A singer-songwriter whose sleeve is littered with his own emotions, Rosscoe Frantz is an emerging storyteller whose sonic tales weave hope in amongst the daily battles of being human.
The son of immigrant parents who settled in Perth when he was a child, Rosscoe draws from a palette of songwriters that includes Hosier, Angie McMahon and Adrianne Lenker, his lyrics mirroring the human experience.
After releasing his debut EP 'Share House' last year, and supporting the likes of Sarah Blasko, Boy & Bear and Pete Murray, Rosscoe's newest release is the sublime 'Raw And Bitter'.
An achingly warm guitar laced in a golden reverb, awash with mournful tones that drill deep into the heart, Rosscoe's deep, emotive vocals brandish all the feels that will leave your skin flush with goosebumps.
It's raw, bittersweet, and bruised, yet starkly beautiful, an honesty that strips away the facade leaving your emotions muddled, the lure of a whiskey the balm needed as that bluesy guitar noodles to a crescendo that'll have you drowning your spirit in spirits.
'Raw And Bitter' is the type of song that once heard, will remain woven into your own skin forever; it's a mirror, a signpost, a tap on the shoulder you'll need the next time heartache roots itself deep in your soul. Just remember to only add ice to that whiskey.
"'Raw And Bitter' is a stark, intimate reflection on the parts of love people rarely talk about. The moment when a relationship is strong, the feeling is real, but the future isn't necessarily aligned," Frantz admits.
"The song explores the tension between deep affection and quiet doubt, where love coexists with confusion, and staying means asking the hardest questions. It's a song about holding something precious in your hands and not knowing whether to fight for it or let it go."
Ahead of its release tomorrow (20 March), today scenestr is thrilled to premiere 'Raw And Bitter'. Enjoy.
"Musically and lyrically, 'Raw And Bitter' was really shaped by a period where I was listening to a lot of 'show don't tell' songwriters, in particular Gregory Alan Isakov and Adrienne Lenker, and studying the way they write songs," Rosscoe says.
"In particular, the album 'Masterpiece' by Big Thief had a big influence on me; the honesty of the lyrics in a way that isn't straightforward, and just how interesting their musical choices are on that album. That definitely coloured the tone of this track.
"The funny thing is the song itself arrived in one of those strange moments. I woke up at about three in the morning during the middle of winter, with the first verse and chorus rattling in my head, forcing me to get up and get them down so I could get to sleep.
"It all spilled out in one go, all these emotions I had been holding in for a few months. The final version of the song came together incredibly quickly after that.
"I was going through quite an intense period of life last year, juggling working full time, trying to keep the music moving forward in my spare time, and also starting to plan and save for a wedding with my partner, so it was a really challenging period in our relationship and put a lot strain on us both.
"The song really explores that feeling of going through those difficult seasons with someone you love, where you're both trying to support each other, but you also have your own needs, fears and hopes, and you're trying to figure out whether your futures still line up.
"The creative direction was really about protecting that vulnerable and delicate feeling in the song that was there from the beginning. I didn't want to polish the life out of it, so when I took it to Andy Lawson (Debasser Studios) to record, we made a rule to try and keep the overall production as simple as we could while still keeping that raw, gut punch of emotion.
"Andy was really dedicated to that idea and was amazing to work with, and the whole song only took us a day and a half to track. I think having such a strong sense of direction from start to finish made the experience one of the best I've had in a studio so far."
Rosscoe Frantz launches 'Raw And Bitter' at Mojo's (Fremantle) on 20 March. Rosscoe then supports fellow Perth musician Sam Tout's own album launch at Lyric's Underground (Perth) on 29 March.
