INTERVIEW W/ Roscoe Street: "If we see people are dancing, that's all that matters"!

Formed in 2023, Roscoe Street have been rapidly making waves across the Merseyside music scene. The six-piece Funk-Rock outfit have spent the last couple of years perfecting their own groovy style, taking inspiration from a blend of different sounds and artists. Their performance at our 'Best of 2024' end of year shows last December blew us away and made us eager to keep tabs on what they have coming up in 2025.

Having also performed at various venues in Liverpool, including Kazimier Garden, The Cavern Club, and even house parties, Roscoe Street are set on making a name for themselves. With bouncing crowds and new singles set to be released, we met them to talk about working together, their favourite scenes, and what the future holds for these talented emerging artists.

Photo Credit: Ollie Reed

Q: As one of the newest up-and-coming bands in the Northwest, could you tell us about how Roscoe Street came to be?

 A: “So it started in my kitchen last year. We got everyone in the kitchen just a few hours after we’d mentioned it, had a jam and thought 'this is something quite special'. It just had good energy. Initially, we started playing The 1975 type stuff, big summer tunes, and decided we had a really strong sound. It then took off from there.” 

Q: You’ve performed across many different venues in Liverpool - is there a particular performance that stands out to you?

A: “The Cavern Club, always. That’s a very easy answer, though. The history behind it is just immense. I'm also a big Jacaranda fan. That was the first one I played when I got to Liverpool. All the venues are so iconic, but those are the ones that feel the most special to play because we get to follow in the footsteps of these massive artists that we take so much influence from.”

Q: Did you enjoy headlining our 'Best of 2024' showcase last December?

A: “It was brilliant, yeah. It was full of a lot of people that we enjoyed being with in general, plus the six of us on stage, and we were able to create this brilliant energy. It's a big space, but it also feels very intimate, so the response you get there is really good. We had this moment where it felt really comfortable being on stage. It was so easy to break out of our shells and do what we enjoy together. If we see people dancing, then we're happy because they’re enjoying it, and that's all that matters.”

Q: Off the back of that, you collaborated with The SWRV at the same event. How did that come about? Do you have any plans to work together in the future?

A: “He's a mate from home, of our drummer and sax player. They were just like, this guy's hilarious and then we met him in Manchester, had a great time together, and suggested that he should come and sing on one of our songs. It’s not every day you see a funk-rock band bringing on a rapper for a tune, which instantly breathed a new life into it. So, the plan is to get him on for a few more songs when we play at Band on the Wall next month.”

Q: ‘Overdraft’ is an extremely strong debut single; how did you work together to release that first track? What was the process like?

A: "It felt massive because those songs are our babies. We work so hard on them and play them painstakingly to perfect them. Having that as a placeholder for where we started is so nice. We're not trying to create a certain thing; we're trying to make the representation of us six as band members. I wouldn't give that up for the world.”

Q: ‘Another Glass’, your other single, is a slick, dynamic track. Is there a particular process you work with to create the tracks, or is it more experimenting to see what works?

A: “"Another Glass’ is already a step up for sure. Inherently, it's a very good song. We try and build on that energy with every song we make. There's a lot of stuff coming that we’re looking forward to getting out there because it shows our progress, but it's still very important for us to acknowledge that ‘Overdraft’ and ‘Another Glass’ are a big part of who we were and still are.”

Q: Are there any bands or styles you’re particularly inspired by?

A: “Some of our latest work has been very Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jimi Hendrix inspired. Jimi Hendrix, in particular, is so good at making the energy work from what he's trying to create. The Stone Roses are a significant influence in terms of bass playing. In the songwriting and vocal delivery, George Benson and Luther Vandross have a lot of influence in terms of soul and 1970s artists.”

Q: Regarding new music and projects on the horizon, what can you tell us about the latest for Roscoe Street?

A: “Watch this space for our upcoming singles ‘Russian Roulette’ and ‘Sunbleached’, they’re so nail-bitingly nearly ready. We can’t wait for them. We're trying to focus on releasing music and playing gigs, refining ourselves to get out into the industry and break into different cities. We’ll have more shows to be announced very soon. If you ever get the chance, come and see us live. See what we're all about, just come and have a good time.”