Coming Up Roses' latest EP is one that comes amidst a season of change for the indie and alternative rock outfit.
Having previously been based in Singapore, the band now reside in London, where they have been making music since late 2022. Besides swapping sceneries, the 'Would You Ever' act have also undergone a major lineup alteration in recent years — the departures of guitarist Lorenzo Romero and drummer Bruce Tan and the arrivals of British members Charlie Wilson and Caleb Blake.
Despite these changes, Coming Up Roses' decision to go with an eponymous title for their third EP feels apt. It is a release that marks the beginning of a new chapter in their journey while also acknowledging the individuals, both from the band's past and present, who have played a part in shaping Coming Up Roses.
"We released this EP as a means to explore the ups and downs of relationships and we wanted to take the listener on a journey both sonically and emotionally."
The quartet's guitarist Darius Oon shared that the EP is comprised of previously written material that became "consciously relevant" to the band's current situation: "On one hand, we were creating this new friendship with Caleb and Charlie but still had that strong connection with our former bandmates Lorenzo and Bruce, who we still talk to almost everyday. With this in mind, we released this EP as a means to explore the ups and downs of relationships and we wanted to take the listener on a journey both sonically and emotionally."
Coming Up Roses' commitment to remembering the road that has led them to where they are today as they boldly embrace change is also apparent on the musical front of the EP. Even while treading new ground, particularly in the calming acoustic-folk number 'Silence', the band's songwriting remains as relatable and emotive as it was in earlier releases.
Following their latest EP's release, Coming Up Roses' Darius Oon and Emily Sera spoke to Hear65 about what life abroad has been like so far, how they rediscovered old material while working on their latest EP, and the experience of bringing their music to fans across Europe.
Hi, Coming Up Roses, it’s been a while! Outside of making music, what have you been up to lately?
EMILY: We’ve been busy with school but in a way we are quite hyper-focused on music. When we’re not making music, we’re going to watch other bands or we are working on the band in general.
Darius and Emily, it’s been nearly two years since you relocated to London from Singapore. Would you say that you’re fully settled into your new environment or are there still some things you’re getting used to?
EMILY: I would say we are quite settled but there are many things that we still miss — our family and friends back home but also THE FOOD! I think we kind of take it for granted that in Singapore we can go out and eat and it’s amazing and cheap. It’s a lot more expensive here, and nowhere as good.
DARIUS: Yes, this is true… as a result I’ve had to sharpen up on my culinary skills. I am not as good as my grandma by any means but we have to start somewhere. On a positive note, there’s a lot more bands who come through London on tour, so you get spoilt-for-choice when it comes to watching live music.
"We often share our cultures and practices with each other and talk about our upbringing and growing up in different places."
Coming Up Roses now comprises Singaporean members as well as new additions (Charlie and Caleb) from the UK. What is it like being in a band with individuals of different cultural backgrounds?
DARIUS: I think it’s a really beautiful thing. I feel that it’s a great way to learn more about the world and to see it from a different perspective. We often share our cultures and practices with each other and talk about our upbringing and growing up in different places. And going back to food, we’ve been introducing our different cuisines to each other. Emily and I have now experienced the famous Sunday roast while Charlie and Caleb are huge fans of beef Rendang.
A lineup alteration can sometimes lead to a change in sound or music-making approach. Has this been the case for Coming Up Roses?
EMILY: Our sound has definitely changed especially when it comes to the new stuff we’ve been writing. Our music making approach changed because we were trying to ease Caleb and Charlie into the band; we started with sharing demos before jamming things out but I think we’ll soon be back to how we used to make music. With Charlie and Caleb more settled in the band, we’ll most likely return to working things out in a rehearsal space which we haven’t done in a while and that’s something I’m quite excited for!
Let's talk about your latest project. What’s interesting about the track ‘Back The Way We Came' is that you wrote it a while back and “rediscovered” it during more recent rehearsals. What was it about the track that made it a good fit for your third EP?
DARIUS: For us, the litmus test for our music is always the audience’s reaction when we play a song live and that was particularly true of ‘Back The Way We Came’ — people seemed to respond positively whenever we tried it out in a set! Thematically, we felt that it also fit in with the other three songs on the EP and working on it as a "new song’" with Caleb and Charlie gave us a fresh perspective and allowed us to rework the song into something that reflects the Coming Up Roses of now, as opposed to when we initially wrote it.
"For us, the litmus test for our music is always the audience’s reaction when we play a song live..."
You’ve also been keeping busy on the touring front with shows in France and across the UK. What has the experience of bringing your music to fans in Europe been like for you?
EMILY: It has been amazing and surprising. I think the best part about touring in France and across the UK is getting to meet people who are different from us culturally but still connect with our music. It is especially interesting to see how people from different places react and listen to live music.
DARIUS: Something else that has been interesting is that despite us playing in the UK and Europe, we somehow have people who are Singaporean or who have lived in Singapore come to our gigs and it feels like being back home just for a moment.
"The best part about touring in France and across the UK is getting to meet people who are different from us culturally but still connect with our music."
While going through the comments on your tour announcement posts on social media, I came across requests for you to visit more cities, such as Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow. As a band that was originally formed in Singapore, what’s it like knowing that your music has travelled such a long way?
DARIUS: I think it is what we always intended and it’s nice to see that people in the UK have been receiving it well. We moved here to try to do something different and to follow in the footsteps of our musical heroes. With the UK being a really saturated market, I think it’s a positive sign that our music has been able to catch the attention of the audience here.
Now that your third EP is out, what lies ahead for Coming Up Roses?
EMILY: We’re straight back in the studio! Admittedly, our past releases have been really spaced out and we want to avoid that this time. We hope to release new music sooner than everyone might expect!
Stream Coming Up Roses' self-titled EP here:
