Scottish singer Rosie H Sullivan kicks off 2023 with her new single Expectations, the forth release from her upcoming debut EP due out next month.
Growing up on the Outer Hebrides, Rosie’s music often reflects the peaceful tranquility associated with rural highland life. Despite now moving away from the islands, this inspiration continues to motivate her. Expectations is no exception and it charmingly captures the sentimental feeling of going ‘home’.
Already proving popular with listeners and industry alike, Rosie breakthrough moment came with 2021 debut single “So It Is” which at this current moment has been streamed almost half a million times. Her last two singles “Lights” and “So I’ve Been Told” made their way into Spotify’s New Music Friday list and the latter even making Radio Scotland’s Afternoon Show Song of the Week. Her dreamy tender style is similar to international artists like Phoebe Bridger or the late Elliot Smith. Performing an intimate set for BBC Alba at Belladrum Festival last year, Rosie hits the road this week and can be seen across the country including headlining the infamous Glasgow King Tuts on Saturday 21st January.
“Recording this EP has been an incredible experience, but I think playing it live will be even more special. I can’t wait to get on the road and connect with audiences across the country, playing my music and sharing my stories from home and beyond.”
Rosie H Sullivan
Expectations is as pure and infectiously uplifting as a little cup of dopamine. It captures the same momentum and ambiance felt in the upcoming EP’s previous three releases. The rustic strumming and the ambient string base compliments Rosie’s delicate tone stunningly and some of the vocal harmonies in there are nothing short of hypnotising.
Opening with ‘It’s oh so quiet and it’s oh so cold, but it’s peaceful and I call it home.” The lyrics have a poetic sentiment I think anybody can resonate with. Whilst Rosie reflects on her rural surroundings, the message conveyed is an emotional response to what home feels like. Home isn’t always the bricks and mortar you see. Home, or at least the feeling of home, is an emotive one fueled by love, security and familiarity. Rosie captures that comforting feeling flawlessly.
“I wrote this song last year when I was visiting my parents over the Christmas holidays, a few days before heading back to Edinburgh. I was gearing up to go back to the fast paced city life, which I do love, but I was taking some time to be mindful of my rural surroundings. It’s a track that really showcases my appreciation for nature. Having grown up on the Isle of Lewis, which is so quiet and beautiful, I feel most at home in the wilderness.”
Rosie H Sullivan
Ahead of her five track EP due for release next month, Rosie hits the road this week performing 4 intimate concerts across Scotland. You can listen to the brand new single Expectations now.
Words by Anne Kelly