Rosie Tee is a composer/performer who forges an atmospheric blend of electronica, psych and avant-pop amongst the industrial backdrop of the UK’s second city. Through an explorative approach to songwriting Rosie emits joy for the experimental. Her crystalline vocals meander between dark, forceful beats and fragile melodic contours. The sporadic movements of her synth-heavy sound anchored only by the use of striking, minimal structures.
Rosie collaborates closely with her quartet, touring across the UK with a line-up of vocals & glockenspiel, offkilter synths (Piera Onacko), swarming bass (Dan Cippico) and textural drums (Kai Chareunsy). Together, they ebb and flow between digital and analogue worlds, most at home on the stage of their intoxicating live performances.
Off of her upcoming EP, Earth, Embrace Me In, “Anchors” is a whirlwind of avant-pop with a flush of psychedelic electronica, resulting in a grounding yet galactic trip through the songwriter’s creativity and artistic ability. The dark, lumbering track carries a heavy weight to it musically, where a forbidding and cyclical synth motif under-currents floating vocals with minimal, yet fierce, drums. Rosie confides, “Anchors conjures up the sensation of an identity crisis. I wrote it at a time when I was away from home for an extended period. I had an unexpected realisation that when you take away your friends, family, partner, city and all the immediate things that make up who you are – what’s left? Alone, who are you without those integral components that contribute to your sense of belonging and identity? This moment taught me how to appreciate what I’d left behind, whilst also being a golden opportunity to get to know myself away from that safety net. The lyrics sum up how badly I wanted to hold onto these comforting notions of ‘self’, to tie an anchor and not drift away.”
Rosie and her quartet have had the privilege of recording at Abbey Road Studios, which later featured in Songwriting Magazine UK. Following the release of her 2019 EP Chambers, the band received a nomination for Best Jazz Act by the Birmingham Music Awards. Her orchestral-style arrangements for the band are often mirrored in her compositions for professional ensembles. Notably, Surround conducted by Julian Lloyd Webber, performed by Orchestra of the Swan and Towards performed by the Dutch-ensemble Orkest De Ereprijs.
Earth, Embrace Me In, the upcoming EP from Rosie Tee, surfaces as a love letter for a dying planet. A collection of bittersweet songs set for release on 1.10.12 and pressed on 12” vinyl for the first time.
Sandfields Pumping Station
This will be Lichfield Arts first concert held in Sandfields Pumping Station, which is one of the Black Country’s most important pieces of industrial heritage. Built in the mid nineteenth century following several cholera epidemics, that resulted in the deaths of several thousand people within the space of six weeks, the waterworks pumped 4 million gallons of fresh water to the industrial midlands every day, and is a monument to the skills of the Victorian engineers, and the philanthropic endeavours of individuals who gave something back to the community.
The building still contains a unique 190hp Cornish Beam Engine that was built in the Black County, and is the only reaming example still surviving. The Lichfield Waterworks Trust is working hard to save this unique piece of industrial heritage, and we are delighted to hold this concert showcasing such an exciting young artist, in an industrial and unique setting.
Use the post code WS14 0AA. The entrance is directly opposite No. 106 Chesterfield road. Please note: There is limited parking available on site so please be prepared to have to find alternative parking including on street parking in the vicinity (Please respect the venues neighbours access). Please note that this venue does not currently have disabled toilet facilities.
