Roe in session tonight – a 2021 gig at Nerve Center in Derry and recorded on December 18, 2021. If memory serves, this is right smack in the middle of COVID Lockdown so there is no audience. But that doesn’t mean there’s no energy. Roe is one of those phenomenal talents coming out of Northern Ireland of late and having caught her latest single, Swimming Pools, am convinced she has something to say and is more than capable of saying it and gaining fans in the process, of which I am now one.
I keep saying this over and over that there is this vast reservoir of untapped talent; not only in Ireland, but all over Europe. It’s truly a heartening experience and one that shuts up detractors once and for all.
But don’t take my word for it – Nerve Center ran a blurb accompanying this session and it gives you an idea that Roe is no flash in the pan:
Devastatingly sincere and relatable, ROE is a songwriter that pours her heart into every word that she writes. With her self-styled brand of “Existential Indie Pop” she writes sad songs about being human, mostly.
Hailing from Derry, NI, ROE left college before finishing to travel the world playing festivals and to focus on writing songs that felt real.
Her 2020 EP ‘Things We Don’t Talk About’ saw ROE cross 1 million streams on Spotify and is the culmination of 4 years of relentless writing, releasing and touring as a completely independent artist.At 18-years-old she received a coveted slot on the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury in 2017, which led her on to perform across Europe, North America, India and beyond; supporting local legends. Snow Patrol on their 2018/19 UK Arena Tour.
The winner of Best Emerging Artist-Northern Ireland Music Prize, 2018 and recipient of the PRS FoundationMomentum Fund, 2020, ROE’s music has been used as part of a TV and radio campaign for BBC Music NI, in ITV’s ‘The Only Way is Essex’, Channel 4’s ‘Made in Chelsea’ and Netflix’s ‘Terrace House’.
With her previous releases, she has gained extensive support and plays from BBC Radio 1and Radio 6 Music, regular play-listing across Irish radio on RTE2FM and Today FM, and her monthly listeners on Spotify continue to grow steadily.In September 2021, ROEs single ‘Cruel’ was chosen as BBC Introducing’s Track of the Week, seeing her play-listed for the first time on BBC Radio 1.
At age 18, she received a coveted slot on the BBC Introducing Stage at Glastonbury in 2017, which led to gigs across Europe, North America, India and supporting Snow Patrol on their 2018/19 UK arena tour.
The winner of Best Emerging Artist – Northern Ireland Music Prize, 2018 and recipient of the PRS Foundation Momentum Fund, 2020, Roe’s music has been used as part of a TV and radio campaign for BBC Music NI, in ITV’s The Only Way is Essex, Channel 4’s Made in Chelsea and Netflix’s Terrace House.
In the meantime, head over to her Bandcamp page or her Musicglue page (which includes t-shirts, vinyl and updates) and show some support. Roe can use it and we need Roe’s music.
So there.
