Rose Carleo
What makes Rose Carleo so special is, ironically, the fact that she’s just like everyone else.
Well, apart from the fact that she has a rare ability to take those experiences we’ve all lived through, and turn them into remarkable songs with a universal appeal.
Then she opens her mouth and conveys the pain, the passion and the emotion of her songs in a way that touches everyone who hears them.
Rose is a real woman who’s been through plenty in her relatively short life. But she’s also someone who takes everything that happens on board, learning from it and turning it into a powerful musical experience.
Rose’s musical career began back in Western Australia, when her mother Mary — a respected country music promoter — challenged her to take to the stage. Sadly, Mary passed away when Rose was still a teenager, but she’s remained her daughter’s inspiration.
“I’ve been through a fair bit in my life. My mum became ill when I was very young, and I spent a lot of my childhood looking after her. I had to grow up fast, and I guess I experienced things early on that many people never do. Because of that, I’m grounded way beyond my years, and have a real appreciation of and respect for life,” Rose said.
Rose became a professional singer in her home town of Perth, singing backing vocals for Jimmy Barnes and supporting Vanessa Amorosi, as well as doing gigs around Perth and further afield.
A couple of years ago, Rose moved to Brisbane, where she recorded her debut EP with Brendan Radford, releasing two successful singles, “Freedom” and “Whisper”, and attracting the attention of leading music industry figures.
In 2007, she was a finalist in the Toyota Star Maker Quest, and went on to release her debut album, Everything I Need, again produced by Brendan and featuring a swag of great songs cowritten with the likes of Allan Caswell, Drew McAlister, Brendan Radford, Casey Watt and Michael Fix.
She’s released two singles from the album: “Til I Find Me Again”, and most recently the gutsy “It’s Not Me, It’s You”. Everything I Need also features an exquisite duet with Golden Guitar winner Drew McAlister.
During 2007, Rose was named the Silver Medallion winner for Best New Talent at the Queensland Gold Medallion Awards.
Rose’s songs are contemporary tales of taking control, of accepting that things aren’t always what you hoped, and moving on.
“When I’m writing songs, I look for catalysts — maybe things that have happened to me, but often stuff I’ve observed in other people’s lives. The crucial thing is to find a universal message in the song, something everyone can relate to,” Rose said.
“I see Everything I Need as a really positive album, even though it explores a wide range of emotions,” Rose said.
“It’s about taking control and living live to the fullest — about making the most of where you are and what you have.”
True to its title, this album provides everything you need to show that Rose Carleo is one of the finest emerging singer songwriters in Australian country music.
— Susan Jarvis, Capital News and ABC Radio’s Saturday Night Country
