New England Roses
Issue #25
Consisting of members of Le Tigre and Barr, the trio makes lo-fi, gentle dance pop
By Alicia Dorr
Published: September 1st, 2005 | 4:34pm
JD Samson does it all. Between Le Tigre, her involvement with the dance troupe Dykes Can Dance, and working on the feminist journal LTTR,Samson is pretty much booked. So, of course, the vivacious feminist added another project to the mix: New England Roses.
New England Roses also consists of Sarah Shapiro and Barr’s Brendan Fowler, whom Samson met while the three attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York. Though the three now call other regions of the country home — Fowler lives in L.A., Shapiro in Portland, and Samson in Brooklyn — Samson says the band has a New England vibe.
The trio’s music is less focused on the dance beats that Le Tigre and Barr are known for, but the sound is just as lively albeit with a softer aesthetic. The New England Roses’ sound is stripped down, inviting the listener into the studio, where each member of the band collaborates on raw guitar parts, backbeats, and singing. Even when they shout, it still suggests a folksy or — as Samson says — “community” sound.
The band recently released its first album, Face Time With Son (Doggpony), and is booking some shows in their free time. Samson talked with us on the phone while she was on tour with Le Tigre in early July.
When did you, Shapiro, and Fowler decide to take on New England Roses in addition to your already-busy schedules?
I had five days off from Le Tigre and I had a studio and they were [in New York], so we decided to use it. The record was originally supposed to be a cover of Tracy Chapman. Then when we got into the studio we ended up writing our own songs.
Is it difficult to juggle your other projects as you are getting the band off the ground?
It’s definitely hard to juggle. New England Roses is less of me trying to get it off the ground and more just about making a totally different kind of music, and just hanging out with my friends and making music we like. I’m not really trying to push this. It’s a collaboration that we’ve always wanted to do, and it’s super fun.
How do your individual experiences help you when working on New England Roses?
We’re all crazy performers — we’re all over the place — so it will be interesting when we play live. We’re just super close and loving, and we all bring in different things.
Do you have plans for an official tour, or will you just have shows when you can?
We’re all so busy, so, yeah, it’s a band of convenience. When we feel like we need a rush of friendship energy, it’s a way we can get it. That’s my biggest piece of advice for bands starting out — that it should be about the friendship.
Is the quieter sound of New England Roses intentional or a result of the mix you all bring to the table?
It’s not intentionally different, but just the music we made together. I don’t want to be pigeonholed into the dance genre. I like a lot of styles of music. This is more community-based — like, more loving. I’m a huge fan of folk music like Joan Armatrading — you know, indie, soft. I’ve just never really had an outlet for it until now.
Do you think your projects compliment each other?
My projects all definitely require different commitments. Le Tigre is my number-one thing that I spend time on, but if I have a second free, I do something with it. That’s just the kind of person I am. I like to be proactive and collaborate with new people. All of my projects make me more of a round person, a round personality. I’m not just a programmer of beats.
Is the fact that you’ve become a motivating role model for women something you are careful about, or do you just put yourself out there as you are?
I’m just living my life as me and I’m lucky to be in a place where I’m allowed to be a role model for people and be somewhat in the mainstream as I am. It’s amazing to be singing a song like “Keep on Living” with the audience cheering and responding. I feel really lucky.
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