INTERVIEW: Rozemary are more than you think they are
Piercing a layer of hyper-ironic shitposts reveals Wirral-based Metalcore troupe Rozemary to be an endearing project born of sincerity and youthful ambition
If an artist has to ask their TikTok followers “did I just write the song of the summer?”, the answer is always no. Go figure.
Who’s surprised about it, either? At this stage, as we hang over the end of 2024, we’ve grown tired of the expected social media strategies on TikTok and the like, to such a degree that artists are starting to present an eye-rolling disdain for the same approach as an approach in itself, much like Halsey sharing that they’d been forced to make a video on the app before they could release their next song. Performativeness is grating faster and faster these days, and sincerity is in diminishing supply.
While many alternative artists have found audiences by riding the waves of what TikTok favours in approaches to content creation, It’s a little harder to do so in Metalcore or Hardcore specifically. There’s an inherent corniness to trying to prove to the masses that you’re part of a counterculture by using the tools of culture at large in this way to an audience that can sniff out insincerity like a bloodhound - but we’ve seen with Brendan Murphy of Counterparts’ yapping on Twitter that the dichotomy of general disdain and relatable-posting in tandem with music loaded with real sincerity can actually work in an artist’s favour. Yet, we know that bands are more than they appear on social media - we just have to break through that tough exterior first.
Enter, Rozemary, and seemingly, all at once. Though the Metalcore troupe have been around since late 2023, it seems that ever since their shit-hot appearance at No Play Festival, heads have been turning towards the Wirral unit, and as their statement-of-intent debut single empty ceiling turns twisting guitars and soaring choruses onto fans, it’s clear that a lot lies in store for the band - though you might have to pierce its ironic skin first.
Rozemary’s first steps
Tuning into Rozemary feels like early doors, and you wouldn’t guess that it was a project a long time in the works. Beginning as a generic Rock outfit busting through Queens of the Stone Age and The Mysterines covers, vocalist Izabel Lavin confesses that the band didn’t truly become Rozemary in its current form until it had its name - and it was good timing, too, as suddenly, there was a time limit.
The band put a name to its faces in April 2023, and within months, they’d written six tracks and played their first show, selling all of the merch they’d bought in the process, as they slowly crept further in fans’ estimations, culminating in a spot opening the third stage at No Play Festival. “We got kinda dropped in,” says vocalist Izabel Lavin. “We got a message being like ‘are you guys free on the 7th?’ and I was like ‘we’re all going to No Play Fest.’ and they were like ‘…do you wanna play it?’”
It’s a dramatic way to touch down at a festival with only days to spare, and yet it somehow worked massively in their favour - with only the fanfare of the band’s social media to mark the occasion, the band had filled out the room as they opened the festival’s third stage.
“By the time we’d got on stage, we’d packed out the Jack [the Jacaranda, a Liverpool venue] to the point where they weren’t letting people in. That was a really cool moment,” says guitarist Ved Goswami.
“We were the only band on the bill without music out, which is why we had to be like ‘We’re Rozemary by the way! We’re Rozemary!’” Izabel laughs.
In this moment, Rozemary truly came into view for many - after twiddling their thumbs playing as a Rock covers band in Sixth Form music rooms, suddenly the band was alive and easier than ever to spot. And now with debut single empty ceiling taking aim at landlords, it was time for Rozemary to punch into overdrive - and thankfully, they know what they’re doing when it comes to getting the song in front of the right people.
Earworms for brain worms
If you know Rozemary at all at this stage, chances are it’s because of their presence on Twitter, offering stream-of-consciousness yap and actual band promo at a 90/10 ratio. It’s not meant as an insult, either - it’s working massively in their favour as the band comes off as incredibly endearing, and as they themselves confess, there’s not much of a reason not to go all-in on it. That is if they remember to do it at all.
"The more people who hear about us on shit social media stuff, the more people know our name,” says bassist Christy Cottier. There’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
Izabel turns to him. “Yes there is,” she jibes.
“There is,” Christy concedes. “We’ve not got there yet.”
There’s a balance to be struck here, with so many bands being able to write emotive heavy music and still act like dorks online, and with so many bands not being able to deliver the goods to justify such apathy, but the real excitement of Rozemary ensures that it touches down. Though Rozemary might owe some success to their appearances online, it feels as though they could get by perfectly fine without it, as their first single is evidence enough that they’ve got the chops to provide a soaring singalong chorus only to follow it with groove and a pummeling down-down-downtuned breakdown, all while finding their own unique voice outside of their Thornhill and Spiritbox inspirations.
Their growth online is compelling to watch, even if you’re not particularly interested in being a part of ‘Core Twitter (and who could blame you), but why shouldn’t Rozemary if it works? After all, with frontwoman Lavin amassing 1.1 million likes on TikTok by herself, it only makes sense to sic her stylings on the wider online world for the band’s gain - and with their biggest inspirations playing the same game, who can blame them? “We take a lot of musical influence from Thornhill and to be honest, looking at their social media presence, it’s quite similar,” adds Christy. “There’s people following them for the shower reviews now, which is a bit mental - they’re one of the best Metalcore bands on the planet!”
The future
Though their online appearance might prove the opposite to be true if it’s all you know of Rozemary, the band is full of heart. They’re plucky upstarts with a real excitement for what they do, and though they know what Rozemary is supposed to be, it won’t stop them from ducking and diving in and around the things that inspire them. empty ceiling is a metalcore rallying cry, but as Ved tells Altopsy about some of the Hardcore riffs he’s been cooking, and Izabel posting original mosh parts on Twitter as a sort of bonus peek behind the curtain, there’s plenty more to see from them with any avenue open.
Their plans seem concrete, though - with twelve tracks to work with, more singles and an EP on the slate for 2025, it seems that we haven’t seen the last, or best, of Rozemary. And if this momentum keeps up, then there’s a long way to go before we see it.
Listen to empty ceiling here: Spotify | Apple Music
Follow Rozemary here: Instagram | Twitter
Into the Dungeon
Every week at Altopsy, I’d like to take you inside what I’m listening to as I dig around for the best alternative releases about. Take them for a spin and share your thoughts on social media or in the comments! For this week’s pick…
100 Demons - In The Eyes of the Lord (2000)
An iconic record revered for good reason, the debut album from 100 Demons is downtrodden, miserable, and remarkable for it. It buys into itself immediately and goes all in on making one of the hardest records in history, and they do so with pummelingly heavy tracks laden with lyrics about hating yourself, the government, those who loathe you, and just about everyone else in equal measure.
It’s a tough sell on paper for the more plucky and upbeat Hardcore fan, but the album’s relentlessness paired with its absolute certainty make In The Eyes of the Lord a brick over the head of the listener. Try all you might to profess to your parents that not all of the music you listen to is moody and depressing - when 100 Demons ask who you trust, you’d better fuckin’ tell them “nobody”.
Listen to In The Eyes of the Lord here: Spotify | Apple Music