The title track off Connie Constance’s debut album, “English Rose” is a minimal reinterpretation of The Jam’s 1978 classic. Constance has traded the acoustic guitar for piano that is equally sombre, yet alluring when paired with her smooth and soulful voice that is beautifully an effortless catalyst to relaxation. “No matter where I roam, I will return to my English rose,” she lushiously repeats as the song flirts with melancholy.
Constance’s adoration for the track comes from her childhood. “My stepdad used to play”English Rose” all the time when I was young. It reminds me of everything I love that is British,” she says. “The main thing behind the album for me is trying to reshape the identity of the English rose. It’s like, what do British people look like now? Because we certainly don’t all look the same. And that’s part of my message: inclusivity. Asking what young UK people look like now – what are our English roses today?”.
The albums poetic narratives have been infused with elements of jazz, r’n’b, indie and soul. English Rose has songs co-written with Mura Masa, Kwesi Darko, Dave Okumu and Alfa Mist as well as production from Jim Abbiss (Adele, Arctic Monkeys).
English Rose is out March 22nd via AMF Records/Caroline Australia. You can go to Connie’s website to follow all her music and tour news by heading HERE.
