Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Rosie Darling released her debut EP, Coping, in the first half of 2021. The songs on the EP came together as Darling settled into her new home in the Southern Californian city, having transplanted from the US east coast a couple of years prior to its release.
Darling’s second EP, Golden Age, was written during another period of disorientation: during the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns. But rather than writing a suite of isolated, frightened and fragile songs, Golden Age is Darling’s most dynamically varied collection of songs to date. Here, Rosie Darling provides insight into each of the record’s five tracks.
WATCH: Rosie Darling’s Golden Age EP Track By Track
1. Golden Age
“I wanted to write something that made sense with the times that we were living in, but also felt hopeful,” Darling says of the EP’s title track. “The lyrics are pretty meaningful, but I think the overall production is pretty upbeat.”
2. Say Less
Darling describes track two, ‘Say Less’, as her favourite among the new collection of songs. “It’s a short song and it kind of breaks some of those rules in terms of structure for writing songs,” she says. “I’m really excited to sing that one live.”
3. Fucked Up Summer
‘Fucked Up Summer’ is, in Darling’s words, a “summer break up anthem.” It’s a belting pop song, unlike anything in Darling’s pre-Golden Age repertoire.
4. What a Convincing Illusion
Darling gets back in her comfort zone for ‘What a Convincing Illusion’. “It kind of feels like a ballad, especially in the verses,” she says. “But then there’s a lot more production that keeps it moving.”
Darling was conscious of not completely abandoning the sound of her debut EP with the songs on Golden Age. “[‘What a Convincing Illusion’] is reminiscent of my first EP, Coping, but it’s also a little bit faster,” she says.
5. Always Almost
The EP ends on a sombre note. “‘Always Almost’ is definitely the one that might make you cry the most,” says Darling. “It should just be in a movie about a break up or something really sad.” In a similar manner to ‘What a Convincing Illusion’, ‘Always Almost’ harks back to Darling’s ballad-oriented beginnings. “I wanted to find a balance,” she says.
Rosie Darling – ‘Always Almost’
Further Reading
WATCH: Aotearoa Pop Artist Georgia Lines Tells the Stories Behind Her New EP ‘Human’
WATCH: Phil Jamieson Tells the Story Behind Each Track on His Solo Debut ‘Somebody Else’
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