December Rose is a singer/songwriter from Montreal whose young career has already taken its share of twists and turns. The Canadian songstress has been singing and playing music for as long as she can remember. With over 15 years of formal training and a degree in Classical Voice Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, the award-winning vocalist’s talent was recognized at a young age. As soon as she graduated she had a record deal, and a career was born.
However, three years later that career screeched to a halt when December Rose’s mentor and primary advocate in the music industry, Invitation Records co-founder Russ Regan passed away. Suddenly the singer found herself back to square one, on her own and without a record deal. The songwriter decided to look inward at her own troubled childhood. The result is “Raise Your Voice,” a ten-song collection of introspective, confessional and cathartic emotional Adult Contemporary Pop.
“Raise Your Voice” opens on two soulful ballads. “Mamma” tells the story of a child breaking free from an abusive home, and then looking back to her mentally ill mother and simply asking ‘why?’ “Hot Damn” follows with a look deeper into the repercussions of a broken family home. From there the album moves through lush cinematic productions, upbeat Pop and downtempo EDM. Tracks like the deeply personal “Off the Edge” combine all of the above, with its chill Deep House beat and ambient instrumentation. “Apple Tree ” follows, an inspirational Pop love song with a great hook and a fist-pumping chorus.
December Rose slows things down on emotional R&B-leaning ballads like “Four Walls,” “Just One Love” and “Day in the Life.” Each follows the singer on a journey of healing. “Long Time Running” is a real high-point, with a memorable Pop chorus and powerfully emotional performance by Rose. “When We Were Young” and “Raise Your Voice” each turn the focus to society as a whole, as the singer has a personal conversation with listeners on subjects like racism, sexism and homophobia. It is a powerful message to close an album full of equally poignant emotional moments, delivered by a talented singer at the top of her game.
Watch the “Long Time Running” video below. You can also hear the song on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. And listen to December Rose’s album “Raise Your Voice” on your favorite streaming service. Follow the links below the video to connect with the singer. Get on her socials and get in the loop on all of the current and future projects from this multifaceted artist.