The Artist Explains: Rosie Tucker - 'Habanero'
LA-based singer-songwriter Rosie Tucker has just released their new track ‘Habanero’ - taken from their third album ‘Sucker Supreme’, which is due out in June via Epitaph Records. Rosie took a moment to talk to us about the track in more depth.
Hey there Rosie, how are you?
It's 31˚C and I'm sitting in the dark drinking a big green iced tea. So, good. Really good.
So your new track ‘Habanero’ is out now - can you tell us what it is about?
Habanero is about flirting, and wishing your life was working out differently, and eating a pepper that is so hot that you can't stop laughing and the guy who made the tacos brings a plate of tomatoes to your table to try and help cool you down. And amphibians, but just a little bit.
Where was the track recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process?
We recorded drums for the whole record at New Monkey, a studio famous for having been owned by Elliot Smith but which is currently helmed by Greg Cortez, a lovely dude. All of the drums were played by Jessy Reed, who devised parts on the spot as Wolfy and I threw all kinds of gushy nontechnical adjectives at her. All the other instruments were recorded at a cabin in the Eastern Sierras with myself, Wolfy (production, guitars) and Jess Kallen (guitars). The vocals were recorded in the closet of the room where I'm sitting. We were playing a lot of Mario Kart during this era.
You have just announced your new album ‘Sucker Supreme’ - how is that coming along? When can we get to hear that?
The album is done, thoroughly baked and out the oven and waiting to be eaten. You can listen online on April 30th. If you're internet resistant— which you probably aren't, if you're reading this, but I digress— you can buy an LP starting June 18th. I am immensely stoked to share music after more than a year of not sharing music!!!!!
With this track, you have announced that you have signed to Epitaph Records - how does it feel to be part of their family? How did this partnership come about?
I am so grateful to have signed with Epitaph. Simply put, they listened to the album I made and they offered me a record deal. It has been such a gift to have their help, to have expertise and budget for developing art around the music, to have help lining up all the administrative tasks required for launching a record. When I was thirteen I had a t-shirt I'd acquired at Warped Tour that said "FREE HUGS" but the Es were made up of the Epitaph logo. I wore that shirt until it had holes and I couldn't fucking find it last time I went to my parent's place! It must have gotten lost somewhere along the way. I think it's very cool that Epitaph is kind of a legacy label that is constantly evolving. I feel like it's the right place for me and my music.
What are the key themes for your album?
Sex, romance, the American Midwest, consumer protections, gender fluidity, liminal spaces, reptiles, and forgiveness all make appearences.
Where was the video recorded for the track?
The video was recorded in the backyard of a house in Beverly Hills, a surreal, supersized part of Los Angeles that I only ever drive through. Audaciously huge houses seated on high hills, and all I can think about are earthquakes and wildfires. Plenty of houses on the westside of Los Angeles offer themselves up for filming, and the director (Katharine White) selected this location, which was a big shaggy backyard with a pool.