Stereo Embers The Podcast 0085: Rosie Carney

“Be Gentle With Yourself”

It can get pretty tough out there for any aspiring artist putting themselves and their work on public display. But singer/songwriter Rosie Carney has some advice: Be gentle with yourself. The British-born musician may only be 22, but she’s been through so much, she’s wise beyond her years. Carney was signed at 16 to Polydor and dropped by the label at 18. While that might have discouraged many (“I could have quit and become a florist,” she laughs), the experience only made Carney more resolved to become the artist she felt she was destined to be. Learning to ignore criticism and take praise with a grain of salt, Carney re-started her career and the result is Bare, a stark and stirring debut album that brings to mind the raw intensity of Patty Griffin’s Living With Ghosts and Beth Orton’s Trailer Park. A survivor of sexual assault, bullying, anxiety and depression, Carney is honest and upfront about what she’s been through, and her steadfast resolve has served as an inspiration for all her fans who have been through similar experiences. In this candid and thoughtful chat, Carney talks about being Irish but raised in England, her supportive parents, and her love of Joni Mitchell. She also talks about moving back to Ireland, giving impromptu piano concerts to her childhood friends and why she didn’t become a florist after all. Oh, and Alex reads her Morrissey lyrics…