Veteran dance Music soul vocalist and singing vegan mum, JB Rose has returned from a creative hiatus with a new single “Back To Love.” The song was written when she lost her cousin in a senseless knife attack and has been released to “really encourage people to ‘be our brother’s keeper’ and love one another.”
LM: Was it a tough decision to make a comeback to music?
JR: I’ve been singing for a while now but these past few years I wasn’t recording as much because I was managing family matters (my mum was ill etc). During this time I was still just as creative and busy singing at events, songwriting, recording my new album and practicing guitar.
However, since we put out the new single a few weeks back it’s been a world wind and I’ve literally been propelled back into the music business. People are just loving my new track ‘Back to Love'. I genuinely thought we would get a mediocre response and that we would get more interest as we release more songs from my future album - Jubilee. But it seems that ‘Back to Love’ really speaks to the mood of the times we are in and people can’t get enough of it.
LM: What inspired your latest track 'Back To Love?’
JR: I wrote this track last September with my co-writers Chante-Marie and producer Neville Thomas from 2B3 records. Last year there was so much things happening for me I lost my mother and my young cousin Andre Bent who died in a senseless knife crime attack.
I felt there was so much doom and gloom in 2019, a lot of hate and anger that it seemed right that we focussed on what’s important; family, friends and love. When we sat down the song just wrote itself really.
LM: How would you describe its sound?
JR: I would describe the sound of ‘Back to Love’ as an old school, soulful, R&B track, harking back to a time when you would go to a house party or a family barbecue and just dance and sing along.
‘Back to Love’ is definitely a sing along tune.
LM: Is there a particular emotion you aimed the track to feel?
JR: I wanted people to feel happy, hopeful and that all things are possible. 'Back to Love’ asks us to, ‘look within and see the signs’ because we have the power to turn things around.
LM: Has your music changed or evolved at all since beginning?
JR: A lot of the records I have recorded has been collaborations with many different artists and producers and it spans from Drum n Base with Maximum Style (4 Hero Producers) and James Hardway (jazzy drum n Base), to soulful house with Swayzak and many more collaborations. At my core this new single is me, however I equally enjoy singing different genres of music.
LM: What began your journey as a vegan? And, are your kids vegan?
JR: I was a vegetarian and not a vegan for many years because I couldn’t give up curry goat the very few times I would go to a house party. However, when I got pregnant 12 years ago I made a complete jump into veganism. I choose vegan lifestyle because of the health benefits and for spiritual reasons.
I’d like to think that I’m not a ranting vegan, forcing my views on people and if you check out my YouTube Vlog- JB Rose Sing Vegan Mum you’ll see that I’m not hammering my points of view over anyones head. I’m more interested in people being healthy and adding more fruit and veg to their diet more than anything.
LM: How do you balance your family life and music?
JR: I’m very blessed to have many neice and nephews and a good extended family who are happy to babysit. Everything is a bit of a juggle but this is all my family have ever known so mixing career and home isn’t a stretch for me. Also, my boys are learning to play piano and drums and they pretty much understand a musician’s life.
LM: What has been your career highlight?
JR: A few years back I got the opportunity to be the warm-up act for Chaka Khan. It was amazing! The show was at the Hammersmith Apollo and I was particularly proud of myself for landing the gig, negotiating the terms, and organising my band. The icing on the cake was Billy Ocean, being in the audience. He was really complimentary.
