Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bethnie Rose. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Bethnie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

In a way – yes. I don’t prefer the idea of living in regret, however, are there things I wish I would have done sooner? Definitely. I think not understanding yourself as an artist, and even a human being, plays the biggest part in what you become. I always wrote songs or poetry from as young as 7 years old – but did I understand WHY I was doing it? Not really. Even in my late teen, young adult years, I still didn’t quite understand that this musical expression was my way of releasing the emotions I couldn’t seem to describe with conversational words. I needed the sounds and the adjectives and the rhymes to let out what was locked in me. And that lack of understanding myself, made me take on a belief that no one probably wanted to hear these songs. So they stayed locked away for many years. Starting playing my music publicly the last 5 years proved to me that my songs are helping provide the emotional expression that others needed to release as well – not just providing it for myself.
I do wish I had believed in my creativity earlier and understood myself. Yet, now I do and somehow the timing still can feel “right” even if it also feels “late”.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am – existentially – a singer-songwriter. My songs are not stories or inspirational from outside events, or situations; they are reflections of me and what I’ve experienced in my heart and mind. I began singing acoustically in 2016, and was able to form a band in 2020. Which of course, was interesting timing, since we started the pandemic. However, it allowed us to develop our sound and charisma so we were ready to hit the ground running when live music opened up again. Our sound can be somewhat generalized as “Indie Rock”, however, there are definitely nuances of Soul, Folk, and Blues mixed in. I’ve had some listeners say I remind them of Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Florence and The Machine, and Grace Potter which is very humbling as those are all wonderful artists. I am very a passionate and genuine person. My first goal is to be absolutely authentic to every venue I play in and every person I play to, So there won’t be any over the top “showmanship”. I sing with fire and my band prides itself in working tirelessly to craft just good music period. These songs are pages of my heart, so it’s important to me that I give it my all. Playing live is where we love to be – the interaction of the crowd and us – and I promise that every place we’ve played, people walked away feeling and experiencing that amazing and happy feeling that great music can bring.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Live music has definitely suffered from the pandemic, and music in general has been through a metamorphosis with the introduction of streaming and social media. On the live spectrum, I think it’s important that people are true to themselves. So there are 3 groups who can pivot this industry to a beautiful place:
We need venues – whether it be a bar, restaurant or music hall – to focus on their love for their craft. Focus on creating an incredible atmosphere people love coming to – whether there is a band or not. Then find musicians that are actually playing for the right reasons. Find musicians that take their artistry seriously and are always trying to improve and grow. Be willing to book things differently. We are in a completely different world than 5 or 10 years ago. The formula of booking 1 band for 3+ hours with little compensation and the expectation of them playing non original material, is hard for a lot of bands. Be willing to have conversations on how to actually craft a great show that everyone benefits from.

We need bands and musicians to go back to CREATING and putting the effort in it. There are so many incredible musicians and songwriters out there that feel the same way I did and still do – there is no place for me. This mentality causes the artists to “settle” or change who they really are in hopes they get an opportunity to play SOMEWHERE even if it’s not the music they want to play or music that isn’t theirs. We need to stop following the newest trend and just focus on who we are as artists and individuals so that we can bring something that is real, honest, unique and captivating.

We need fans and music lovers that are open minded and want to remember what it was like to hear a new song for the first time. We all love nostalgia and familiarity – that’s human nature – but the algorithm mentality has bled its way into society as a whole: we see something we like, and suddenly there’s 20 different things of the same thing we like. This dulls down new experiences and creativity. Take a chance on that new band you’ve never heard of. Go to the local show where the flier artwork caught your eye. You may find they weren’t your cup of tea, but you just might find your favorite local band out there that seems to play right to your soul.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, it’s looking in the eyes of someone in the audience and seeing the same emotion on their face that I have experienced. Knowing this vulnerable and personal thing that I wrote (and am sometimes terrified to share) is impacting someone out there. I love music, It’s something that’s always been in my life and heart and I’ve been doing it as long as I can remember. So I love going to a concert and seeing a band give it their all. I love watching people doing what they love on stage and loving what they do. I always experience a plethora of emotions when I perform – sometimes it’s as if I am playing my own songs for the first time – and to look in the audience and see people feeling the emotion you get from enjoying what you’re hearing and watching, I mean WOW. That’s priceless. Especially knowing that I am quite often the “girl in the audience” feeling the same thing over another artist’s performance. I’m very grateful to be doing what I do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/bethnierose
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethnierose/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethnierosemusic
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/bethnierose
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ0ldoT-gdNH21G_g2MZ1jg

Image Credits
Bruce Gibson, Thomas Moore