ROKI – Five Questions With

ROKI Drops Badass Anthem “Foolish Heart”

Released on the heels of November 2023’s Lovable EP, ROKI‘s new single, “Foolish Heart,” showcases a darker and broodier side of her pop sensibilities, delving into the intricate conflict between emotions and logic. With “Foolish Heart,” ROKI demonstrates her versatility as an artist, unafraid to explore the complex nuances of human experience through her music.

First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m ROKI, an alternative pop singer from Vancouver, BC. I’m passionate about creating music; writing, singing, producing, and creating the accompanying visuals. Music has been such a beautiful gift in my life. I feel so fortunate to be able to share what I create with others. 

Though I’ve been making music for many years under different names or bands, my current solo project ROKI was birthed behind the scenes back in 2017, with my first release in 2021. I’ve steadily been releasing music since.

Tell us a bit about your most recent release.

I’d love to! I just recently released my single ‘Foolish Heart’, I’m so happy to have it out in the world. For this track, I’d written it a while ago, and because of the nature of the lyrics, I was afraid to release it, thinking it was too vulnerable and personal. Once I let go of my self-judgment and realized many people feel these same emotions, I felt free and empowered by the song. 

A friend of mine recently referred to this track as ‘spicy’, and said she likes to put it on in a separate room from her partner and let herself be transported, which I love. It’s the best feeling when music can move you in that way, how it can speak to your emotions and validate your feelings.  

It’s been really nice seeing the response to this song, nothing makes me happier than when my songs are appreciated and enjoyed. 

How do you typically go about the songwriting process? Do you have a specific method or creative routine that you follow?

I don’t consciously have a specific routine, usually, I feel inspired to write a song when I’m feeling a strong emotion; be it love, sadness, anger, desire, despair, etc. Or else if I hear a beat that moves me, it can inspire me to write, first a vocal melody bubbles up inside me; the words tend to start as gibberish, then form once I hit on an inspiring topic. 

When I’m hit with the inspiration to write, I pull up my recording software and get the idea down. Some songs take years to complete, others as quickly as 15 minutes, they all have a unique energy of their own. 

Looking ahead, what are your plans for supporting this new release? Are there any upcoming tours, music videos, or additional content that fans can look forward to in connection with this project? 

It’s been really fun promoting ‘Fooling Heart’, I’ve been releasing lots of short-form videos, as well as a lyric video and a music video that I directed with Blade Zavier. I’m especially proud of the ‘Foolish Heart’ music video. I wanted to visually play with the theme of prey and predator for it. Also the colour red has been prominent in my visuals for this song. I tend to see numbers, letters, and music in colour, and for this track, red was demanding to be used. I love the boldness of the colour red combined with the sentiments of the song. It feels strong and sensual. 

I also look forward to pulling together a few shows this spring; it feels so great getting to perform in front of a live audience.

Looking back on your musical career, is there a particular moment or accomplishment that you consider a turning point or a highlight?

Early on in my musical journey, I travelled to New Zealand to stay with my dad for three months, and him being a musician, it ended up being like a music boot camp. He’d wake me at 7 am every morning by playing his guitar, and we’d write songs all day. At the end of my trip, we went into the studio to record an album. It taught me a lot about songwriting. I loved that time so much and I’ll treasure it always. 

Last but not least, it’s time to pay it forward, what upcoming band or artist would you recommend your fans check out?

I recently stumbled across Stella Cole and I adore her voice. It’s so warm and classic; it feels like she came out of the 1940s jazz singer era, definitely a feel-good listen.

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