This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.
This past week I got the chance to chat with two members of the local indie rock band, The Rosy Shades. The Rosy Shades played First Friday this month and put on a great show; everyone in the crowd was having a good time listening to great music. They are definitely a band I would recommend to all of my friends, especially ones that are into Kings of Leon. You can check them out on their Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheRosyShades) or on their website (www.therosyshades.com)
Photo Credit: Holzman & Smith Studio (holzmansmith.com)
Her Campus (HC): Who are all of the members of The Rosy Shades, and what are their respective roles in the band? Florida State students?
Nate Louis (NL): The Rosy Shades are: Tim Rock (guitar/vocals), Jon Little (guitar), Thomas Pritchard (bass), and myself (Nate Louis/drums). Tim and myself are FSU alumni – Jon’s in his last semester.
HC: Your band has a very polished sound. How long have you been together?
Jon Little (JL): Me and Tim have been together since the summer of 2010, Nate joined in 2013 at an Open Mic at The Warehouse on Gaines street. Our bassist started playing with us this past year as well.
HC: How would you describe the music you make? What are you major influences?
JL: Rock and Roll with a modern twist. Our sound comes from rock from the 60’s and 70’s with an up to date modern vibe. Our influences range from Led Zeppelin to Kings of Leon or The Libertines.
NL: I’d put us somewhere between Indie and Alternative rock – raw, melodic and moving! As a drummer, I grew up listening to bands like blink-182 and Green Day, and that level of energy is something I try to bring to our songs, but I find inspiration from many different kinds of music. Broken Social Scene, Silversun Pickups, and Planes Mistaken for Stars are also among my favorites!
HC: Where does your name, The Rosy Shades, come from?
JL: The name is a play on the phrase, “looking at the world through rosy colored glasses.” The name is very much a description for the sound. We’d like to think everything seems a little more rosier when you listen.
HC: What’s your favorite part about performing?
NL: Having those moments where we can just lose touch with the world, “take flight” through the music, and (hopefully), bring the audience to that magical place with us!
JL: My favorite part about playing live is seeing people get their groove on. I love making people dance, so watching them get down to our music and enjoy it gets me going.
HC: What is your favorite song you guys have written?
NL: “Melissa” and “For Your Love” are my favorites to play live – “Travelin’ Blues” is the one I vibe with most on a personal level.
JL: My favorite tune we’ve written is “Yesterday,” which we usually close our sets with. It’s fun, energetic, and gets rocking at the end.
HC: What venues around town do you guys typically play?
NL: The Warehouse is like home base for us – we’ve played the majority of our shows over there. They have a steady Open Mic Night on Wednesday nights – that’s where Tim and I first met and we still hang out there quite often! We opened for Wild Child at Club Downunder last September and that was a blast! We’ve also done several shows at The All Saints Hop Yard – Ely (owner) really goes above and beyond to book local bands!
HC: If you could tour with any artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
JL: This is a great question! I think out of dead artists it would be awesome to do a set with Led Zeppelin, listening to the greatest band of all time every night would be kind of cool. Those alive would be: Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, or The Strokes.
NL: If I had to pick one: Foo Fighters!