Hey Rosetta! was a Canadian seven-piece indie rock band from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, led by singer-songwriter Tim Baker. They released four studio albums, five EPs, and one live album. On October 13, 2017, the group announced via a Facebook post that they would be taking an indefinite hiatus, which persists as of 2024.

Hey Rosetta!
Hey Rosetta! in 2010
Hey Rosetta! in 2010
Background information
OriginSt. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Genres
Years active2005–2017 (hiatus)
Labels
Members
Past members
  • Tiffany Pollock
  • Dave Lane
  • Ariane Alexander
Websiteheyrosetta.com

History

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The origin of the band's name is the Rosetta Stone, a stele inscribed in three languages: Egyptian language hieroglyphs, Demotic, and Ancient Greek—discovered in Egypt in 1799.

Formation and EP (2005)

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In 2005, Tim Baker brought together a group of musicians to record songs he had written. This included Adam Hogan on electric guitar, Josh Ward on bass, and Dave Lane on drums. After a few rehearsals, the band added cello and violin players and arranged their first show, choosing the name Hey Rosetta! Within a matter of months, the band had recorded and self-released a demo, simply entitled EP, consisting of four studio songs as well as three tracks from a live performance.

Plan Your Escape album and EP (2006–07)

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At the end of 2006, the band went into the studio with producer Don Ellis to begin work on their first full-length album, Plan Your Escape. The record featured 13 songs, including new recordings of "The Simplest Thing" and "Epitaph", which had appeared on EP.

Plan Your Escape earned the band acclaim and recognition. At the 2006 Music NL Awards, Hey Rosetta! won Group of the Year, Pop/Rock Group of the Year, CBC Galaxie Rising Star of the Year, and Album of the Year.[1][2]

In 2007, Hey Rosetta! signed on with Canadian label Sonic Records, and Plan Your Escape was remastered and re-released as a seven-track EP.

 
Tim Baker performing with Hey Rosetta! in 2012

Into Your Lungs (2007–09)

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At the end of 2007, Hey Rosetta!, which now included Phil Maloney on drums and Kinley Dowling on violin, began working with producer Hawksley Workman on a new album; Into Your Lungs was released in June 2008. The next two years saw the band touring in support of the new record, and they added cellist Romesh Thavanathan to their permanent lineup. Into Your Lungs was shortlisted for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize.[3]

Seeds, A Cup of Kindness Yet (2010–12)

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For their third album, Hey Rosetta! enlisted the help of Scottish producer Tony Doogan. Seeds was released in February 2011.

 
Hey Rosetta! at Bonnaroo in June 2012

In November 2012, the band published the Christmas EP A Cup of Kindness Yet.

Second Sight (2014)

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Sessions for the band's fourth studio album, Second Sight, began in 2013 and continued until May 2014. Several of the songs were recorded on Fogo Island, NL.[4] The lead single, "Kintsukuroi", was released on August 4, 2014,[5] and the album came out in Canada on October 21. A second single, "Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering)", was issued on September 12, 2014, via Sonic Records' Soundcloud page.[6] Second Sight won the 2015 Borealis Music Prize.[7]

In October 2015, the band collaborated with Yukon Blonde on the non-album single "Land You Love", a protest song about the 2015 federal election.[8]

Hiatus (2017–present)

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On October 13, 2017, Hey Rosetta! announced in a Facebook post that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus. They stated that some of the members felt they needed a break, and additionally, that all of them had decided to focus on their own projects outside of the band for the time being. They played their final show on December 22, 2017, at Mile One Centre, St. John's, including a cover of Ben E. King's "Stand by Me".[9][10]

Band members

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Final lineup

  • Tim Baker – vocals, piano, guitar
  • Adam Hogan – guitar
  • Phil Maloney – drums
  • Josh Ward – bass
  • Kinley Dowling – violin
  • Romesh Thavanathan – cello
  • Mara Pellerin – horns

Past members

  • Tiffany Pollock – cello
  • Dave Lane – drums
  • Ariane Alexander – violin

Discography

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Studio albums

Live albums

  • Live from the Corona Theatre (2012)

EPs

  • EP (2005)
  • Plan Your Escape (2007)
  • Red Songs (2010)
  • Sing Sing Sessions (2012)
  • A Cup of Kindness Yet (2012)

Singles

Year Song Chart peak Album
CAN
Alt

[11][12][13]
CAN
Rock

[14][15]
2011 "Welcome" 14 50 Seeds
"Yer Spring" 25 45
"Seeds" 50
2014 "Kintsukuroi" 11 Second Sight
"Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering)" 22
2015 "Gold Teeth" 38
2017 "Stand by Me" Non-album single
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "MusicNL Past Winners". MusicNL. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  2. ^ "2006 MusicNL Awards". CBC.ca. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  3. ^ "Fucked Up Win Polaris Prize". clickmusic.com. September 23, 2009. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  4. ^ "Video premiere: Hey Rosetta! shoots 'Arrows'". usatoday.com. January 20, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  5. ^ "Fogo Sessions, "Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering)"". Rolling Stone Australia. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  6. ^ "Soft Offering (For the Oft Suffering)". Sonic Records. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  7. ^ "Hey Rosetta's Second Sight Wins the Second Annual Borealis Music Prize". theovercast.ca. January 4, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  8. ^ "Hey Rosetta! & Yukon Blonde, "Land You Love" (video)". Exclaim, October 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "Hey Rosetta! Going on Indefinite Hiatus | Indie88". Retrieved October 13, 2017.
  10. ^ "Hey Rosetta! parts ways, says goodbye with cover of 'Stand by Me'". cbcmusic.ca. October 13, 2017. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  11. ^ "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock – May 24, 2011". America's Music Charts. May 24, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011.
  12. ^ "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock – September 27, 2011". America's Music Charts. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  13. ^ "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Alternative Rock – November 15, 2011". America's Music Charts. November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
  14. ^ "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Active Rock – August 2, 2011". America's Music Charts. August 2, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  15. ^ "Canadian Active Rock & Alt Rock Chart Archive: Active Rock – October 18, 2011". America's Music Charts. October 18, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
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