Following the huge amount of praise they received for their debut single 'What You Want' near the end of last year, Dublin-based duo ROOUE are back once again with another vibrant new offering in the form of 'Flavour'.
Channeling the bold and upbeat sound of acts like Dua Lipa, 'Flavour' sees the pair return in stellar form. Jam-packed with a fresh and dynamic style, killer production, and some extremely catchy hooks, this one will be lodged in your head long after you've first heard it.
So with the new single available now, we sat down with them to find out more about their background and what has inspired them most over the years.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
Growing up, we were always surrounded by music and we both loved playing all instruments. Singing has always been our number one love, but we both enjoy playing other instruments as well. Roisin first began on the guitar and piano but mostly fell in love with playing the saxophone as a kid. Lou was always in love with singing along with her guitar.
What was the first song that inspired you to make your own music?
We’ve both had a long journey with song writing in numerous genres. As kids we always listened to the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera - which were the true beginning of our musical influences. But if we had to choose a song each that made us truly inspired to start writing it would be Justin Timberlake, ‘What Goes Around… Comes Around’ for Lou and ‘Stronger Than Me’ by Amy Winehouse for Roisin.
What kind of music did you love as a teenager?
We were both obsessed with pop and R&B but also loved electronic pop and jazz.
What do you find is the best environment to find inspiration for your music?
The times that we find most inspirational for us and our music is weirdly on public transport. We had a long commute to our university, so most days we would spend around 3 and a half hours just listening to new music and watching online gig recordings. It’s also the time where we reflect most about what is going on in our lives and around us. Any moment where we both have time to just reflect is where we draw most inspiration.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
The music we have most been listening to recently is definitely Ariana Grande’s new album ‘Positions’. We also have NAO, Lolo Zouai and Dua Lipa on constant replay around the house.
How many of your songs have you written about people in your life?
Most, if not all, our songs derive from personal experiences - whether it be experiences of our own or someone close to us.
What has been the most unusual moment in your career so far?
Definitely the weirdest moment in our career was when we were approached for a job to sing vocals on a song, to later find out it was for a song to help provide awareness for incontinence. Safe to say it made us both giggle.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
Hard question, but it would have to be Ariana Grande!!
If you weren’t a musician, what other path do you think you might have taken?
Lou has always been extremely interested in fitness and animals so in an alternate universe she would have ended up working in one of those areas. Roisin has always been passionate about Biology and considered training as a nurse for like 5 minutes!
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
Don’t take criticism from someone you wouldn’t seek advice from.
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ROOUE's new single 'Flavour' is available to stream and download now. Have a listen to it in the player below.