- Music
- 26 Feb 18
New to Hot Press: ROE
Roisin Donald, AKA ROE, has had a whirlwind two years.
Late 2016 saw the arrival of her first single, the BBC-playlisted ‘Fake Ur Death’, while the following year she released her debut EP, You Call It Art. The latter was selected for the Help Musicians UK programme, which supports and develops emerging artists. The cherry on top was being chosen to play Glastonbury on the BBC Introducing Stage – and all at the age of 18.
“That was completely mental, I could have cried,” reflects ROE. “I got the email and rang my agent, and just started shouting down the phone at him. Not a lot of people get that opportunity so early on. It’s overwhelming.”
Placing her strong, lilting voice over an infectious mix of synths, guitar and piano, ROE – who describes her output as “grumpy electro-pop” – is creating music she couldn’t have imagined three years ago.
Instead of staying on for her A-levels, she chose to pursue her creative ambitions. From the powerful ‘Playground Fights’ – which has an accompanying video depicting a group of teens growing up too quickly – to recent single ‘Wasted. Patient. Thinking,’, her music skilfully juxtaposes stirring vocals with juddering electro rhythms.
With regard to future plans, as well as a number of upcoming festival slots, ROE is also busy working on new material. “This year is a big one for releases and new songs,” she enthuses. “And there’ll be a lot of gigs. I really want to be busy. We’re going into Celtronics Studio in Derry for the next few weeks, and we’re just gonna be locked in there. I can’t wait to see what we leave with.”
‘Wasted. Patient. Thinking.’ is out now. For further news on releases and live dates, keep an eye on facebook.com/RoeMusicOfficial.
