ONE ON ONE…ROSE ALAIMO

with David Kasheta, January, 2024

There is a certain place of reverence in my mind for the ability to play a musical instrument. The capacity to coordinate and communicate between brain hemispheres and manifest that action into energy mystifies and intrigues me. To be able to do that and sing and coordinate that aptitude in a coherent and artistic form is my ninth Wonder of the World. 

Combine that person with those means and add an absolutely demanding and highly specialized professional career and you have Ithaca, New York’s Rose Alaimo. I had a quick chance to chat with the uber talented writer, singer, instrumentalist and producer before she heads back to the studio. Check out her music catalog whilst reading! 

Thanks for taking the time to visit with us. I’d like to jump into your latest album, “A Place To Go When You Need To Hide” which highlights the depth and breadth of musical styles that stem from your creativity. What was the impetus behind the genesis of the album title?

“Thanks for having me! The title and the album story were both inspired by events that occurred over the last few years on both a global and a personal level. The nutshell is that once 2020 hit, a few big things happened- covid hit, I turned 40, I went through an absolutely massive burnout surrounding my career as a traveling relief veterinarian that had been building for years and eventually completely left the profession for 6 months, American politics began taking a serious turn for the worse, Russia declared war on Ukraine, school shootings skyrocketed in the US, and there seemed to be a worsening breakdown between people and a huge uptick in anger, hatred, and fear. I'm sure I was not the only person suffering during this mess, but I kept it together by making my world smaller.

I thought I would find peace by keeping most of the world out. I spent less time on social media and reading the news and more time doing things to keep me balanced and sane- growing veggies, spending time with friends, hiking, and creating music. It was here, when I was trying to escape the world a bit to find some peace, that disaster struck me even inside my little bubble and I was dinged with a long-term post-infectious Lyme disease diagnosis after a year of bizarre and worsening symptoms and a failed surgery.

This was about the time that I lost it and had a pretty real existential breakdown. I kept feeling like I needed some place to GO to escape everything that was going on, but this was clearly not an option. It struck me at some point that I was going to need to go deeper to find the place and the peace I was seeking, and it wasn't a PLACE, like my veggie garden or some beautiful beach, that was going to give me what I needed. The place I was seeking, the place to go to hide from the world for a minute and to find some real peace, was inside of myself. Therein lies the album title. :)

The album is a wild ride through this whole period. It's a story about the high highs and low lows that are necessarily a part of life and how hard it can be to navigate them without losing ourselves in the waves. However, I do believe that we all have a place inside of ourselves where we can go for a moment of stillness and quiet and clarity where we can actively CHOOSE how we want to move forward through whatever life is throwing at us.

The album was loosely inspired by a Viktor Frankl quote, "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. And in that space lies our freedom and power to choose our responses. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." The whole few years and associated events were a big lesson for me in feeling like less of a victim of my circumstances and learning that I can control my responses to whatever is happening to or around me.”

There is an impressive diversity demonstrated within this album which was quite evident in two of my favorites, “Meet Me Where I Am” and “Resist the Force”. I love listening to the former, a soulful and at times, mournful melodic sojourn. Is it a song of loss, wanting or hope?

“"Meet Me" is the opener of the album, and also of the album story (it is a concept album and follows a clear path as the album progresses). I "borrowed" some imagery in this song from Dante's "Inferno," namely the first line which says "Midway through the journey of my life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost." The album opens in early 2020 as described above. We are at a point in our life where everything is dark and confusing and we feel utterly lost and afraid and are desperately seeking guidance. The first few lines may be ambiguous, but generally I'm talking to God, or the universe, or whatever powers may (or may not) be listening.”

Who is Virgil?

“Virgil is THE Virgil, the ancient Roman poet who was featured in Dante's "Inferno" as the soul who guided Dante through hell. Since I stole some key imagery from the Inferno, I figured I would go full-on and snag one of the main characters as well haha” :)”

Every time I listen to “Resist The Force” the lights in my neighborhood flicker! It’s a powerful, anthemic tour de force with a fiery vocal that is set to stun. I love a good melody and this has a great one. Tell me about this song.

“Thank you!! I'm so glad you like it. This story involves a key person, producer Jamie Hill (Department of Energy Management, Tacoma, WA). Jamie is an incredible producer who mentored me through the production of my last two albums. We met and he knew I wanted to learn more about sound engineering and production and offered to remotely mentor me through my albums' creations.

He's amazing and has become a very good friend. So I was solidifying the songs that were going to be on the album and I remember telling Jamie that I kind of felt like the album needed an angry song but that there was so much anger already in the world that I didn't feel like adding to it. He wisely said that, given the circumstances in the world, it might seem odd NOT to have an angry song.

So I set about writing one. I had been talking with my amazing therapist about the positive aspects of directed anger. That we can use the fuel from our anger about something to propel us in a positive direction and to hopefully incite some positive change. I knew I needed to address what was happening in Ukraine, so I focused on that.

What came out was "Resist the Force," which is not a song about Star Wars HAHA but is a song protesting Russia's unjust war on Ukraine and, more generally, about living in a world ruled by a lot of highly questionable people where it feels more and more like hate is winning, and how we can choose to resist this negative force even though it may feel like a losing battle.” 

How and why did you choose to work with Jaime Hill, who assisted in producing the album and mastered the final result?

“You mean, other than just that he is cool AF? HAHA! ;) After my first album came out, I knew I needed help with production, specifically with sound engineering. I could write and play and sing, but making the music SOUND good was not an easy thing for me. I am a proud Luddite and technology is not really something that comes easy to me haha and I needed help with it.

