot. Every time we stopped in a suitable town I would play on the street until I built up enough cash and eventually, when we returned home, busking became my part-time job and ended up funding all of my future trips to Los Angeles which have been life-changing.

Since I turned 18, following my graduation from high school and West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), I’ve been travelling back and forth to LA and over time have managed to build an amazing and ever expanding team around my music who are not only equally as passionate about this project, but are also beautiful people who I love. We released my first single Hotel Room on the 2nd November 2018 and haven’t looked back.

What’s the vibe music-wise?

A fresh, anthemic sound that incorporates a lot of live, guitar-driven instrumentation mixed with modern tones. It feels like a hybrid of The 1975, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay and sits somewhere between Alt-Pop, indie rock, folk and soul.

What are your production and writing processes like?

My writing and production process is often blended. Sometimes I’ll start with a melodic idea over some chords and begin producing it out whilst simultaneously developing the rest of the melodies and lyrics. Other times I’ll begin with a production idea and start building out a track first then topline it. Occasionally I’ll write a full song then start producing it after it’s finished but I find the process a lot smoother doing both at the same time.

Can you tell us about your latest single, Best of Me?

Best of Me is definitely my most personal release so far. It’s about someone close to me who has been battling with drug addiction for a long time and what it felt like to watch the disease take everything they deserve away from them. Though this is a painful subject, it was important to me when writing the song to keep a thread of hope throughout it, which is the chorus. I think for anyone that’s going through a similar situation it’s so crucial to keep your arms open and let the person know that you love them because, though they might not show it, they need you more than either of you may know.

Any tour dates coming up?

No tour dates yet but I'm looking forward to making that happen.

What does 2019 have in store for you?

At the moment I’m stuck Australia due to some visa issues but as soon as that’s sorted I’ll be moving over to Los Angeles permanently. I’ll be releasing a lot more music and hopefully starting to play some shows!

Where can we find more of your music?

You can find all of my music on your standard streaming and download services (Spotify, Apple Music etc). You can also find me on all social media platforms at @BlakeRoseMusic.

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