Rosewood Annie have undergone some serious reinvention. The Halifax ex-pats have relocated to Ontario and completely overhauled their most of their line-up, which, metaphysics of identity aside, is a hell of a ride for any band. “Every Clyde Needs A Bonnie” is the band’s first release in two years and, at its core, is really about the ride or die enthusiasm of a solid partnership.
Rosewood Annie, as a band, has had its share of growing pains. The band formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2014 and spent three years percolating their Whom It May Concern EP (2017) before heading to the big smoke. Ontario proved to be a trial-by-fire for the band – a veritable if-you-can’t-handle-the-heat-maybe-this-phoenix-analogy-isn’t-for-you situation.
“We toured ‘To Whom It May Concern’ all the way out to Ontario to permanently reside there, playing a couple different towns in each province on the way,” explains Benjamin Rato, the band’s guitarist. “We arrived in Ontario to stay and better pursue our passions in Central Ontario and a lot of shit hit the fan after that.”
Rosewood Annie faced a series of struggles common to many bands finding their stride. According to Rato, the band dealt with substance and performance related issues with their second singer, and a hard dose of culture shock on top of it.
“It’s a long story,” says Rato, “but by the time July 2019 hit, every other founding member of Rosewood Annie and even our second vocalist had either been kicked out or quit for their own reasons. Anyway, It’s been tough as fuck (pardon my language) and Ontario had offered us something a couple years ago now that the old lineup wasn’t ready for. I realize now that our decision to reside in Ontario eventually sort of separated those whole heartedly, emotionally and mentally invested into Rosewood’s goals as a project for the right reasons from those, who in a nut shell, were not. I thought probably every day between March 2018 and February 2019 that I was a failure, that my band had failed and that I was ready to give it up for the rest of my life.”
It was later that month that the band experienced a complete reinvention and resurgence. Rato met singer Justin Lawrence during an audition for a metal core band in Orillia and it changed the future of the band entirely.
“We both lit up like fuckin’ Christmas trees. He admired my resume as a rock and roll guitar player and I thought he was one talented, high ranged singer with some serious work ethic. Justin and I went on demoing songs that he and I would right together and also old Rosewood songs that were on the back-burner and essentially unheard by any public ears yet.”
The direction apparently didn’t sit well with the entire band. Trevor and Eric, Rosewood Annie’s original bass player and drummer respectively, both quit, leave Rato and Lawrence to replace 50% of their line-up. Rato recruited his oldest friend, Aiden Butterworth, who Rato credits as the most talented bass player he know. Jon Hutchison, their recording engineer from HK Production Studios in Orillia insisted on trying as Rosewood Annie’s drummer.
“Sure enough, a few months pass and now Rosewood Annie is sounding and playing stronger than we ever have, and I’m the only founding member left at this point,” says Rato.
The new single, “Every Bonnie Needs a Clyde” was penned by Lawrence as a love song, an ode to girlfriend and the be-all-end-all partnership of the legendary Bonnie and Clyde dichotomy they share, but it could very well apply to the freshly blossoming relationship he’s sharing with his new bandmates.
“More importantly, [it’s] a victory song because it represents a loving, new relationship as well as the gift to me in my life,” say Rato. “The gift of my passion and main goals in life manifesting itself in 3 different talented and seasoned musicians who loved Rosewood Annie to begin with.”
The band are working out a series of shows through Ontario, but plan on having fresh material for an East Coast tour in 2020.