Every once in a while, an artist comes along with a special flare to them. I immediately felt this way while listening to Rose Betts’ White Orchids. Hailing from the UK, the singer-songwriter poured her heart into her debut full length album. From the first song, I became immersed in Betts’ world. Throughout the album, I was met with moments of memories of past lovers and the vulnerability that comes with that. Although it was released only last month, the album has a nostalgic feel to it. Songs like ‘Foolish’ and ‘Driving Myself Home’ make me feel as though I was right beside her experiencing the same things. I had the chance to chat with Rose herself about the makings of White Orchids and the things I discovered made me admire her artistry even more.
KMC: You had a busy 2021! From the release of your singles “Recovery” and “Driving Myself Home” to producing and covering Song to the Siren for the soundtrack to Zack Snyder’s Justice League. Can you tell me a little about how that came to be and what were your initial feelings about it?
Rose: It was such a fun experience! The producers couldn’t secure the rights for the original song, so they were looking for someone to cover it and I submitted my version. I had no idea it was going to be in the movie and so many big names submitted. After six months went by, I finally got the call that my version was selected. I could not share with anyone until it was released and it was a very intense time, but so cool.
KMC: You just released your first full length album White Orchids. What would you consider to be the main factors that contributed to the makings of the album?
Rose: The main foundation came from a specific relationship. At the time, I was living in a mansion with other creatives and I began a relationship with one of the guys in the group. Living in the mansion, I had so many great moments that I wanted to last forever, and a lot of my songs on the album are like snapshots of the memories I created during that time. It was also a way to come to terms with the loss of a golden moment, like a way to freeze time.
KMC: You wrote and co-produced White Orchids! What challenges did you face while doing so and do you feel as though it made the album stronger?
Rose: Every song was written by me, so it was a bit challenging getting so personal with conveying my feelings. Trying to unlock those certain memories and feelings was a bit hard, but I conquered it and it was well worth it. Spending so much time in the studio was also a bit tedious, but it was all worth it in the end because the album came out so strong.
KMC: White Orchids seems very self reflective and personal. I see that you’ve mentioned that White Orchids represents how fragile youth is. How did you want to touch on this theme through your lyrics?
Rose: It starts with the title White Orchids itself. With it being a flower that only blooms once and its association with luxury, it represents the obsession we as a society have with youth and not wanting things to get old. Songs like ‘Recovery’ were meant to show a more emotional side, while ‘Never Good Enough’ is pretty self explanatory with not feeling good enough for a certain person or situation. The lyrics throughout overall show that youth fades and you’ve got to let it go.
KMC: What was the significance behind adding the spoken word tracks?
Rose: I felt as though the album needed another element to it! It is not me speaking, but a friend of mine by the name of Angelique Neumann. I put a lot into writing the songs and I wanted to add something else to the album that was a bit unusual.
KMC: What was your favorite song from the album to write?
Rose: I would probably say ‘Thank You’. When writing it, it was almost like I felt grateful for being broken, even though that’s an interesting way of putting it. The words came naturally and I did not feel resentful about the things I’d gone through to get here. I unlocked a new musical side to me and it felt as though I earned it.
KMC: How do you feel your writing has changed from your first EP to White Orchids?
Rose: My writing has changed so much. I felt as though I was lyrically still hiding. With my first EP, I did not go that deep into my feelings and I did not show a lot of who I am. With White Orchids, I was able to embrace vulnerability and be more open.
KMC: What more can fans expect from you this year?
Rose: I have so many unreleased songs, so my main focus is getting those released! I have a few upcoming projects, including a feature on a drill song. I have a mini tour going on in Nashville and Austin, and hopefully more dates coming soon.
And that is certainly one tour we will be looking out for!
Stay in touch with Rose.
