Newcastle’s Angela Rose built a solid foundation for the year with the release of ‘24’ in February. Fusing a blend of indie-pop and country sensibilities together with mature songwriting that struck instantly with charm, the songwriter put herself further on the map as one to watch for 2023.
And now, Rose returns, solidifying that buzz with her new single, ‘Heartless’. A perfect cut of music for fans of Julia Jacklin, Ainslie Wills and Angel Olsen, ‘Heartless’ demonstrates Rose’s continued elevation as a songwriter – it also serves as an exciting step forward in what is looking to be a definitive year for the musician as she moves further into this new chapter of her career.
Recorded at The Grove Studios, Angela Rose worked on ‘Heartless’ with Jack Nigro (Julia Jacklin, Pacific Avenue) on mixing, and Darren Ziesing (The Buoys, Rüfüs Du Sol) on mastering.
Like ‘24’ before it, ‘Heartless’ lets Rose’s voice take prominence, as it hypnotically weaves its way through a delicate arrangement.
“Heartless is probably my favourite song that I have written thus far but it has also been the hardest to release as it is very vulnerable and raw, but I want to share this side of me and my writing. It was one of those songs that just pour out of your soul.
I wrote this song at a time in my life when I had sadly lost someone very near and dear to me, and it felt like the whole earth had moved beneath me and like my heart had been ripped out.
Grief and loss is awful, in all of its forms, but it is a universal thing that we all will face in our lives. My hope for this song is that if someone is or has gone through a similar situation that they will feel a little less alone because it can be a very lonely and isolated place that you find yourself in. And I think I would have felt comfort in this song if I had it to listen to when I was experiencing this in my own life. Sad songs will forever be my favourite, and when lyrics and music can move someone I believe it is one of the most beautiful human experiences.”
Angela Rose
The release of ‘Heartless’ adds another dimension to Angela Rose’s growing discography. As well as ‘24’, previous releases ‘Summer Love’ and ‘Utopia’ were both released to positive reception – all earning rotation adds on Triple J Unearthed, as well as triple j and community radio support; bolstering an already building base of momentum surrounding the artist’s dynamic live presence.
In just a short amount of time, Rose has shared stages with artists including DULCIE, Greta Stanley and Imogen Clark, as well as being tapped to perform at this year’s Icebreaker Festival on the same bill as some of the country’s exciting and fresh voices, including Death By Denim, Annie Hamilton and The Moving Stills.