Harmony Rose + The Milk Blossoms

When did you first get into music?

I’ve always loved to sing, and did so in different choirs growing up. I played in a few bands after high school and one project in particular called Moonlings introduced me to everything. I had to break out of my shell just to rehearse, but I was working with someone who treated me like I was right on his level, and taught me about nuance and experimenting. I didn’t start writing tenaciously until my longtime friend, Michelle Rocqet became a roommate in my house. Soon after, we started The Milk Blossoms together.

Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music?

That’s a good question, it’s probably a mix of records I heard, live shows I saw, the sheer, electric interest in the whole process. I love to write songs, I don’t know if the pursuing aspect was always there but more of a recent-- within the last five years feeling. I credit any hope for anything I do in my family, friends and choir teachers.

How would you describe the music that you create?

I would say it’s some kind of pop music!

Harmony Rose performing with The Milk Blossoms at Lost Lake.

Photo by Jenna Moll Reyes

How has your music evolved since you first began playing music?

I used to experiment with what instrument I was playing a song on a lot more than I do now. Now I mostly stick to the ukulele, but I’m open to moving things around again. I think a certain sound has formed organically between the three of us once we settled in our roles of uke, beatboxing and keys. Coming into oneself more over a span of a decade lends to the evolution of the music too as its grown with us in a way.

If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why?

I’d say joy and the root of that joy hasn’t gone away in any facet. Even in the parts that overwhelm me or are too bright to see through.

Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as performing artist in a genre overflowing with new faces and ideas?

It may be the particular instrumentation of The Milk Blossoms but more so I hope the audience can feel that we’re operating as a unit with connected thoughts. I think we like to pour over the details until we’re certain the set is comfortable to really move around and release ourselves in.

What has been your biggest challenge as a musician/singer-songwriter? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Having confidence wasn’t always readily available, only in the funny sense that I have always needed to create something and then show people. But I think in all the time, energy and hours put in to playing, that shyness has drifted somewhere else. Technically speaking, the recording process can be more challenging for me than writing or performing. I don’t think we played to a click for our last record, and while this way makes sense to me, I know there’s a world of opportunity on the side where the song is constructed like a puzzle.

A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art”. Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art?

All I can think about is how the only way to make art is to make it out of the life we live or what we perceive it to be. Inside and outside the industry, everyone is suffering. I guess I would say that we all suffer, and if you make art out of it, then I think you made a good choice to channel those emotions into something that might relate to another person’s suffering. Or if its not shared, at least it was put into some kind of focus, which is healing.

How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?

While its brought music to broader reach with streaming, it has also shown a more authentic voice from the artist. In the past, I think you could only gather your notions about an artist by what they produced, or what you saw live, and with social media, there’s a different kind of closeness that can be absorbed. Sometimes I’m fascinated by it, other times I have to take a break from seeing too far in to the personal lives of the musicians I love, and only want to consume their work.

If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

I want to see more women everywhere; on the bills, as producers, as booking agents, etc.

Harmony Rose performing with The Milk Blossoms at UMS.

Photo by Chris Politzki

The Milk Blossoms at Lost Lake in Denver.

Photo by Shon Cobbs Behind the Scene Podcast

If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?

I want to see more women everywhere; on the bills, as producers, as booking agents, etc.

The Milk Blossoms performing at The Underground Music Showcase in Denver.

What are the 5 albums that have helped make you the person you are today and why?

That’s a big question! I’ll start with Etta James’ At Last as that was the first record I learned every lyric to and loved singing along with over and over. She’s fearless in every part she delivers and it’s inspiring to hear that much control. Another would be Ezra Furman & The Harpoons - Mysterious Power. It struck me when it first came out and I wasn’t in a good place with housing or my mental health at the time, and so every song resonated. Furman has put out several searing records since, but this one is the most familiar front to back with these profound deductions that teeter on both urgency and hope. Another one would be the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s- Fever to Tell as I heard it first during high school where everything feels like both rage and playfulness. Karen O! She made me feel I could be something other than a flower, like maybe an entire field. Another is Bright Eyes- I’m Wide Awake and Its Morning, a record that feels like a friend. I probably pushed my own writing to a closer-to-home place because of it. I have about fifty more records to include but I know I can’t, so I’ll say Beyonce’s- Lemonade.This record is a real true gift if someone has broken your heart like that.

Tell us about your current project.

The Milk Blossoms is an experimental pop band comprised of myself, Michelle Rocqet on vocals/beat boxing and Blair Larson on keys. We’re currently writing our third record, and taking this time to participate in live-streams and release music videos that we’ve been working on at home.

How can fans-to-be gain access to your music?

Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Soundcloud, or at themilkblossoms.com. You can find us on all social media @themilkblossoms. In Denver, you can find us at Twist and Shout Records!