The Rose - ContentMode

Spread the love

The Rose

“For those 90-some minutes we get to be on stage, all the world’s problems seem to melt away.”

The Rose, Korean pop-rock band, warmly welcomes the return of live music as they embark on their “Heal Together World Tour,” promoting not only their new album, “HEAL,” but messages of comfort, togetherness, and recuperation. The band — consisting of Woosung, Dojoon, Jaehyeong and Hajoon — has come a long way since their 2015 debut. From busking to selling out shows on their world tour, they have experienced everything as brothers, and now they share it all with their Black Roses.

Suit, shirt: Etro

First of all, how are you? How are you feeling as you carry on with your “Heal Together” world tour?

We’ve just completed the North & South American legs of the tour and start the Asia & Europe legs in a few weeks. The shows so far have been spectacular and it brings us so much joy to see so many of our fans all over the world.

Things have changed significantly since your busking days. When starting out, what were your original goals for your music?

When we first started out, we took a lot of time to try and figure out our sound. It wasn’t until “Sorry” that we knew who The Rose was and that we had something truly special on our hands.

Suit, shirt: Etro

Now with years of experience and worldwide success under your belt, what do you think has been the biggest mindset adjustment you have gone through regarding your music career?

Almost 7 years later as a band we feel more confident than ever, and we couldn’t be happier with the way things are going for us. We have a great management team that we’re working with and having their help allows us to focus on growing The Rose.

When I think about The Rose, the first things that come to mind are your great vocals, live performance, therapeutic messages, and devotion to Black Roses. What are most proud of?

It’s so hard to pick one thing, but if we had to, we’d have to say our friendship. We can always count on each other to pick one another up if we’re down. We all have each other’s backs. From music or band-related things to everything in our own personal lives, our lifelong friendship keeps us going and is the core of everything we have accomplished as The Rose.

Sweater: Etro

Woosung, while the band’s activities were paused for ~2 years, you embarked on a wildly successful solo project, including singles, an EP, and a world tour. What was that experience like for you?

While it was refreshing to flex some different creative muscles and work with some amazing writers and producers, I couldn’t wait to reunite with the other members of The Rose. The music I made as a solo artist will always have a special place in my heart but The Rose is eternal.

Returning after these ~2 years, what has changed for you? Was it hard returning to the scene, or did it feel effortless?

Even though there was so much time in between, when we finally all got back together it felt as if nothing had changed. We picked up right where we left off and we’re so happy to be playing music and traveling the world together again.

Dojoon, you recently shared a video of a child singing along to “Childhood” at one of your shows. How does it feel to see someone so young respond to your art?

That video is actually of the daughter of one of our managers and it’s so cute that she knows the lyrics! We’ve had a lot of young fans come to our shows and it feels great to know that our messages as a band span all ages, young and older. Childhood is really about how we’re all born naked and innocent, untouched by life’s complications – and how we feel it’s important to keep that sense of innocence despite how over time life will present challenges and disappointments.

Suit, shirt: Etro

What new experiences have you had as you operated under your self-made label, Windfall, for the first time? You mentioned that you are now learning the business side of the industry more than you were previously. Are you enjoying seeing this side of the work?

While we knew a lot about the business side of the music industry already, we are taking the time to understand all aspects of The Rose through Windfall. As we’ve grown as a band and a company, we know how important it is for artists to be knowledgeable about everything that goes on behind the scenes. Our management team, Transparent Arts has been very helpful and transparent about the inner workings of the music industry, especially from the American perspective.

One of the things that differentiate the Korean music industry from western artists is the physical album. How did you all participate in the creation of your album and what details are you most proud of?

We actually kind of went for the more Korean physical album route. We had two versions and included polaroids, photocards, a sticker sheet, a photobook, and a bonus item. We worked with a great creative team, an incredible album designer, and a top-notch manufacturer to get the right look and feel for our physical album. We are super proud of how it turned out. We thank our Black Roses for purchasing it.

Suit: Etro

Jaehyeong, how does it feel to see the term “Windfall,” once only the name of your trio, now as the label behind your group as you enter this new era?

The name “Windfall” will always carry fond memories of our humble beginnings and now we carry on the name proudly to represent our global endeavors.

Switching gears! Mental health has always been a present theme in your music. “She’s In The Rain” comes to mind as not only a fan favorite but a story of support and comfort to anyone struggling. How have the fans’ reactions to “She’s In The Rain” shaped you all as artists and your music?

