Rose Kemp
Unholy Majesty [album]
“Given
the amount of talented new
bands and solo singers that have
cropped up over the last twelve months
in the UK alone, it must be hard to find
something different. Rose Kemp is a free
spirit with a fine folk-rock heritage who is
about to release her new album Unholy
Majesty onto an unsuspecting world...”
POWERFULLY GOTHIC, Rose Kemp's Unholy Majesty resounds with
the culture she has inherited from parents Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp of influential
pioneering British band Steeleye Span — and yet it is a sound all her own:
bold rock and with new age influences that will make an impact on the music
world.
Her music style is extremely difficult to categorize. Folk-esque and heavy rock
have been mooted and Rose's unique, powerful vocal is sometimes operatic —
sometimes fierce. But it is equally haunting.
The publicity machine says: "Woven together with multi-look harmonies and quality
instrumentation, this album slowly buries itself under your skin. Lyrically
the songs are compelling and their content somewhat mysterious but backed up
with heavy rock guitars, oversized drums, old synths and organs, they are infectious
and thought provoking."
This unusual album with its racing instrumentals has dark undertones and it
comes as no surprise that the classic rock of Black Sabbath is listed among
Rose's many influences. Every track is infused with energy and verve and you
can almost picture Rose, lively and enthusiastic, singing for all she is worth.
Rose's other influences include rock legends The Melvins and drone artistes
such as Earth and Om, along with classic Black Metal, Doom and 70's prog right
through to timeless songwriters that include Kate Bush and Tom Waits.
Her first recorded and writing contributions were on the a cappella folk
album Bib and Tuck by Maddy Prior and The Girls, released in 2002 on
Park Records. The same record label released Rose's debut solo album Glance
the following year, before she hit the road with The Oyster Band and Eliza Carthy
and others. But Rose was ready to find her own way and continued to branch out
of the tradition, trading her acoustic guitar for an electric guitar, and taking
her in the rock direction we hear today.
Rose has been working on many collaborations and various side projects. Having
recently supported Oceansize and Amplifier, Rose will be on a full tour throughout
the UK and Europe in September. Dates and details will be announced shortly.
• The new album from Rose Kemp, Unholy
Majesty, will be released on 1 September (2008) on One Little Indian Records.
The album was produced and mixed by Chris Sheldon (Foo Fighters/Amplifier/Biffy
Clyro). A download single entitled Nanny's World was released on June
30.
Tracklisting
1 Dirt Glow | 2 Nanny's World | 3 Bitter And Sweet | 4
Flawless | 5 Saturday Night |
6 Nature's Hymn | 7 Wholeness Sounds | 8 Vacancies | 9
Milky White | 10 The Unholy.
Check out www.myspace.com/rosekemp
and www.indian.co.uk/rosekemp.
"Her voice possesses the same combination of sensual rapture and existential
dread" — The Independent
"The authority she yields using vocals alone is truly mesmerizing. Addictive
listening" — Rock Sound
"Rose Kemp is a free spirit with a fine folk-rock heritage who is about to release
her new album Unholy Majesty onto an unsuspecting world" — MotorBar
