What are your names?
Robert Mansfield (Lead Singer), Liam Tolley (Guitarist), Ben Marks-Baggott (Guitarist), Travis O’Leary (Bassist) and Jake Bishop (Drummer).
What is the band’s name?
Rosa Caelum.
How did you come up with the band’s name?
Bit of random one. We started off with messing around with Latin words and then ultimately settled on ‘Rosa Caelum’. It means rose in the sky or rose from heaven, any meaning along those lines.
What is your genre of music?
Alternative.
Give us a little bio about you.
We are a newly established Alternative/Indie Rock band from the West Midlands, made up of five 20-year-old musicians. We formed in late November 2021 and have since proven to be a significant force on the West Midlands live music scene playing support slots for major artists such as Bilk and The Assist on the Birmingham leg of their UK tours. In just five live performances so far, we have made a large statement on the scene and subsequently gained a following on social media and at live gigs.
What made you go into music?
Fate must have brought us together. Some of us have more musical history than others but we all have the same passion and drive for making and performing music. Our individual talents work effortlessly together, and a great group chemistry allows us to create music at ease. We all want nothing more than for this to work for us and we are willing to put our all into every performance. Having fun and making music is what we want to do and what we will continue to do.
Who are your influences?
We all have such a wide range of influences which helps make each of our songs unique. We’ll list one influence from each member:
Robert – Arctic Monkeys
Liam – Fontaines D.C
Ben – Radiohead
Travis – Cream
Jake – The Blinders
Are you signed? You are set to release your new single ‘IDIOM’, tell us more about the single.
We aren’t signed but who knows in the future. As a newly formed band we are just very much enjoying creating and performing music right now. As for ‘Idiom’, the track is more of a statement of intent. The single is a fast-paced, energetic track. As our debut single, following on from our demo ‘Killed the King’ which was released in January, we are extremely proud of what we have achieved. We believe this single is a complete step in the right direction and will further show our musical capabilities.
What is the meaning behind the single?
Our frontman, Robert Mansfield, wrote this song from the perspective of someone who views their partner in higher regards than is reciprocated. This then creates a sense of confusion about everything and the contradictions that can be observed through various aspects in life. They feel a mixture of feelings from betrayal to disappointment and that what they know is no longer how it seemed. Rob chose the title ‘Idiom’ for its multi-meaning. Idioms are essentially words and phrases that shouldn’t be taken literally. It can also in a way mean expression through music, which is what it is literally. The idea behind the title is meant to be confusing and leave the listener to views of their own. Interpret this song how you will. The single is designed through the lyrics to be complex and contain multi-meanings.
What was the writing and recording process like?
Simple process really. This track was written by our frontman, Robert Mansfield, who put together the overall basics and completed lyrics for the track. This was the brought to a rehearsal and worked on several times before we came up with the final version. As for recording, we record and mix all our songs in-house through our guitarist, Liam Tolley, who is currently studying music production at University. We record our parts at convenience at his house and he mixes the work until we all agree it is ready for release.
Describe the track in two words.
Energetic. Electric.
Who did you work with on the single?
No-one externally. Just us five.
Will we see a Music video for ‘IDIOM’, what can we expect from the creative process?
Unlikely right now. If we see our following and support for the track increase following the release of the tune, then we are more than open to a music video. We’re always looking outside the box regarding creativity and are sure we’ll surprise many in the future.
Will we see an Album or EP this year and if so, what can we expect from it?
An EP is the plan. We’ve already discussed both the long term and short-term future regarding music releases and we’re more than excited by the thought of releasing an EP within 2022. We want to show people our range and complete capabilities and this would be much easier to convey over an 4/5 song EP. Stay tuned on our social media pages for more about our musical releases. Those who see us live know that we mean business and an EP is obviously on the bucket list.
Do you have any live shows or a tour coming up and if so let us know where we can catch you at?
Our next gig is only one day after the release of ‘Idiom’ when we support The Assist at DeadWax Digbeth on Saturday 30th April 2022. In May we have a few more local gigs in Wolverhampton planned so stay tuned for those announcements. Regarding the summer, we have major announcements to come that we’re unbelievably proud to be able to be a part of at such an early stage of our career. After gaining such a large following in Birmingham and Wolverhampton so far, we can’t wait to play further afield and explore new cities. Or have we said too much?
What else can we expect in 2022?
We like to take it step by step, so we don’t get too ahead of ourselves. But what we can promise is more released music, more original content both on social media and at live performances. Bigger and better performances, inside and outside of the West Midlands. This is only the start for us, we know what we want to achieve and how we should go about this. The remainder of 2022 is more than exciting.
Will we see any collaborations and if so, can you tell us more about them?
Unlikely as we’re such a new band, but we’re always open to new ideas.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years? What quote or saying do you always stick by?
Hopefully at a point where we’ve done a few UK tours, and maybe even gigs elsewhere in Europe. Don’t believe any of us want anything more than to be able to travel with each other, create music and see the positive effects our music has on people. We want to be something original and exciting.
As for a quote we always stick by, potentially ‘Everything happens for a reason’. Believe that if we continue to have fun and enjoy what we are doing then everything else and the memories and experiences that accompany that will follow naturally.
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Rob, Liam, Ben, Trav and Jake.
Or on a slightly more serious note, we mustn’t forget to; maintain focus, stay composed, have fun, order the pints in and of course our equipment. We’d be nothing without ben’s unholy number of pedals and trav’s deafening bass. But you’ll have to come and watch us live for proof of that.
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
@rosacaelum on all social media platforms. Please don’t hesitate to give us a follow and get involved with our new music, this is only the beginning for us, and we truly cannot wait for the future.
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