chelle rose | press

Paige M. Travis, Metro Pulse
"After perfecting a mild-mannered approach to the soulful Southern tunes she's been writing the past few years, Chelle Rose is plugging it in. The Loudon County native's debut disc, Nanahally River, earned her a reputation as one of Nashville's more literate and thoughtful composers of Appalachian ballads - imagine a more mountainy Kim Richey. But lately, Rose is causing quite a stir in unflappable Music City by trading in her sensible shoes for sharp-spurred, shit-kicking cowboy boots. The tunes on her upcoming new album won't abandon her thinking woman's take on feelings, but it'll probably remind listeners that a woman should know how to rock as well as she can croon."

Peter Cooper, Tennessean
"What's Chelle Rose up to? That's hard to say, though it's nice to hear. Of late, she's shifted her sound from literate, contemplative acoustic-ish hillbilly Americana (think Loretta Lynn pondering Hemingway, or something like that) into something louder, bluesier and WHOLLY ROCKIN (think Steve Earle listening to the Marshall Tucker Band, while pondering Loretta Lynn pondering Hemingway, or something like that). Anyway, she's a wise little heart-slicer and she makes good music."

Interview with Steve Wildsmith, The Daily Times
Don't tell anybody, but Chelle Rose -- the singer-songwriter and Knoxville expatriate with a voice like Allison Moorer and songwriting chops like Lucinda Williams -- well, she digs Southern rock. Sure, she likes the new Southern rock of the Drive-By Truckers and the Kings of Leon. But she chuckles a little bit in embarrassment when claiming an affinity for Lynyrd Skynyrd. In fact, she'll probably pull an old Skynyrd song (put away the lighters; it ain't "Free Bird'') when she performs Saturday night at Patrick Sullivan's Saloon in Knoxville's Old City.

"It's been a long time since I've been in Knoxville, and my music has changed a whole lot,'' she said in a recent interview. "It's still me, and it's still my songs, but they've taken a different turn. I went through a year or two of doing a Southern rock thing, like I secretly longed to be Ronnie Van Zant, and now, I don't really know what to call it. And yeah, the Southern rock thing isn't out of my system just yet. I just love it -- it's feel-good music, and that's what people want to do. They want to hear something like that, something that takes you back, because there's memories attached to all of those songs. And in Nashville, I normally don't get to do that. "

That's because in Nashville, the walls of the city's honky-tonks have ears. A singer-songwriter never knows when the husband of a record company executive or the cousin of a country star will be sitting in the audience. The goal is to impress them with original songs, not bore them with covers they've heard hundreds of times. Not that Rose has to worry too much about impressing the right folks; in a way, she already has. A former accountant for Whittle Communications here in East Tennessee, she jumped ship to Pilot Corp. when Chris Whittle left Knoxville high and dry, but the work was grueling, and the itch she felt to give in to her passion -- writing and performing songs -- was getting stronger. "That was the job from hell, and that's what made me turn to music full-time,'' she said. "I said, 'OK, I've been running from this long enough, and I've had enough of this hell.' I quit one day -- I just got up and walked out. I picked up my radio and my pictures and said, `See you later,' then went home, picked up my guitar and I was happy. I was never able to do that before -- I was always the little professional.''

One day, her husband, John, came home with a job offer from Nashville. They left for Music City, and Rose hasn't looked back -- except for the regular forays to East Tennessee to see family and friends. "I started going out to shows and just going to school basically,'' she said. "I was listening to all my heroes, and I sat back real quiet for a long time until I could get up enough nerve to do something myself. A lot of people think of Nashville as nothing but country music and CMT, but what I was immediately drawn to was the underground. "Lucinda [Williams] was still over here, and we had a few friends in common, so I was around her a lot in good and bad times. She was the first artist to really get down in my bones. She would write these character songs and tell stories about people and family she's known and places she's been, and that's where all my music comes from too. I totally related to her.''