I was introduced to Jamie through an artist friend, Ben Shaw, whose album "Feet to the Fire" stopped me in my tracks. It was BEAUTIFUL, and when I asked him who produced it he told me it was Jamie and he put us in touch. Before I knew it I was emailing with this amazing, kind, and brilliant soul and, when I told him that I really wanted to learn more about production so I could eventually do it myself, he offered to mentor me through the making of my albums so he could teach me things as we went through them.

Our first project together was my second album, "Grow," a gritty, anthemic rock album about mental, spiritual, and emotional growth and the struggles that we may find therein. "A Place to Go When You Need to Hide" was the second album I created with his guidance and I could not be happier with it and with how much I have learned while working with him.”

When listeners dig into your music catalog, what will they find?

“Musical diversity- I like to dabble in a few different genres- and lyrics that focus on heavy existential themes, struggles, but also hope and the power to choose. Also vocal harmonies. Loads and loads of vocal harmonies because I LOVE creating them. :)”

What are you working on now?

“I just started my next album yesterday! HAHA! :) And Jamie is on board with this one too which is so exciting! I am also seriously considering starting an ambient side project. I'm obsessed with creating string arrangements and have had it in my head for a while now to just carve out time for a chill sideproject, something revolving around strings and piano and stuff. If all goes well I will have both projects simmering simultaneously soon. :)”

Who are your influences?

“There are a ton- The Edge from U2 is a sonic genius and gave me my love for textured layers of guitar and that sweet reverb/delay world of sounds. Daniel Johns of Silverchair is one of the best vocalists I have ever heard and his harmonies are insane (check out his later work- Diorama or Young Modern). He was always probably my favorite singer and back in the 90s when I started singing I modeled my voice on his. He goes from angsty grit to moving, soothing tones in a split second and his HARMONIES. Have I mentioned his harmonies?!?! haha! :)

Simon and Garfunkel, Pink Floyd (I wheel and deal in concept albums and no one does it better than Floyd- I find myself studying their concept album brilliance and ideas when I'm stuck with my own writing), Dream Theater, King Crimson, 60s psychedelic rock (all of it), THE BEATLES (talk about vocal harmonies OMG!)... that should cover the basics.”

As a fan, what are your favorite albums and why?

“"Abbey Road" by the Beatles because every single song is a masterpiece and the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts. I love "The Final Cut" by Pink Floyd for similar reasons- the album flows as a single whole, it is water-tight, lyrically and musically its a solid work of art. I love concept albums and this one is just a classic.

U2's "Achtung Baby" was my literal gateway into music... I found it digging through my dad's old CDs when I was 13 and learning the bass and tore through the entire album teaching myself all the bass lines. That album is literally BRILLIANT and synesthetic and every time I listen to it I find something new there. Radiohead's "OK Computer" is a personal fav- amazing writing with really beautiful moments interspersed with just sheer weirdness, but it WORKS!

Who is your favorite lyricist and why?

“I'm not actually sure I have a favorite? In my youth it was Bono, I just love how his songs have this universal message of hope. I used to listen to his stuff when I was younger and found real comfort in it. I love the lyrics in Simon and Garfunkel's works... every time I hear "The Sound of Silence" I tear up a little bit. They are so sincere. Lyrics are important, but I think they are the last thing I hear. I think the main thing that grabs me when listening to music is the MUSIC. The WRITING, and not so much the words.”

First album purchased with your own money and where?

“Oh wow- I think it was REM's "Automatic for the People," an AMAZING ALBUM, from Joe Nardone's Gallery of Sound in Dallas, PA when I was 16?? haha!! :) Good question!”

What is certainly no less impressive is that you’re also a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine which includes an Ivy League education. What triggered your interest to explore this field?

“This is a complicated answer. The nutshell is that I actually wanted to go and get a PhD in music, but being a musician was not what my family had in mind for me. I was way too insecure and messed up as a kid/teenager to go so against the grain (because I mean becoming a musician?!?!) so I caved and went to vet school... then I dropped OUT, spent two years working as an artist, and decided to just go to vet school.

It seemed like the stable thing to do, and at the time I was way too tied into what I "SHOULD" do, and what a "GOOD" person would do. It was not a healthy choice for me, but I do think that after a few years of therapy and working on my stuff, in some roundabout ways I have made some real peace with the decision and I've set up my veterinary life in a way where it's working for me and feels healthy these last few years, so overall I'm happy with how things went. Less struggle in my teens and twenties may have been nice but that's life I guess. And I did learn a lot so I guess thats a positive aspect haha :)”

Specialty?

“I'm a small animal relief veterinarian. I work for myself and am contracted by hospitals within a certain radius that need help and I fill in as I am able.”

What was the most unusual animal that you’ve cared for?

“I recall a really fun day in school where we went and vaccinated a flock of penguins and then did electroacupuncture on a yak. Then, we did something medical with an elephant but all I remember about the elephant was that to distract him we fed him peanuts, one tiny peanut at a time, and I remember being so transfixed with how his amazingly sensitive nose tip was able to delicately grab each one out of my hands. It was a fun day. :)”

I appreciate your time and love the energy, melody and creativity that lies in those grooves. How can listeners contact you?

“OMG, any time!! It was really nice chatting with you- these were some really fun questions!! :) I'm easily reachable and happy to be reached! My linktree is below and includes the main places I hang out.

Listeners can reach me through social media (in the linktree link) or via email at rosealaimomusic@gmail.com.

https://linktr.ee/rosealaimomusic

If anyone is interested in reading the true stories that inspired the album, you can find these and lyrics to the songs on my Bandcamp page at https://rosealaimo.bandcamp.com/album/a-place-to-go-when-youneed-to-hide."

Thanks again Rose, appreciate it!

“Thank YOU!!! :) Happy new year!!”