MAY JUNE 2017

Meeting the members of The
Rosewoods made for a fun
night at The Fubar! They were
playing at the downtown St.
Petersburg venue on a recent
Saturday night, and I was able
to steal about fifteen minutes
of their time before they had
to set up their gear for a rockin’
show.
The Rosewoods is a rock band
that includes Elliot Dickinson
(electric guitar), John
McDonald (drums), Greg Baker
(bass) and Kristina White (lead
singer). They came together in
2011. “When Greg joined the
band, that is when things really
started to happen,” Elliot told
me. “It was my idea to start the
band, but John was the first
one on board with it. We were
in a Ska band at the time, and
we really wanted to branch out
and play new music.”
“I met them at Howl-O-Scream.
I was an actress and Elliot was
a stilt walker,” Kristina shared.
“They were like, ‘Hey, I heard
you can sing, let’s start a band!’
I said OK!”
Elliot explained that the band
began as a casual thing and
how it was more about fun.
With the Dead Weather and
Jack White as their inspirations;
they knew they wanted to play
rock music. “Our music has
grown into something more
unique. It changed pretty
quickly to something that more
identifiable to us and not to
our influences.”
Kristina has been singing since
she was five years old and has
become the band’s main
source for songwriting. “Some
of the songs I have written the
lyrics and melodies too, but
other songs the guys have
collaborated on.”
“Most of the songs are the
genesis of an idea of Kristina’s,”
Greg said, “A couple lyrics, a
melody and we’ll piece it
around that.”
“We had a relatively
streamlined process for writing
songs, and you milk that for all
that it is. But after a while, you
need to come up with a new
process – because if you don’t,
you will continue to get the
same results if you stick with
the process. It may work, but it
might be the sound that you’re
tired of.” Elliot explains. “It’s
become less about the notes
or the instrument or anything
physical; but more about the
state of mind you’re in.”
For the show at Fubar, they
planned on an all-original set
with the exception of one
cover. Three of those songs can
be heard on their eponymous
EP.
When asked about any
upcoming projects, John
announced that they have
plans to get into the studio.
That is when Elliot shouted out, “Oh
my, he announced it! You heard it
here first in BUZZ Magazine!”
“We got an opportunity to go into a
home studio and record. So we’re
going to go in and cut some tracks.
We’re going to spend the next
couple of months focusing on that.”
John told me. “Plan on doing some
new material as well.”
BUZZ Magazine May-June 2017 25