These days, former Wilco drummer Ken Coomer has taken an interest in Rose's music and is pursuing the producing duties in her next record. She's anxious to get in the studio and record her new songs, which will be a follow-up to the folksy, rock-tinged "Nanahally River,'' released in 2000 and showcasing amazing lyrical depth and songwriting prowess. As good as that record is, her next one might be even better. "The songs are not formally recorded yet, but it's kind of like an Appalachian rock kind of thing,'' she said. "It's really rural, but it's rocking, and we'll play some of that on Saturday night. I'm bringing my band, the A-team, so the show will definitely be a rocking thing. "There's probably going to be a couple of points in the show where it might come down a little bit, where we'll strip down and do a couple of acoustic things, but it's going to be high-energy, I think. I'm even going to do a few cover songs -- `Same Old You,' by Tom Petty, a song or two by Hank Sr. and Bobby Gentry and even `The Ballad of Curtis Lowe,' which I learned on a dare from my drummer. "But that'll be fun, because it's my favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd song,'' she added.

Al Kunz, Rockzilla -
"Chelle Rose's Nanahally River is a rarity. It grabbed my attention immediately and continues holding me over repeated listens. Pulling me in that quickly usually means something "really rocks," and some of the songs do. But in this case that wasn't what got me. It was Rose's voice. It doesn't have the whispery little girl quality like Marilyn Monroe singing her happy birthday to JFK. Instead it's a voice with heft, yet still feminine. Not like a classically trained opera singer. More the voice of someone who refuses to be ignored. Someone with a message she needs to tell. A voice that says, "what I have to tell you is important to me and you WILL listen." So I listened. I even took notes.

I'm not the only one who's listening. Rose has caught the attention of other critics, some describing her as the next Patsy Cline or Emmylou Harris. She's done this by applying legendary New York Times sportswriter Red Smith's advice to writing songs. There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein." For full text, visit Rockzillaworld.

The Rage, Nashville, TN -
"Some of Nashville's finest music journalists have used some of their best lines to describe Rose's sweet, melancholy music and captivating stage presence. An Americana star in the making."

John Graveling, Whispers, U.K. July 29, 2001, Live Review -
"A simply fantastic night of live music here in Nashville. It started early (7 p.m.) with Blue Mother Tupelo opening at the Radio Cafe. Great Delta and Appalachian blues from the husband and wife pairing of Micol and Ricky Davis. They are starting to make waves here in town and are being favourably compared to such 'authentic old-time' notables like Gillian Welch. There is a touch of very early Little Feat in what they do, which is some statement. Then followed a simply blazing set from Chelle Rose. She started with three or four new tunes, performed acoustically, notably "Wild Bill", a simply stunning piece of writing. Then out came her Nanahally River Band, and they simply swept all before them. Sheer intoxication, this was alive and goosebump engendering music!!! I liked the cd a lot, but live she is a match for anyone I have seen. On a hot, and very humid night, it was then time to say farewell to Chelle and head for an acoustic blitz at the Sutler, featuring Jeff Finlin and Mark Linebaugh (Farmer Not So John). Songwriting of the highest calibre was on display throughout each artists hour long sets. Now I'm home, ears a buzzin' and ready to head for San Diego and Lucinda Williams, Doug Pettibone et al!!!! Rock on folks, live music is alive and well."

Bill Friskics-Warren, Nashville Scene -
"Few heard it when it came out last fall, but Rose's Nanahally River was one of the more luminous--and trenchant--coming-of-age albums to come along in years. A searching song-cycle steeped in mountains, rivers, secrets, and desire, the record--soulful roots-rock that runs the gamut from bluesy stomps to humid ballads to willowy twang--sounds like it just had to come out, if only to keep the East Tennessee native from bursting at the seams."

Clay Steakley, Nashville Rage -
"Chelle Rose writes and sings straight from the source and soul of country music. The Knoxville native's debut CD, Nanahally River, steers country back to its shady, summery home and its origins as soulful, gritty folktales that are as immediate and violently emotional as blues or jazz. Rather than attempting this through retro-traditionalist fare, Rose looks forward, punching out plain-spoken, gritty stuff with the Outlaws' verve and Loretta's easy grace. She draws on her East Tennessee roots and her family history, while incorporating an alt-country penchant for distortion and strong backbeats. Her ballads are sweet and tinged with Appalachia and her rockers are, well, rockers. She's by turns raucous and sedate, but always straightforward in her songwriting. Her recent radio success in the UK and Europe are hopeful signs of growing momentum. When compared to the dishonest, emotionless dreck belted out by most major-label country sirens, Rose's work has the potential to be as long-lasting and meaningful as Emmylou or Patsy."

