Rosie Carney – Irish Band Of The Week

Some of the greatest music has been born of musicians facing challenges and it’s safe to say that this is the case for extremely talented, Rosie Carney. The Donegal-based 20-year-old spent ten years in New Hampshire, England before moving to Ireland when she was ten. Naturally, a move can be a cataclysmic change for anyone but for Rosie it had an immense impact. Inspired by the ruggedness of her hometown, Downings, she began to practice music. She incorporated the unruliness of the Irish landscape as well as its picturesque qualities into her performances; something that would prove to be integral to her style.

By the age of 16 she had already signed a major contract with Universal’s Polydor. Again, it caused a significant shift in the teenager’s life- introducing her to artists such as Brendan Benson (The Raconteurs), Angelo Petragalia (founder and producer of Kings of Leon), Ian Archer, Crispin Hunt, Eg White, Charlie Fink (Noah and The Whale), Turin Brakes, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, to name but a few. While in January of 2015 she was released from her contract, it proved to be enough time for her to make significant connections with these acclaimed artists and producers, some of whom she was fortunate enough to co-write with.

For many, a contract release would have been soul-destroying but Rosie continued to perform and write. By December of 2015, her diligence and talents had paid off as she was invited to perform in Austin, TX by SXSW to showcase her music. After making it onto NPR’s top 100 song list, she contacted Stevie McMin, founder and head man of independent and home to Phoria label, X Novo Records.

However, as impressive as all of this is, the truly wonderful thing about this young musician has been her openness when it comes to mental health. Having dealt with it daily, she chose to bring it into the public arena, thereby helping many of her young fans who were silently suffering, showing them there was light at the end of tunnel. Her passion to break the stigma within the music community and on a broader basis is unquestionably inspirational, to be so aware of the importance of good mental health and to incorporate it into your music is an admirable quality. As she said herself, ‘I couldn’t believe the response I revived after opening up about something I was once so ashamed of. It broke my heart to see the number of messages from people who had never spoken up before. I feel it is my duty to the people to help empower and encourage a change in perspective. Especially in such a cut-throat industry. I feel it is time we took our complete selves seriously, no matter the case.’

Rosie has recently just finished a tour with the equally talented and wonderful Saint Sister, she’s also performed a cover of her song ‘Sailboat’ which you can check out here: