Rosalie James “Will We Ever Rest?”
Filmic, inventive. Dark, atmospheric, but also warm and honest, “Will We Ever Rest?” wins your heart as soon as the beautiful crescendo begins, taking you to an immersive, mood-filled sonic world. Inspired by the true story of two mountaineers who went missing, “Will We Ever Rest?” tackles the hardship and struggles of partnership and journey, giving something that everyone could easily relate to and ponder upon.
Rosalie James remains her distance in her storytelling, but her words spark introspection and depth. “Will We Ever Rest?” gets under your skin. It taps into a very vulnerable side of you with storytelling that is absolutely haunting. There also seems to be certain playfulness and spirits in her writing and performance. Quoting Sia Fuller, Kate Bush, and Phoebe Bridgers as her muses and inspirations, her music certain bears the quality of all three while extending her unique, impressive folkloric charm.
Read our interview with James below, where we talk about her creative process and living with autism.
Punk Head: I love how immersive “Will We Ever Rest?”. What is the underlying message of the song?
Rosalie James: On a surface level this song is about two mountaineers who went missing... it's a true story. But I also wanted it to be an allegory for the complexities of a long term partnership. The chorus is saying that the couple is struggling and they are asking whether things will ever get easier. The end section suggests that if you keep going through the hard times then the joy at the end is your reward. That's the hope that keeps you going.
PH: Was there any challenge that you encountered while making the track?
James: My demo version of this was self produced, actually one of the first things I ever produced. I found it really hard recording the guitar...to get the sound I wanted. Luckily I was working with a great group of female producers, SheProducer, and they gave me a lot of encouragement and advice.
PH: What motivates you as an artist?
James: These songs come out of nowhere and live inside my head until I find a way to get them out. That's quite a good motivation in itself, freeing up the space inside my head! Also, I like telling stories and playing around with words that mean more than one thing.
PH: Who are your biggest inspirations?
James: Sia Fuller, I've loved her songwriting since the Zero 7 days. Kate Bush for being unapologetic in her weirdness and darkness. Phoebe Bridgers and similar artists for re-opening the floodgates for sad, confessional songs.
PH: What is the one thing that you’d like your fans to know about you?
James: I've just been diagnosed with autism so that's fairly front and centre in my thoughts at the moment. In some ways it's not a surprise at all, I mean I knew I had a lot of the traits. But it's given me a sense of comfort that I've always been this way, and the courage to be clear about what I can and can't handle. I'd like others to see that a diagnosis of autism doesn't mean doing what you love is completely out of your reach.
