Giving us snapshot into his story with his new heartfelt project is former Hare Squead member Jessy Rose with debut EP “Are You Home?”. Baring all his emotions, Jessy glides over the textured R&B productions on the EP, tackling his demons and problems through every warm and intimate soundscape. With full focus on his journey and rebirth, there is no room for boisterous bravado, instead, Rose constructions sincere and passionate sonics that detail every bit of the pressures of success. Stand out single “Set Free”, tightly pulls us in with a trap-tinged bassline and soft melodic guitar strings, before Rose burst through the layers and croons over the R&B production.

“For me, the EP is about rebirth and redemption,” Rose revealed about the EP. “As well as a way to talk about overcoming personal struggles, without being too literal or obvious!”

Having took a break from the scene to refocus and hone in on his own sound, the singer is ready to take the wheel once more and return to the stage this September. Currently working on his debut album behind the scenes, we caught up with the singer-songwriter talking his departure from Hare Squead, dealing with conflicting emotions and how this project is his most vulnerable yet.

Check out the project below…

Hi Jessy – how have you been during this uncertain time? How has it impacted your music and creativity?
I’ve been learning to produce my own music which is something positive to come out of this. It’s made me much more focussed which is great, and I’ve been trying to use them time productively.

How did growing up in Dublin influence you sonically? Who are your musical heroes?
Growing up in Dublin gave me an appreciation for people like the Dubliners and Luke Kelly, but I also love people like the Script too, they are great songwriters. My main influence when I was a teenager was Chris Brown though, I really wanted to be him.

How would you describe your genre?
I find it really hard to describe my genre, it’s something that sits between pop and RnB, but I like to think that there are elements of different melodic influences too, like folk and rock.

Congratulations on your new song “Set Free” – it delves into your story, and is also a tale of redemption and rebirth – what was it inspired by?
It’s definitely inspired by my personal story, but I got the idea also from the film A Star is Born! It’s sort of a blend of the two. When you’ve had a difficult period in your life or a struggle with the negative side of things, it’s easier to talk about it in music than speaking about it directly.

And the music video is this trippy and gritty visual – what did you want to evoke with it?
The videos for this EP were created by a talented guy named Valentin Hansen. We just wanted the visuals to be a bit aloof and perplexing, like the lyrics hopefully. People will have to listen a few times to figure them out, or make their own meaning.

And it’s taken from your EP “Are You Home?” – you’ve talked about how it’s the most vulnerable and raw you’ve ever been on a record – what do you think ties the songs together as a body of work?
I would prefer people to make their own meaning, although for me the EP is about rebirth and redemption, as well as a way to talk about overcoming personal struggles, without being too literal or obvious!

You wrote 200 songs for potential inclusion on this EP – how did you go about deciding what made the final cut?
The label, Killing A Friend, and myself put together a shortlist. It was definitely helpful to have feedback and opinions on it.

And you rose to prominence as the frontman in Ireland’s hottest emerging band Hare Squead – what made you decide it was time to step out on your own?
I was just going through some internal issues and wasn’t happy in the band anymore and thought it was time to walk away. It was a big risk because that following year we had some big plans. I was hoping that Columbia would pick up my solo project I worked on at the time, but I guess they were worried about my mental state, cause I was so broken.

How does it feel releasing new music when most of the world is in lockdown/everything feels so uncertain – what do you hope your music will bring?
Maybe it’s a good time, because people have more time to listen? haha. I suppose the songs would be the same regardless of lockdown or not, but it definitely changes things. I feel like people are more serious now, more appreciative of family, and friends, and human relationships. In a way it has made us more aware of the real things in life, instead of focussing on the bs.

What’s next for you? What are you looking forward to in 2021?
I’m going to have my first headline show in Dublin on the 25th of September, which I’m really excited about. Next year I want to release an album, and I’m having a lot of fun working on that now.