Rosier will play in New Zealand in January. Photo / Supplied
Rosier will play in New Zealand in January. Photo / Supplied
Canadian folk outfit Rosier will visit New Zealand this summer to play a string of shows. We catch up with fiddle player Béatrix Méthé to find out more.
1 Describe Rosier in one sentence.
We're just a couple of childhood friends experimenting with traditional inspired French folk music.
2 Why did you change your name, and why Rosier?
We have been evolving together as a group for 10 years, continuously growing into who we truly are as individuals and as a band. As the years have gone by, we've realized that the name Les Poules à Colin did not represent our music and our identity appropriately. We've become a lot more in tune with the music we want to play, and the things that really touch us. We needed a new image, something romantic and full of poetry. The rosebush is a motif that is quite recurring in traditional folk songs, and we thought it represented our art perfectly. Romantic, nuanced, tenacious, edgy, yet soft and poised.
3 What place do you think your music has in the shifting current musical, social and political climates?
The music we hear today can be such a blend of eras, sounds and different inspirations, but we think that folk music is what most people tend to come back to. It has touched many souls over the years and will surely keep doing so in the future. Our angle on folk is that it's for the most part in French, and we're excited to see whether the language will be a barrier or a bridge!
4 What song do you most like to perform live and why?
We've been really enjoying playing our new songs live, especially when we have a sixth musician up there with us on the drums. It's been such a treat for us to play our songs with that extra rhythmic section. It's really refreshing and feels just so right.
5 You've been together 10 years. Where will Rosier be in 10 years' time?
We definitely see ourselves touring. We love travelling together, it's such an interesting little bubble to live in. We also hope to have our own music studio/creative space by then, somewhere where we can make music at our own pace in between tours.
6 What's the first thing you think of when you think of New Zealand?
The Lord of the Rings.
7 What does success look like to you?
I always thought success would be when people want to learn to play your songs. Touching people with your music.
Rosier are set to play a string on New Zealand concerts. Photo / Supplied
8 Name one other Canadian act the whole world should be listening to.
Les Hay Babies, Quinn Bachand, Kacy & Clayton, Klô Pelgag … There are seriously so many amazing Canadian bands!
9 You can only listen to one album for the rest of your life. What is it?
I'd pick abysskiss by Adrianne Lenker (Decision taken at 2:31pm December 6th 2019) 10 You're curating a dream music festival. Who's on the bill, alive or dead?
Malicorne, Bon Iver, Dixie Chicks, Céline Dion, Les Hay Babies, Sibylle Baier, Blake Mills, Bedouine, Joni Mitchell, Big Thief, Quinn Bachand, Ten Strings and a Goat Skin, De Temps Antan, Rufus Wainwright, Stéphanie Lépine, Fleetwood Mac … This festival would just be like a year long.
• Rosier's tour from January 16-26 will include Taupō, Tauranga, Palmerston North, the TSB Festival of Lights in New Plymouth, Wellington, Gisborne and the Auckland Folk Festival.
