Roses & Revolutions Fight The Good Fight On Brightside Of Me

The Rochester indie-pop duo share a preview of their fall EP Keep A Little Light On.

Roses & Revolutions stay positive in the face of adversity on their single and lyric video Brightside Of Me — showcasing today on Tinnitist.

With the release of their lush and soothing new single, the Rochester, N.Y., indie-pop duo of singer Alyssa Coco and guitarist Matt Merritt also announce the upcoming release of their new six-song EP Keep A Little Light On, due out Sept. 23 via Nettwerk.

Revisiting their past year as if it were a film — with each significant event serving the role of a scene where actions and reactions propel the story forward — the band’s new EP finds them scoring life’s ups, downs, and everything in between with blissful melodies, delicate soundscapes, and eloquent songcraft. Featuring captivating, big screen-worthy hooks and immersive indie-pop production, the EP unfolds like a short film noir that sticks with you long after it’s done.

“We were reading a lot of books and watching a ton of movies, so we approached this like we were writing a fictional film,” Merritt explains. The lush instrumentation of the new single Brightside Of Me, for example, “underscores the story of a character who has everything stacked against them but always looks for the bright side in a situation.”

Merritt and Coco first connected through music, playing in various local bands until it became apparent that there was a special creative alchemy between the two. They gained traction with their hit single The Pines, leading to more than 11 million streams, a headlining tour, and syncs from virtually every network. But when lockdown threatened to deflate the momentum they had built, the duo took the opportunity to explore a new way of making music, turning their dark experience into a thing of beauty.

 

Photo by Jacalyn Meyvis.

“We all go through shit, but there’s light and hope at the end of the tunnel,” reveals Alyssa. “We strive for being at peace with ourselves and where we are in our lives. Over the last couple of years, everyone has spent a lot of time self-reflecting. Our music has always leaned into the darkness to a degree. This is the first time we’ve gone towards brightness. We’re more at peace, and the music shows.”

“A lot of times we write songs for the stage, but for Keep A Little Light On, we were like, ‘Let’s write this EP for a movie we’d want to see,’” Matt adds. “If our lives were portrayed on screen, this would be the soundtrack.”

Since emerging in 2017, Roses & Revolutions have consistently mesmerized and enchanted audiences. Sharing music at a prolific pace, they unveiled the Under The Spell EP, Covers EP, and Midnight Monsters EP over the last two years. The latter included the popular collaboration Coffee with Lostboycrow. Throughout 2021, they assembled what would become Keep A Little Light On. Representing another first, they recorded and produced the entire project in their home studio.

“In the past, we would usually demo at home and then go into a studio with a producer,” Matt recalls. “Now, we were like, ‘All right, we’re doing this on our own.’ It was the two of us at home being creative at any time we wanted — day or night. We hope the songs brighten your day. Since we were at home most of the past two years, it was everything to us. We’re just grateful for people to hear it.”

Watch Brightside Of Me above, hear the single on your preferred DSP HERE, pre-order the EP HERE, sample more from Roses & Revolutions below, and find them at their website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.