A Ballad From Ibiza: Rosie Peppe
Prior to Battle of the Bands, I got to interview Rosie Peppe, an indie-pop singer from Ibiza obsessed with anything and everything music. Ranging from EDM tracks she has provided vocals for to her own curated songs, Peppe has a lively perspective on how she consumes and produces her own. Hot off a show in London over break, she is excited for this coming performance to show her music to the Columbia community.
What made you realize you wanted to pursue music?
I don’t remember there being an exact moment, to be honest, it just felt natural to me. My earliest memories are around a music scene. I grew up in Ibiza until the age of 18, so I was surrounded by all kinds of music my whole life, and there was a very open dialogue about pursuing it as a career – it was not an unrealistic goal, which I think deters people from pursuing a career in a creative field. I feel like it is essential to at least give it your best shot at something when you feel that passionately about it, and that’s how I feel about music. I can’t imagine a world without it being integrated into my everyday life in some way, shape, or form.
What is your process for writing, and then producing, songs
Everything I write is usually inspired by love. It is such a cliché, but I think that is what we feel most affected by most of the time. At least in my experience, most of my hardest trials in life have been driven by love – not just romantic love, but friendships, families, passions etc. A lot of my writing is just self-reflection; my own form of free therapy, which can produce a lot of bad songs sometimes, too. Then once I have the song, I’ll get in a jam session with my producer, or friends, or I’ll find beats online and figure out where the song exists within that. Sometimes I produce them myself, but I have a lot more fun collaborating with people. That’s what making music is all about, when you’re experimenting with new material.
What genre do you play? Do you think you are going to stay on that same path?
At the moment, my music is very much going along an indie/pop and alt/indie direction. I just love to have fun on stage and during the process of making music. At first, I stuck to a typical ballad-y singer-songwriter style because I could only play piano, and felt limited to sticking within this genre. But as I began integrating myself into a community of artists in London, going to jam sessions and open mic nights at venues like 91 Living Room, so much exciting material would come out of it that was completely out of my norm. I would find myself literally dancing up and down the stage like it was just the band and I there, and this became a much more enjoyable experience of finding out what sound was right for me. A goal of mine is to play Glastonbury one day and just have a crowd of people completely, unapologetically enjoying themselves. I love to interact with crowds and just have a laugh, a dance, whatever makes people have a great time. I’m not looking to be idolised in the way pop stars can be sometimes; I just hope to continue doing shows for as long as possible.
Where does your music influence come from?
Generally, most of my music and writing has been inspired by religiously listening to Amy Winehouse and Adele records – they are at the centre of most of my music (and my life). However, I also think growing up in a musical environment like Ibiza gave me the equipment to not be afraid to experiment with new sounds or stick to the rules of “genre.” People there were constantly pushing the boundaries with their music, especially when it came to electronic music. You would hear the craziest sets that on paper should not make sense, but crowds would always resonate with them. These experiences taught me to usually just go with a vibe. You can tell when something was made with a lot of love put into it.
What differentiates you from the other bands on the stage for battle of the bands?
I think there is so much variety in the line-up for Battle of the Bands – it is going to be such a cool night. One thing that might differentiate me is that I think my music takes on a sort of ballad form… but the production takes it somewhere else. It’s very romantic and retrospective, but it’s also a bit sharp-edged at the same time. Most of my songs are supposed to be taken as a journey, like I’m sitting you down with a cup of tea and filling you in on what’s going through my head. But honestly, I just want people to have a good time and dance when they feel like it!
What is one album/song recommendation you have for our readers? OR what do you consider to be the best song of all time?
I have so many answers to this, but my top songs would definitely be:
“Seventeen Going Under” by Sam Fender
“Messy” by Olivia Dean
“Undercover Martyn” by Two Door Cinema Club
“Pyro” by Kings of Leon
And the best song of all time has to be “You Know I’m No Good” by Amy Winehouse.
What song should the audience be most excited for: do you have a favorite to perform?
My new song “Somewhere in West Amsterdam” is both my favourite to perform and one I think the audiences will enjoy too. It’s got a full band in it, and it has some of my favourite lyrics I’ve ever written. But “Reasons” is also good fun!
Catch Rosie belt her way to the top at Battle of the Bands this Thursday!