Everything’s Coming Up “Rosey” for Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter HEATHER HILL
The pop of a champagne bottle opening never fails to light up a room and bring smiles, whether it’s in the midst of a big celebration or an intimate affair. There’s something warmly nostalgic about that flute full of delicious bubbly, especially when it’s pink. One delightful sip can transport you to a simpler, yet elegant time of exhilarating love, easy laughter, and letting go. Multi-honoured singer-songwriter Heather Hill is serving up the joyful effervescence of pink champagne in her irresistible new release, “Rosey” – available now!
The Blue Mountains, Ontario-based artist is pouring on intoxicating romance with this retro confection that blows a kiss back to the post-Swing Jazz era with a wink and a nudge to Les Paul and Mary Ford, all dressed in modern musical sensibilities. The lead single from her upcoming fourth album Twilight Mist, “Rosey” was co-written with Hill’s frequent collaborator, award-winning Ontario singer-songwriter, Matt Gerber.
“‘Rosey’ is a throw-back 1950s jazz-pop tune about love and delight,” notes Hill. “Matt and I imagined an incredible night of pink champagne and dancing. Everything is bubbly and full of love and life.”
I love the light that sparkles in your eyes
Intoxicating. I’m mesmerized
I could drink you up. It’s no surprise
I wish I could bottle this sweet and bubbly love!
There’s a very specific setting that Hill and Gerber imagined setting the scene and giving the story in “Rosey” its vibrant, nostalgic overtones.
“This heart opening song had me envisioning a fancy party in a beautiful dance hall,” Hill recalls. “There are pink bubbles, pink drinks, pink dresses, pink roses and a jazz band. At this fancy party, the guests are floating around the dancefloor in bliss and delight. Love and pink champagne has transformed the guests and the entire evening.”
The result sounds like the most sumptuously romantic and giddily joyous affair ever. The best part is we’re all invited.
Rosey kind of love
Giddy on your love
Tipsy on your love
It fills me up
“Rosey” makes it effortless to get caught up in its rapturous vibe with Hill’s sweet, flirtatious vocal buoyed by acclaimed, Juno-nominated jazz pianist and drummer David Restivo, guitarist Mike Rud and upright bassist Jill McKenna. Truly a cross-country effort, the instrumental trio recorded the instrumental tracks for “Rosey” in Restivo’s home city of Nelson, B.C., and Hill recorded her lead vocal at Villa Sound in Singhampton, Ontario with engineer Adam Fair, who also mixed the song.
There’s joy, magic, and delight in the ‘job’ of songwriting for Heather Hill, and her new release “Rosey” shows how much she is ‘in the pink’ with her craft as she gears up for her fourth album Twilight Mist to be out later this year. For now, though, she has one simple request for everyone listening along.
“For Matt and I, this song is all about simplicity, joy, fun and play,” says Hill. “I hope this song makes you smile. If it does, share it with a friend.”
Watch the video for “Rosey” below and learn more about Heather Hill via our mini-interview.
You’ve been in this space before, and good to see you again! What’s been going on since your last single?
Thanks so much and good to see you again! My mom passed away in January so I have been doing a lot of reflecting. She was an amazing woman and a talented musician. I have inherited her piano and have been getting it tuned up so I can enjoy it. I have also worked with Robert Sibony to score one of her piano songs called “Lovesong” to release in the near future so others can experience her genius. I have also been performing around town at fundraisers and house parties. The most creative event I have been doing is putting on a monthly Sound, Flowers, and Food event in various spaces to meet my local audience and bring in some sound healing, and musical improvisation coupled with yummy food by local chef Violet Roseman.
Tell us about the process of writing and recording “Rosey?”
The idea of “Rosey” came out of a garage party that happened in the winter. This party was transformed when the pink champagne showed up. All of a sudden we were all transported to a dance hall with bubbles, pink, fun, and energy. I worked with my cowriter Matt Gerber to add some extra fun and swing to the song. I then sent it to one of my favourite jazz pianists, David Restivo. He is teaching in Nelson, BC, but said he could record it locally with his friends Mike Run and Jill McKenna. He told me they had a lot of fun putting the jazz ensemble and instrumental together. I then sang vocals at Villa Sound in Singhampton. It was a cross-country effort.
Can you talk about your musical community and collaborators for the song?
I love writing with collaborators. Matt Gerber and I co-wrote this song, and we have co-written several others that have been recorded and published. We both are part of a songwriting guild that we formed about 12 years ago in Toronto. I write with a number of musicians from this group, including Henry Lees and Meghaan Leblanc. On Rosey, I worked with David Restivo. I worked with him on my second album that I recorded at Humber College called Leuty Station. He played on my song called “You Won’t Leave Me”, which is also jazzy. He also played on a fun single called “Stupid Happy”
You live up in the Blue Mountains – do you ski? It’s heavily tourist season all year, right?
Yes, I live in the Blue Mountains. I love Georgian Bay and the outdoors. I do ski, hike, and sail. I could be outdoors all the time in every season. The tourists are here all year round. Since I lived in Toronto prior to moving up here, I am okay with tourists as I was once a tourist. This part of Ontario is picturesque and there are so many things to explore.
What’s the one song by a Canadian you wished you wrote?
I am a huge Joni Mitchell fan and I wish I had written Big Yellow Taxi. Honestly, it is hard to pick just one amazing Canadian song…there is so much talent in this country.