Start Listening To: Roscoe Roscoe

Roscoe Roscoe return after a three-year pause with a renewed focus, a sweeping new single, and a quiet sense of conviction.

After three years of quiet, Roscoe Roscoe are back, not with a bang, but with something far more nuanced. Their new single Before You Die is a patient, sweeping return, steeped in emotion, texture, and intent. The East London six-piece have always had a knack for pairing lush, immersive soundscapes with a weighty sense of introspection, and this new chapter feels like a refinement of that vision one shaped by years of experimentation, side projects, and a renewed sense of purpose.

Formed at The Brit School and drawing influence from the likes of AIR, Sigur Rós and Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys, Roscoe Roscoe aren’t your typical shoegaze band. With layered arrangements, a taste for cinematic instrumentation, and an openness to abstraction, they’ve carved out their own sound, one that’s intimate, expansive, and quietly daring.

We caught up with frontman Charlie to talk about rediscovering momentum, the magic of hidden YouTube gems, and what fans might find waiting just beyond the horizon.

For those unfamiliar with your music, can you tell us who you are, where you’re from and about the music you make?

We are 6 piece Shoegaze / Post-Rock band Roscoe Roscoe from East London. I’ll be answering questions as Charlie; frontman and guitarist. As of today (15th April) we just released a new single titled; Before You Die.

It’s been three years since your last release. How did it feel to return with ‘Before You Die’? Was there a specific moment that signalled it was time to re-emerge?

We have been slowly working towards something quite special over the last couple of years. It’s taken us a lot of bravery to get the ball rolling again, working as a completely independent band, but we decided that if we didnt take the initiative it was never going to happen, so here we are.

It’s hard to answer fully without spoiling all the fun.

You’ve described ‘Before You Die’ as having “a special kind of energy”. What do you think makes this track distinct within your catalogue?

I think there is a kind of maturity in its execution. I feel like with this track in particular we were able to express the intentions and emotions we wanted to convey, which we have found quite hard to do in the past.

The song title references a Serge Gainsbourg instrumental, yet you haven’t actually seen the film it comes from - what drew you to that piece of music, and how did it influence the song lyrically or emotionally?

I discovered the Gainsbourg song by accident. It's not on any streaming platforms but I randomly stumbled across it on Youtube, which definitely sparked my love for it more - finding such a beautiful hidden gem.

It's such an intense piece, with a beautiful string arrangement. My lyrics are in no way comparable to the complexity or brilliance of the Gainsbourg song but something about the connection I had to finding it made me inspired to create something.

There’s a beautiful tension in the track between these massive, immersive walls of sound and very precise, acoustic touches. Was it a conscious decision to balance the lush and the minimal in this way?

Absolutely! We are always curious about arranging and involving instrumentation and texture beyond the realms of what is possible within the members of the band. We no longer write music with limitations to what is possible for us to perform. In this song there are Acoustic & Nylon guitars, several different electric guitar parts, cello, vibraphone…

The Beach Boys’ ‘Pet Sounds’ and Sigur Rós aren’t the most obvious comparison points for a shoegaze band. How do those reference points feed into your approach to arrangement and production?

I think it's more of a texture thing. Both bands do so well at producing these epic songs without limitation to what they might be able to perform live and that truly inspires us. Also the songs are just wicked.

You formed at The Brit School, how did that setting shape Roscoe Roscoe in its early days? And how has your dynamic changed as you've grown outside of that environment?

More than anything it's probably just set us up for being able to do really good covers. 

Your live sets have become a big part of your identity, how do you translate such layered, textured recordings into something that works in a gig setting, especially with so many moving parts?

We are always thinking about how big we can make the live set, how it can be more immersive or emotionally intense. 

In some of the newer songs there is a separation from the studio versions to the way we play it live, but we enjoy that as it gives the songs their own different worlds. 

I have been recently working with Ulrika Spacek and watching their live set has been really inspiring, how effortlessly immersive and exciting they make it. Absolutely everything is considered, right down to the lighting and visual element and yet they do it all themselves.

Multiple members are also involved with artists like Hank, Sarah Meth, and Mandrake Handshake. How do you think that cross-pollination across projects influences what Roscoe Roscoe creates?

It's really nice to have these other projects, as it means we have something else to get lost in if we’re ever stuck for inspiration. If ever things get frustrating or slow with the band, we can go to these other projects to let off the energy we need and come back with a new pallet of inspiration.

You’ve got an intimate headline show coming up at The George Tavern. What kind of space or atmosphere do you think suits your music best live?

I fantasise about making the live set work on the biggest stages possible, but if the venue sounds great and has a projector, we can make it work.

What do you love right now?

Severance lol.

What do you hate right now?

Unsure.

Name an album you’re still listening to from when you were younger and why it’s still important to you?

AIR - Moon Safari. I recently went to see them in Paris performing the album in full and it was mind blowing. Was super overwhelming emotionally as it's such a nostalgic record of me and they really didn't hold back with the show production. 10/10 performance and a 10/10 album.

Also AIR are another band that write without limitation. Arrangements are incredible throughout all their works.

Now that you’ve returned with this new single, can fans expect more music from you in the near future? Is there a larger project in the works?

Of course there is always more! But you'll just have to wait to find out what.