“She’s In The Rain” came from a very personal place in our hearts. It became one of our most widely known songs and we were so touched by how many stories we heard from Black Roses about how the song impacted them. For our album “HEAL,” Black Roses wrote us messages of how they need to heal or have been healed, and it was similarly impactful in the opposite way, where we were inspired by their personal stories.

Can you expand on your decision to use fans’ experiences to inspire the album? What was it like reading Black Roses’ stories?

We had thousands of submissions and we did our best to read as many as we could. There were a wide range of stories, and Black Roses were incredibly honest, deep, and forthcoming. Our hearts hurt for many of our Black Roses as we read many stories of intense pain, hurt, and suffering, but we were profoundly inspired by many more stories of restoration, forgiveness, and reconciliation. All these emotions factored into our album, “HEAL.”

Hajoon, how are these key themes of your music brought into live performances? How would you describe the “Heal Together” tour for someone who didn’t get to go?

Planning a tour is an incredibly complex process and luckily, we work with really awesome people who helped make it happen. I think the most personal part of planning was creating the setlist, where we wanted to create a cohesive wave of emotions and bring different energies at different moments. If you weren’t able to come to the “Heal Together” tour, we hope you’ll be able to see us next time we come around!

Sweater, pants: Etro

“Childhood” was the first song you wrote for this album, years ago. How did this song shape your creative direction as you dove deeper into the process of writing “HEAL”?

As soon as we played back our recording of Childhood, we knew it was going to be the first song we wanted to deliver to Black Roses for our comeback. We started from the basics – The idea that we are born naked and innocent, untainted by life’s complications, and how we feel that it’s important to retain a sense of that spirit despite the challenges life has a way of throwing at you. It was a great way for us to start delving deeper into our emotions, and for us to peel back that first layer of our own healing journeys.

And that journey led you to “The Definition of Ugly Is,” my personal favorite. This song dives into the concept that insecurity and self-doubt stem from not having found your place within the world yet and that as you surround yourself with people and things that make you happy you will grow the confidence you had been missing. Can you give some background on how this song came to life?

The first track of “HEAL,” “~” represents ‘waves’ or the turbulence of life whereas the last track “-” represents calmness. The lyrics of “Definition of ugly is” come at the beginning of the record, where we introduce a sense of surface-level personal insecurity, the kind that so many people feel all over the world. We felt as if ‘Definition’ was the right song to reintroduce ourselves again on the album, and it’s also the song we open our set with on tour.

Jacket, top, pants: Saint Laurent

This is also the first time having a feature on a “The Rose” album. You collaborated with James Reid for “Yes.” How did you all get connected and what was behind the decision to include him on the album?

We were recording our album in Joshua Tree. James Reid pulled up to the studio just to hear what we were working on but when he heard “Yes” he really liked it and we all knew that James Reid would be perfect for our first feature. James Reid also works with our management, Transparent Arts and we’ve all hung out a bunch of times.

You mentioned writing this album was healing for you. What from this experience do you plan to carry with you into the process for the next album?

We think that our next project may have a slightly different feel than “HEAL.” It will still be The Rose’s sound but we already have some ideas we’re thinking about. The experience of writing together for “HEAL” was unique and unforgettable, and for our next project we know we’ll have new inspirations to draw from.

Sweater: Etro

In an industry that is driven so heavily by digital media, how do you find ways to genuinely connect with your Black Roses? How does it feel to finally be back on the road and see them face-to-face?

To warm up our comeback we used platforms like TikTok and other interactive fan initiatives that received an amazing response from our Black Roses. When we announced the tour so many tickets sold quickly and we knew Black Roses missed us as much as we missed them. The shows so far have been filled with joy, tears, and lifelong memories. We treasure every minute we can spend face-to-face with our Black Roses.

Sweater: Etro

The second half of 2022 has been taken up with the “HEAL” release, album promotion, and touring. Within your busy day-to-day schedule, what has been healing for you? What makes you happy right now?

Besides our brotherly friendship that keeps us grounded, we enjoy eating great food together, exercising, and enjoying an occasional refreshing beverage. We are so happy and thankful to be performing again. Live music and being face to face with our Black Roses is the most therapeutic! For those 90-some minutes we get to be on stage, all the world’s problems seem to melt away.

Sweater: Saint Laurent

Before you go, I would love to know what Black Roses can look forward to in 2023. Aside from the completion of the “Heal Together” tour, do you all have anything planned?

When the tour is over, we plan on taking some personal time to reflect and recuperate. After that, we’ll get right back together in the studio and get ready to do it all over again. Only next year, we hope the impact is even bigger!