Artist: ROE
Song: “Playground Fights” (Live Session)
Download (Original Version): Amazon | iTunes
Here at Albumism, we take immense pleasure in divulging our newest musical discoveries just as much as we do in celebrating the classic albums and artists we all know and love. In particular, we relish discovering artists in their earliest years when their careers are first taking off and they are just starting to gain their footing in the music world.
Despite being relatively obscure stateside, ROE (born Roisin Donald) is a rising star in her home country of Northern Ireland, garnering the attention and affection of listeners across the UK with performances at the likes of Output in Belfast, The Great Escape music showcase in Brighton, and the world-famous Glastonbury Festival. With her fan base growing exponentially in recent months, you’d better believe us when we say that this is only the beginning for the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
Though she may be young, the 18 year old’s songwriting is as sophisticated as it is enjoyable; her infectious hooks are largely driven by electronic drum machine beats and an equal spread of lush guitar and synth chords, and her voice is the epitome of indie-darling sweetness. Her two EPs ROE (2016) and You Call It Art (2017) are pure electropop bliss at its finest, and there’s no sign of ROE slowing down anytime soon.
So it is our pleasure to share ROE’s live session of her newest single “Playground Fights,” in which the young singer strips down her usually busy electronic sound in exchange for a singular guitar, a drum pad, and glorious contributions from a choir of schoolchildren to deliver a truly emotional and heartstring-pulling performance.
WATCH: