Death To Rosaleana

BY JENNIFER STANLEY BY STRAIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Local musician Roo and her band, Death To Rosaleana, are making their mark on the music scene. The band is under the production of Conway’s Fretmonkey Records Recording Studio and Blake Goodwin, who also took time to share about his endeavors.

Their partnership began in late 2021 after Roo toured the studio. “During the tour, she discussed her plans to record several songs she has written, she sang a sample of a popular Shinedown song, and the rest is history. We got to work the next week producing her first single ‘Get Out.’ Blake really saw Roo’s vision for Death to Rosaleana and has been such a huge supporter and collaborator. So far, they have recorded several songs and the video for the debut single,” says Roo’s mom, BJ.

BJ always knew Roo would be extraordinary, saying, “When she was 10, she played a song she had written after watching an episode of ‘Ellen’ that really touched her heart. I was shocked; this little blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby had this raspy, cool, incredible voice. The lyrics still resonate today when I hear that early recording.”

Roo was diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss in 2017. “She’d been reading lips for several years, but I did not discover this until she was homeschooled,” says BJ. Adds Roo, “Musically, I literally have to feel the music. Like the bass, I can hear some sounds, but a lot of it is not clear. When working with others in the studio, it’s difficult to always understand what people are saying. Luckily, my team is very patient and repeats everything for me.”

Her hearing loss heightened Roo’s relationship with music. In fact, also in 2017, she joined local band The Chucks for a short time as lead singer. “The band was named for their shared love of converse shoes,” explains BJ. Roo explains, “I know I can never take it for granted. My hearing loss can progress, which is a devastating thought, so I’m going to give it my all and sing my heart out. It also gives me an outlet mentally and physically. One of the best things I have learned is to absorb the vibrations of the sounds from my music and from other artists, so I literally ‘feel’ the music. On my journey, I have found a lot of musicians have hearing loss. To me it’s a safe space, and I don’t feel alone.”

“I literally ‘feel’ the music. On my journey, I have found a lot of musicians have hearing loss. To me it’s a safe space, and I don’t feel alone.”

– roo, death to rosaleana

In 2019 and 2020, she received vocal training at Conway Institute of Music under the education of Haley O’Brien. When asked about her musical influences, Roo says, “I’ve been greatly influenced by Shinedown, Twenty-One Pilots, System of a Down, Lady Gaga, Mother Mother, and Mitski. I have always loved hearing the different elements in their songs because everyone has a different story to tell, and every single person I’ve listed has inspired me to create unique sounds not many are accustomed to hearing.”

Roo’s goals for her music include uniting people, continuing to grow locally and internationally, and performing on stages everywhere. Additionally, Roo’s visual aesthetic complements her music. “It is seeded in her belief that being different is a good thing! Even though her ‘dark’ persona is seen visually, underneath she is the sweetest, most compassionate person. It’s also a lesson in not judging a book by its cover.”

Adds Roo, “I’ve grown up around music my entire life. I’ve always wanted to create a world and a way for people to connect. I figured I could use my voice and convey the words that are sometimes hard for people to say. Music has a way of bringing people together in some of the most incredible ways. I hope my music will do that and maybe find a peace in this crazy world. I also wanted to make people feel heard when they may not be speaking where everyone can hear. It is a beautiful way of letting people know someone is listening… When you listen to my music, I hope you feel you are not alone, and you have every right to feel how you feel.”

As mentioned, Roo chose to work with Blake Goodwin of Fretmonkey Records Recording Studio (Fretmonkey). Blake serves as senior audio engineer and producer and is also an accomplished performer whose stage name is Kevin Blake Goodwin. Death To Rosaleana plans to play live shows beginning this fall. You don’t have to wait that long, however, as “Get Out” releases in April, and the first EP, “Crescent,” will be released in late summer.

For his part, Blake founded Fretmonkey in 2015. When asked about the unusual name, he says, “In 2015, popular shows like ‘Gas Monkey’ were airing on cable television. My family had been contemplating names for days when my stepdad was rattling off names and blurted out ‘Fretmonkey.’ It resonated and struck a ‘chord.’…Fret refers to a guitar fret, and monkey implies being able to play up and down the fret board with ease or playfully,” he explains.

An accomplished guitarist, Blake won four national and international guitar championships. He founded Fretmonkey as a way to unite independent musicians worldwide. By being independent, artists are not bound to traditional label contracts that may prevent them from taking on additional music work; they are do-it-yourself (DIY) musicians, in a sense, much like Roo and Death To Rosaleana.

Fretmonkey officially moved to 1004 Front Street in Conway in 2019. They work with all genres; Blake says, “The vision behind starting Fretmonkey has always been about bringing together the music community. The music industry has shifted to a DIY model; this year alone, DIY musicians represented 51 percent of Grammy nominations. The big record labels are something of the past. The Fretmonkey Studio is about helping DIY musicians record, produce, and distribute high-quality music while retaining their rights, interests, and independence.” As a self-professed DIY musician, Blake is ideally suited to help likeminded musicians navigate the process.

Fretmonkey’s experience is hard-earned. Blake and his family spent significant time determining the best way forward. “…We focused on marketing, creating partnerships at events like the National Association of Music Merchants, and teaming up with music industry professionals to sponsor live events. This took us to LA many times,” says Blake. Through these events and the resultant relationships, they gained friends and sponsors and launched an international guitar festival. “We also got heavily involved with the Recording Academy (aka the Grammys). My mom, Dr. Alicia Cotabish, a University of Central Arkansas professor, is a governor for the Memphis chapter of the Recording Academy. I’m an active member and am currently running for the board. We’ve helped a lot of local artists become members of the Recording Academy, which is a very selective process done only through recommendation. We are not located in Nashville or other music cities, but we are doing big things here,” says Blake.

Blake and his team also produced a music ‘rockumentary’ titled “Kevin Blake Goodwin’s Dissonance,” which you can find on Amazon Prime. “It is based on my life story and journey through the music world. It went on to win laurels at four international film festivals in short film categories and was a major production for us, which required partnering with folks from the music, film, and art worlds. We even hired a sand artist who was a finalist on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ We teamed up with local business Bear Spear Films and just went for it. It was one of the best and hardest experiences in the Fretmonkey story,” says Blake.

Fretmonkey differentiates itself from other studios through embracing innovation and by simply not being afraid to try new things. As a local business, Fretmonkey brings professional experiences and high quality services right here in Faulkner County. Among his supporters and partnerships, Blake credits Pete Tanguay, owner of the Fretmonkey building. “He’s been awesome and supportive from the very beginning. He introduced me to a lot of local businesses.”

“Fretmonkey also has a non-profit foundation, the Fretmonkey Waymaker Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting local musicians experiencing hardships, such as mental health and addiction. Adds Blake, “We recently partnered with local musician Townsend to raise one thousand dollars to support her mental health awareness initiative. Fretmonkey is committed to bringing positive impact to Conway and the surrounding community.”

-Blake

The fretmonkey studio is about helping DIY musicians record, produce, and distribute high-quality music while retaining their rights, interests, and independence.

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