Q&A: Niko Rose 'Sleeping Bag' EP
☆ By Sophie Gragg ☆
Photos provided by Niko Rose
STEPPING ONTO THE SCENE WITH A FEEL-GOOD ENERGY YOU’LL LOVE - Niko Rose charms the listener with each track in his latest EP Sleeping Bag. The Arizona based 20-year-old brings the classic elements of indie music we adore with his own feel to create the sound of Niko Rose. Emulating a carefree and almost dreamy feel, Sleeping Bag showcases a raw and emotive side of his sound with tracks like “toothpaste on my jacket” and “ferry ride” while providing a more upbeat soundtrack with tracks like “early morning” and “reminder”. Reminicest of Rex Orange County thanks to his endearing vocals, Niko Rose has something for everything in Sleeping Bag.
He notes, “The 'sleeping bag' name to me represents just trying to get comfortable and find a good warm inside type of feeling in life. This project feels like the thing I’m most comfortable with that I’ve made - a bit like I’ve really found the right spot I want to be in musically. Each song relates back to the title in their own ways, but I really like the idea of people coming to their own conclusions about the meanings of songs. Like if somebody told me exactly what their song is about, I don’t think I would like the song very much anymore.”
Dive into the Sleeping Bag EP and read below to learn more about the project, his influences and more.
LUNA: What lead you to pursuing music as more than just a hobby?
ROSE: Growing up both my older brothers made music, and would put it out on SoundCloud and band camp and whatnot, so I think in the back of my mind I always thought I would one day put out my own stuff. When I was like 16 I had this really wild like, near-death type experience, and after that, I was like, “okay I need to start doing this right now, before I die” type stuff.
LUNA: Can you share a bit about the creative process behind Sleeping Bag?
ROSE: I think it kind of all just came together. I would start working on a song in the morning and finish around like 9pm every day. I think I finished writing every song in just like a week, cause I didn’t really have anything to do besides make music and watch movies and what not. And every time I’d finish a song, I’d send it over to Ty, and we’d kind of go back and forth on each till they sounded right. By the time, we had a good foundation of what the songs were, I would just listen to them all day every day trying to get a good idea for the cover and title and all that.
LUNA: How has COVID-19 impacted your creative process as a whole the past couple of months?
ROSE: I was definitely stoked when the lockdown started, cause it allowed me to just be a lot more productive with music, and kind of just work on everything as much as I wanted to, without having to go to work. But, at this point it’s definitely exhausting haha.
LUNA: The EP touches on nostalgia, growing responsibilities, and the ups and downs of mental health - why do you find yourself drawn to these themes?
ROSE: I guess I really don’t know why those were such prevalent things in the writing on the project. I try to not really think about what I’m trying to say until the song/project is finished, and then kind of look at the whole picture as one type of thing. I had just turned 20 when I started writing for the EP, and was definitely thinking about aging, comfortability, and youth a lot at the time. And, all that stuff definitely ended up playing a huge part in the story of the project.
LUNA: Which track from the project means the most to you?
ROSE: I think it’s gotta be “Reminder.” I just love everything about that song. Like, as soon as I finished the first demo I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever done. All the work Ty did on the drums, the change up halfway through, the solo, the outro, I just really really love that song haha.
LUNA: What are some key influences that have shaped the feel of Sleeping Bag?
ROSE: Oooo. Definitely the songs “Paranoid,” and “Celebration” by Kanye. The chords and production on those songs are just so crazy. I had never really messed with chords like that before, cause I usually would just do like basic guitar chords haha. But on like, “Early Morning” and “Reminder” those songs influenced the production a lot. I was listening to Zack Villere’s, “Cardboard City” album like every day as well. I had just seen him live in Phoenix like right when I started working on the project, and I think his writing style is just super sick. Also, my friend Tafai had just put out his album, Big Sigh and he’s just an insanely talented guitarist, so I think I did that guitar solo on Reminder to make him proud of me lol.
LUNA: Sonically, how have you seen your music evolve with this project?
ROSE: In lots of ways! This project was the first time I ever worked with anybody else, and I feel like it would not have been the same at all without all of Ty’s work. Also, I think this is just the most comfortable I’ve ever been with a release. I feel like I wasn’t necessarily going for any certain type of vibe, or sound, I kind of just made whatever came to mind, and I think it all really fit together naturally. I think I realized going forward that’s the easiest way for me to make something that really feels like me.
LUNA: Sky is the limit with this one - who is your dream collaboration?
ROSE: A Phoebe Bridgers, Niko Rose duet, with a Drake feature, produced by The Neptunes.
LUNA: What do you hope the rest of 2020 brings you?
ROSE: A car, a new president.
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