A sold-out Octagon, a packed Tramlines main stage crowd and now a record deal – The Rosadocs have had a fair bit to shout about this year. With their debut album taking shape and support slots with Milburn in the diary, the Sheffield four-piece are heading out on an autumn tour that brought them home for two nights at Crookes Social Club last week. Exposed caught up with resident guitarist and ivory-tinkler Myles Henderson to talk big choruses, intimate venues and what comes next.
For any readers who haven’t had a listen yet, can you tell us a bit about your sound and where you drew inspiration from?
I’d say it’s good old-fashioned northern indie rock with anthemic choruses. We have very disparate tastes individually, so the outcome is a bit of a melting pot.
There’s a record deal and debut album on the way, as well as your upcoming tour. How are you feeling about the busy year ahead?
Great! It feels like the culmination of a lot of years spent in studios and vans. It will be an incredibly proud moment when the record “hits the shelves”, so to speak.
You’ll be performing alongside local indie legends Milburn in some huge venues – what would you say are the best things to come from that connection?
Yes, in some rooms we have always wanted to play, too. I think just being associated with a Sheffield band who carry that kind of legacy is an honour and an indication that we must be doing something right!
You started out in the city’s grassroots scene, and scenes like this across the country have been under increasing pressure since Covid. What impact did those roots have on you, and how important are smaller venues to the wider music ecosystem?
Well, if it weren’t for the little rooms, nobody would ever have seen us in the bigger ones. We were all shaped massively by our local indie and rock scenes. It’s about so much more than just music – it’s a sense of community and shared understanding. I think there’s a sad irony to the fact that, at a time when people seem increasingly interested in spending their money on experiences, we don’t seem to be investing in the scenes that will produce the future headliners we will later spend the big bucks to experience.
Hear, hear! How did your new record deal come about?
It was the result of coming up through our scene and meeting a lot of new people. Thankfully, our wonderful management helped us navigate the options and we collectively decided on Tritone.
Can you tell us anything about your upcoming album?
We have been working on the record for the past few months at Kempston Street Studios in Liverpool. It’s the best mix of new and old material, which we have managed to pull together and really create a special album out of.
What do you hope people take away from your music?
Honestly, we really just hope that people can relate to our songs, stories and ideas. If they feel as fulfilled as we do creating them, then we’ll have done our job.
It’s a busy touring schedule planned for the autumn – how’ve you been coping?
All good – we’ve consistently toured and played festivals for years now. We’re used to it. We didn’t fully anticipate jumping on to the Milburn tour in amongst our own dates, but it’s nothing a couple of hotels and strong coffees won’t sort out.
Finally, what do you think audiences will most enjoy about your upcoming shows?
No spoilers, but there may be new tunes on the setlist! Aside from that, we are just playing really well at the moment. We have honed our craft over the festival period and are ready to take that out on a full-length run of shows.
And is there anything else you’d like to add?
Well, thanks for having me, for a start. Otherwise, we are massively looking forward to seeing everyone on tour and getting this record out there!
For tickets and the full autumn tour dates, head to therosadocs.com.
