“So, how long have you been singing?”

Is a question commonly asked of Polly Rose at many of her live performances.
And what do you say, when the answer is basically, always. “Um, always, basically!”

But it’s what you do with it that counts. The past 18 months have seen Polly Rose performing an increasing number of venues and dates, with a growing number of collaborative artists.
As with many of the classic soul & jazz greats, Polly Rose’s first musical influences were found at church, singing in youth choirs and eventually, as confidence grew and opportunities arose, making soul groups with friends for local church performances. Throughout childhood, the musical influence was strong, with lessons in piano and violin taking a major role.

It seemed that the path of university and the pull of a strong social life was to become the chosen direction for a number of years, as Glasgow became home, in place of her native Sheffield. However, music was never to stray too far from focus, putting herself in the way of the university choir and further acapella groups with university friends.
Nothing ever really seemed to come of it though, as with so many budding musicians – the transition from bedroom to stage, never quite seemed to materialize.

Then, after university came Japan: A nation famed for kimono, sumo and perhaps its most enduring export (if not loved by all) – karaoke.
Polly Rose spent 2 years in north-east Japan and during that time, in the karaoke bars scattered around the country, revisited the singer within and rekindled a love for performing. Shortly before leaving Japan, Polly Rose had begun to perform again at live venues, focussing for the first time on traditional folk music and connections were beginning to be formed with other local venues. The live performance was back in the arena.

Having been back in the UK for a little over 2 years, the emphasis has shifted from singing just because she always had done, to now pushing the performer that has come to be known as Polly Rose, onwards and ever further.

The ‘love’ that was found in the unlikely setting of the Japanese karaoke halls, is the same love that you can hear in the Summertimes and Funny Valentines that she sings.

It’s this love that is continuing to launch Polly Rose from studio to stage.