Lenoir City native makes mark in Nashville -
"Chelle Rose of Lenoir City has found her calling. She took the plunge into music, fusing gutsy rock notes with country and bluegrass to create her own blend of tunes..." For full story, visit: www.loudon.xtn.net

Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2, U.K. -
"You can tell when somebody really means it. Chelle Rose is the genuine article."

Peter Cooper, Nashville Tennessean -
"Nashville is supposed to be a town of weasels and jackals, but then Chelle Rose walks onstage, sings plaintive sweet but jagged country soul music and smiles like Minnie Pearl. She sings it like she means it, most likely because she means it."

RootsTown Music Magazine, Belgium -
"Chelle has an expressive voice that stands tall in the diversity of all 14 songs."

Les Kneeling, Music That Means Something, U.K. -
"I've lived with this CD for quite a while now - much longer than I normally would before writing up a piece for [review]. I'm finding it hard to do it justice. Look, it's a brilliant album - just go out and get it!"

Billy Block, Western Beat Entertainment -
"Chelle Rose is one of the pleasant surprises of 2000. A wonderful voice who expresses her emotions with honesty and dignity."

Skip Litz, Live Wire Sound -
"When Chelle Rose played the Radio Café for the first time, she walked out onto the stage and put on a show that blew me away. With a mixture of fine songwriting and some wicked country rock guitar, along with a voice that was strong and captivating. This is a voice and persona that was born to perform."

The Gig Guide & Features Supplement, U.K., March 2001 -
"With such a songwriting talent as this, I'm sure Chelle will be in great demand all over the world and she will hopefully get the recognition she deserves."

Tony Lawson, WDVX -
"Chelle Rose, a new voice running wild and deep as the Nanahally River. Take a Ride!"

Scott Baggett, Electric Sandbox -
"This is the real deal.my favorite new girl country singer!"

Rob Forbes, Leicester Bangs, U.K. -
"Already a Bob Harris favourite, it can't be too long before Chelle Rose makes the same kind of impact in the UK as Kevin Montgomery and Trish Murphy. Her debut album is a cleverly produced collection of songs which recount the trials and tribulations of growing up in Tennessee, and are inhabited by a cast of characters which are best described as the good, the bad and the ugly. Comparisons are already being drawn to premier league singer songwriters such as Lucinda Williams, and while Rose isn't quite in that category just yet, there isn't any doubt that Nanahally River is stuffed to the gunnels with promise, and includes at least half a dozen very good songs. Hopefully we'll see her touring soon."

Brian Steinberg, Country Standard Time -
"Chelle Rose's debut has some of the best production values of any first album in recent memory. It has confessional lyrics that hark back to something akin to Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe." At times, it rocks like Heart in their "Magic Man" heyday. Rose, who hails from eastern Tennessee, is to be commended for her efforts; it's not easy to make a record that sounds this professional. And while some may consider the disc a little schizophrenic - it zooms from the bucolic "Resolution" to the FM-classic wannabe "Young Wild and Free" (you have got to hear the guitar solos) in the space of three songs - it certainly isn't a part of anything Nashville is producing these days. Songs range from the confessional "Daddy, I'm Still Here" to the family-history title track (complete with memories provided by grandma) to the bluesy rocker "Her Whole Life" to country-radio-ready "Goodbye." Rose may not be easily pigeon-holed, but you'll enjoy listening anyway."

