Rosie Gault reminisces a season of heartbreak, loss and nostalgia in her debut EP, ‘Songs From Winter’.
It’s summer, the sun’s out (sometimes), the sea is two degrees warmer and the sunglasses are firmly on, but Rosie Gault is still thinking about winter, having released her debut EP ‘Songs From Winter’ last week.
Consisting of four soft acoustic songs about friendships ending, heartbreak and nostalgia, the EP begins with ‘Daisy’ – a song much anticipated by her tight-knit fanbase. Following the end of a friendship, Gault wanted ‘Daisy’ to sound as though the song was a letter – scrawling and confessionary. In this track, Gault’s lyrics are steeped in nostalgia as she admits how much she thinks about and misses this friendship, one she thought would last a lifetime. Her vocals are soft and melancholic, accompanied by the delicate picking of guitar strings and calming synth sounds.
Gault isn’t just nostalgic for old friendships though, as she also reminisces on past loves. ‘Tell Me Again’ is a slow, dreamy track, following her experience with the pain of trying to move on from a relationship which has long been over. Gault’s introspective reflections about past loves go as far back as being a schoolgirl in love for the first time with the EP’s third track, ‘When I Drink Wine’ – a song that is, above all else, an apology. Undeniably full of emotion, this song includes Gault’s favourite lyric in the EP – ‘you can’t force love just because he’s a good man’. Gault’s sorrowful vocals are offset by a folky melody and the sound of birdsong, bringing a sense of peace and closure as the track comes to an end.
‘Songs from Winter’ takes the listener through a range of emotions, from nostalgia to sadness to regret, and, finally, to anger. The last track of the EP, ‘Notch in a Bedpost’, is a piano ballad with heartbreaking lyrics that carry a strong undertone of frustration – ‘How could you just forget me? / Move on without even caring?’ This track is a clear demonstration of how Gault mainly uses songwriting as a way to address all her unfiltered thoughts and feelings without adjustments, stating that ‘This EP is full of words I can’t say aloud’.