Meet Swiss Singer-Songwriter and Producer May Roze
May Roze is a London-based singer-songwriter and producer, born and raised in Switzerland. True to her Aquarius sign, she loves to create and innovate and has been focusing on this since the start of her journey years ago. Knowing where she was heading from the start, she performed on stage for the first time at just 3 years old! Influenced by names such as Kate Bush, Sade, Björk, Enya, as well as musicals, May performed in musical plays since the age of 6 until the age of 14 to finally find her love in developing her own sound and identity. Since the age of 8, and still now, she works on her vocal technique and resilience with international coaches. Throughout the years, she has taken part in numerous projects, from gigging all over Switzerland, working on multiple recordings at Metropolis studios in London, Electric Lady in New York and studios in Paris to taking part of the semi-finals of the Swiss Eurovision. In 2015, May moved to London and started focusing on writing her own music and gigging. In 2018, May really started to make her mark in the UK when her single, “Again,” reached number 23 in the Commercial Pop UK Charts and number 1 in the Kings of Spins. Her past releases have been featured in blogs, magazines, played on multiple radios and playlists in Switzerland, France and in the UK. May Roze is, at the moment, releasing her first EP, “Heal.”
With her single and music video, “Heal,” out now, we took some time to hear more from May Roze. Read below to learn more about May Roze, the story behind her single, and what’s to come.
Hi May Roze! Let’s start with how did you get your artist name?
Hey! My artist name is a mix of both my mum’s maiden name (May) and my dad’s family name (Droz), which I turned into Roze. I made that decision a few years ago when I wanted a name that felt more in tune with my music.
What city are you from and where are you based now?
I’m originally from Geneva in Switzerland, but moved to London at 19 and have been loving it since then!
At what point in your life did you decide to pursue a career in music? How did you get started?
I’m not sure if I ever really decided that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life or if it was just an obvious thing in my mind since birth. I remember telling myself at just 3 years old that in ten years’ time, I would be on stage, and doing it! It manifested for sure. I started being on stage at 3, taking part in school shows, kids choirs, and by the age of 11, I was part of a semi-professional musical troop. At 16, I started working on a musical project in London. Then took part of the Swiss semi-finals for the Eurovision and moved to London right after that. Started properly working on my own music and releasing it. That’s how it all started.
Has your upbringing played a role in shaping who you are and defining your sound today? If so, how?
I believe what really shaped my sound has been all my experiences in life, the people I’ve met, the frustrations and the hardships. You learn so much during those moments. You have to push your limits, and you end up growing a lot. I think my music will always evolve, but what shapes it is growth and transparency.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you?
My sound is Dark Pop/Alternative and influenced by artists such as Björk, Kate Bush, FKA Twigs, Lana del Rey, Banks, and many more. I like to be open to any genre as long as I can relate to it, and it has a weird and unique sound.
Do you have any hobbies outside of music? What do you do to stay creative?
Other than music, I love dancing and have been doing so since a very young age. I also enjoy being outside, taking in the sun, and eating good food. If I can call food a hobby, then it definitely is one of mine! And, to always remain creative, I try to take time to just disconnect from everything else and just let my creativity guide me, whether it is musically, some lyrics or a concept, a music video, a photoshoot idea, a painting, an artwork idea, anything really. I just take time to myself and think. Sometimes, I just go for it and the ideas come as I go.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
My musical influences are artists such as Kate Bush, Björk, Sade, FKA Twigs, Billie Eilish, Lana del Rey, Banks, Sevdaliza, Anohni, and many more.
What songs have you been listening to the most lately?
“Love Songs For Robots” by Patrick Watson, “Tightrope” by LP, and “Alone” by Doja Cat.
What’s your dream musical collaboration?
I would pick Eminem! I love him, and if I had to collaborate with only one rapper throughout my entire career, it would be him.
What are some of your future music career goals?
I have lots of goals! Haha! But my main goal is to be releasing music/albums and be touring the world. Connect with a big number of souls all over our planet and share something special! I’ve always loved being on stage so much, so it’s really where I see myself in the future.
Now onto your release, “Heal.” What inspired this song?
“Heal” came to life a few years ago when I decided that I didn’t want to stay stuck in the past anymore. I was coming out of a painful relationship, and I was just feeling tired of feeling sad. So, I decided to change that and do my best to “Heal.”
What is “Heal” about in your own words?
“Heal” is about deciding to take back power over your own life — no matter what happened, no matter how you feel. You have total control over what you want for yourself — who you surround yourself with, what you allow in, and how you want to feel.
How did the music video for “Heal” come about? What was your vision for the video?
I had this vision of my face popping out of some dust sheets with butterflies around it, breaking through, most like a cocoon opening, like a rebirth.
The idea, the planning and filming all happened in just a week. We spent the whole night filming it…in my living room!
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from “Heal?”
I think the first thing that I’m really hoping for is for people to know that we all share experiences. We go through different things, but similar ones too and if they can relate to my music, feel better when listening and maybe have hope knowing that they never go through something alone, then I’m very happy with that. I also hope that my music can help them find strength to navigate whatever it is that they’re navigating.
What’s one of your proudest moments of your music career so far?
I think releasing this EP, “Heal,” is a very happy and proud moment for me. I’ve worked on it for years and the person that I am now compared to the person that I was when I started it has evolved so much. I’m proud of the songs, I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m so excited about what’s to come!
What would you say are the greatest lessons you’ve learned so far?
I’ve learnt how amazing it feels to follow no one, but yourself. Go with your gut, don’t be scared to say no and speak your mind. Also, I’ve learnt not to be scared to lose things, and that was tough. I’ve come to realize that you never lose anything. If that thing doesn’t feel right, then it just isn’t for you.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects that we should be on the lookout for?
Yes, I’m always working on new things! Though, at the moment, I’m putting my focus on the release of the upcoming EP. I’ve started working on a project entirely made of songs that I’ve produced myself. I guess I still need to figure out if I should release it as singles or as an EP. Time will tell!
Where can we follow you on social media?
I’m everywhere! Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Spotify, Soundcloud, and more! Here are the links:
https://www.mayroze.com
https://www.facebook.com/itsmayroze/
https://www.instagram.com/itsmayroze/
https://www.tiktok.com/@itsmayroze/
https://twitter.com/itsmayroze
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW99mc1UUene46XpaDmm_5g
https://soundcloud.com/user-298893822
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XTrQMCzWBFMGUXlQ94hCa