Alan Cackett, Country Music International UK -
"Singer-songwriter Chelle Rose is a blend of the best rootsy work of Lucinda Williams, Bobbie Gentry and Kate Campbell, without in any way being a copy-cat. The fourteen songs on this home-produced set are backwoods tales of everyday people: their lives, their loves, their hardships and their joys. They are a cohesive lot, with the majority sounding very traditional - yet with an updated, current bent. The title tune, the album's centrepiece, is based on Chelle's grandparents courting days. Instrumentally this is hillbilly tinged with acoustic guitar, dobro, mandolin and bass dulcimer providing the folksy accompaniment. Equally as compelling is Young Wild And Free with a frailing banjo carrying the rhythm. The understated production puts the focus squarely on the story in the lyric, and Chelle's vocal is a delight, mostly because she doesn't strain to sound soulful. She simply lets it happen naturally. Other goodies on a deeply-felt record includes the pained Her Whole Life, the droning Something Just For You and the thoughtful Family. At times, it is a little like eavesdropping on this woman's innermost thoughts and memories, and realising that they are not too different to your own."

Michael Clark, The Loafer -
"I've had this CD awhile, and really haven't known what to say about it. And that doesn't mean I have negative things...far from it. Actually, this is one of the best independent CDs I've ever heard and one of the best CDs I've heard this year. What has kept me from writing about it until now has been the overwhelming diversity Rose shows as a writer. How does one classify it? She's a full-blown major league talent waiting to be signed to a major label. Frankly, I see very few female singer/songwriters in her league. Now, that may seem like an overstatement to some - so be it. This CD is a moving personal diary with stunning musical passages that take the listener on nothing less than a trip through every genre without once ever seeming forced. From the stunning, chill-inducing "Daddy I'm Still Here" through the sweet acoustic "God Help the Man" and all the way to the searching finale, "Mystery Road," I was reminded of such genre-bending classics as "Dreamboat Annie" and "Wrecking Ball," Oh, and did I mention she's from Knoxville and enlisted some of her East Tennessee buddies to help? As far as I'm concerned, Chelle Rose's new CD is thought provoking, moving and thoroughly Tennessean - an original uncompromised talent."

2002 UK Tour Reviews

Americana Music Online, UK -
"This was a real punt as far as I was concerned as I had heard one Picott song on Bob Harris but nothing by Chelle Rose. Chelle Rose came on first and she is big in every sense - voice, personality and hat. By UK standards a real country gal from East Tennessee. Her songs were very feminine and as such appealed very much to the ladies in the audience. Her accent was a real southern one and it all made for a delightful start to the evening."

John Ward, Country Music Roundup, York, England -
"Second out on the boards at Fibbers was a larger than life lady by the name of Chelle Rose. Chelle hails from East Tennessee and was here to promote her debut CD 'Nanahally River'. 'Her renditions draw several parallels betwen her powerful songwriting and the ruby mining she did with her grandfather who raised her from the age of three. Her songs tell of the passionate and sometimes evil characters who have come and gone throughout her life'. One such offering, 'Shady Grove' was originally written down in her cheque book because she got the idea whilst out driving and didn't have any paper. The haunting 'Daddy I'm Still Here' reflects upon the sins of her biological father, something I, sadly, can well identify with.

Chelle took command of the stage with her lion's mane of long blonde hair and her half leopard skin jacket and reminded me a lot of the early 70's glam-rock image much attributed to the likes of Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music. Her colourful behind the song stories all about her life and upbringing in East Tennessee were interrupted with highly infectious giggles, proving how much she enjoyed being up there on stage."

Alan Teather, Whispers -
"Chelle then came on and it was evident that she was really enjoying herself. If you think her voice is powerful on the record then gawd you need to hear her live. I reckon that she wouldn't need the mike and you could still hear all the intonation, power and feeling in her voice. She sang songs from the album Nanahally River... some new songs...and even took photos of the crowd for her website.... a first class performance.... by a woman who enjoys what she does....does well...and will soon be a household name."

Keith Clark, Bristol Evening Post -
"By the time she got to the final song, the powerful Shady Grove, she was performing better than on her new debut album. Her songs are very personal, reflecting her own childhood in East Tennessee and the grandparents who brought her up, painting a very graphic picture of life below the Mason-Dixon line; a life far removed from Clifton on a wet and windy January night."