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Photo: Anna Azarov

Boston-born, LA-based artist Rosie Darling puts her spirited passion and every ounce of herself into her sophomore EP Golden Age. Quietly confident and creatively inclined, Darling is a rarity who pushes pop music forward by uncompromisingly embracing her artistic impulses and following them to unprecedented heights. 

Chronicling her journey as an individual striving for connection in Los Angeles, a city that often doesn't readily afford such niceties, Darling's sophomore project keeps her emotions at the forefront as she navigates the isolation of a two-year pandemic. Golden Age finds Darling exploring the longing of partiality, the regret of wasted time, and the prospects of what could've been during a time where connection and loneliness converge more than ever before. 

Ones To Watch had to opportunity to talk with Darling about her artistic artist, personal highlights from the record, and more.

Ones To Watch: Golden Age is your follow-up to your 2021 debut EP Coping. What was something you learned about yourselves during this EP's creation?

Rosie Darling: Definitely learning to step more outside of my comfort zone with the production and trying more uptempo songs compared to my slower and more ballad-like songs :) 

How do you think this release compares to your previous releases, sonically and thematically?

I think lyrically, this EP still captures who I am and the concepts that I like to write about, but it is also a nice segway into writing more of the uptempo songs and showcases another side of me in terms of the production. I love how it turned out, and I think we were able to find the right balance between having some familiar moments within songs that are reminiscent of Coping while also exploring new areas of production that I haven't before. It's exciting to lean into the more! 

How do you think the name of the record, Golden Age, ties into the whole body of work?

I think we all feel a little bit like the last few years have been quite tumultuous while navigating life around the pandemic and post-pandemic, and I feel like a lot of people feel like they missed out on things like seeing family or friends and things like that. So I wanted to capture that feeling without it feeling depressing, and so although Golden Age is about that, it still feels upbeat and easy to listen to even though the message is a bit deeper.

Where do you feel like you're drawing inspiration from right now as an artist?

I love to read poetry! I love listening to other artists but also hearing stories through friends about their own experiences helps me a lot, because I want to write about things that are relatable, and we are all always going through something at some point, so I try to think a lot about the bigger themes that pop up in my life! 

Cliche question, but what is your favorite track? Mine is personally "Say Less!"

ME TOO! I love "Say Less" too because I think that, although it's shorter and not your typical structured pop song, it feels catchy, and it makes me want to have it on repeat because I want it to be longer! 

Was there one track that proved to be especially challenging to flesh out during the writing and recording process? 

I think "Always Almost" was the most challenging, because this song definitely feels like a soundtrack in a movie because it's so emotional, and I think I just needed to rip the bandaid off and lean more into that world, which I'm happy I did because I think the strings came out so good in it and it really feels emotional in all the right ways!

You worked with some prolific writers and producers, including Matt Rad, Justin Gamella, Cooper Holzman, and Michael Brauer. Can you share a bit more on how this creative collaboration came to be and how it was working with them?

I've been so lucky to have met my collaborators over the last few years while living in LA! Everyone always has the best interest of the song in mind and has so much to offer creatively! I loved working with everyone involved on this EP, and I'm sure we will be working together more in the future! I'm very grateful to have found a circle of collaborators I trust and feel connected with to write these songs.

You released a few music videos to go along with the release of your singles. Which one was your favorite to shoot and why?

I love "Always Almost!" I feel like this video came together SO nicely. I love the little moments and flashes of time throughout this friendship/relationship that I wanted to portray in this song. I had never worked with an actor before, but it was so much fun, and the final cut came out better than I ever imagined! 

I know you're about to embark on an exciting tour! Which song are you most excited to perform live?

"Coping"!!! I love singing this song live because it's definitely the song that changed the direction of my career for the better, and hearing people sing the words back is the coolest feeling in the world! 

Do you have a pre-show ritual that you like to do before you perform?

As of now, I don't! But I might have to come up with something!!! I usually just try to stay excited and keep the energy high or drink lots of tea :) 

Rosie Darling's Golden Age is available everywhere you can stream it.