Alt-pop artist ROKI Surrenders to Love in “Hands Up”
Alternative pop artist ROKI started writing and producing music at a young age as a creative outlet and later headed up multiple bands. After taking a brief hiatus from music to pursue her love of filmmaking, she returned, producing new tracks with Ben Kaplan (Mother Mother) and Winston Hauschild (Wanting Qu). During the process of recording her debut solo album, MOTHER, she experienced the greatest changes and challenges of her life: becoming a mother while losing her own. The latter spun her into a darker state, and unsure how to process her grief she poured herself into her music.
2024 will herald a new era of sound for ROKI with her Lovable EP – dreamier, brighter, “loved up” and hopeful for new possibilities. With the message of trying to make love work, she was inspired to write “Hand’s Up” following a tiff with her partner.
“There’s always going to be ups and downs,” she reflects. “[It’s about] figuring out how to navigate the ebbs and flows with more grace and understanding…sometimes you just have to put your hands up in the air, and say enough” to keep the peace.”
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m ROKI, an alt-pop artist from Vancouver, BC. I grew up a shy little munchkin but discovered my love of music in my late teens, I started producing my own material and headed up several bands. In roughly 2017 I started creating material for my solo project ROKI and released my debut LP Mother in 2022, fun fact, my favourite songs off that album are ‘Take Me’, ‘Let Go’ & ‘Sabotage’!
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
HANDS UP my newest single off my forthcoming EP Lovable (out November 2023), was inspired by a tiff with my partner, I love the line in the bridge as it sums up the feeling I think most of us have felt at one time or another in an argument “what are we trying to get out of this? It only leaves us restless…”. It encapsulates that moment when an argument has run its course and sometimes the most sensible, responsible, loving thing to do is to both put your hands up in the air and agree to surrender to save the relationship.
The day after the said tiff, I had an already scheduled writing session with my friend and talented songwriter Tea Petrovic, with the previous night fresh in my mind it became the inspiration for the session and the song came together so naturally and so quickly, it was fully written, piano, melody, lyrics in under 2 hours. It’s a beautiful and rare gift when a song comes together so quickly and flows so organically.
Do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to tell us about?
I’m currently working on my live set, which I’m excited to perform, though no set dates quite yet. Stay tuned on my @callherROKI social channels!
If given the chance, which Canadian artist would you love to work with in the future?
Oh, I love this, there are several, but if I had to pick one, my gut answer would be Nelly Furtado. Her music has always moved me, as a kid I would blast ‘I’m like a bird’ until my mom and brother would come in and tell me to turn it down lol
What’s your goal for 2024?
I have big plans for 2024, I’ve been working on lots of new material behind the scenes that I’m excited to start releasing in the new year. 2023 is the year of love songs and a softer, more understanding side of relationships, and 2024 brings a bit more angst and vendetta, but also still love 😉
I’ll be releasing my 2nd full-length album next year, which I’m planning to support with a mini tour! I can’t wait to share it and see everyone in person!