Rose Melberg is a musician and songwriter from Sacramento, California,[1] currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.[2] She has performed both as a solo artist and as a member of Tiger Trap,[3] The Softies,[4] Go Sailor,[5] Gaze,[6] Gigi,[7] Imaginary Pants,[8] Brave Irene,[9] Knife Pleats[10] and Olivia's World.[11]
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Melberg was raised by working musicians and following her appearance right out of high school at the International Pop Underground Convention in Olympia, Washington in August 1991,[12] she had almost instant success with the all-female band Tiger Trap.[13] The short-lived band garnered a cult following in indie-pop circles.[14] In 2002 she gave birth to a son and lived with her husband and family in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.[15] She returned to the pop world in 2006 with her second solo album, Cast Away the Clouds.[16] Melberg toured briefly for the album, including a spot opening for Belle and Sebastian.[17] Her third solo album, Homemade Ship, was released on K Records in 2009.[18] The track "Old Days" was featured as Song Of The Day by NPR Music.[19]
As of 2011, she was a part of two groups, Brave Irene and Imaginary Pants.[20] In 2019, the band Olivia's World, featuring Melberg along with Lica Rezende and Joe Saxby, released its debut EP.[21]
Solo recordings
Albums
- Portola (Double Agent, 1998)
- Cast Away The Clouds (Double Agent, 2006; Where It's At Is Where You Are, 2007)
- Homemade Ship (K, 2009)
- September, a covers album on cassette (Lost Sound Tapes, 2013)
- Live in San Francisco - split cassette release with Tony Molina; side A is Rose solo (650 Tapes, 2021)
Singles/compilation appearances
- "My Day," on the compilation International Pop Underground Convention (K Records, 1991)
- "Cupid" (Sam Cooke cover) - 7-inch split single with Magpies, b/w "I Want a Love I Can See" (I Wish I Was a Slumberland Record #3, 1994)
- "The Time Has Come" (Anne Briggs cover) (Double Agent, 2005) - digital single; and bonus track on UK LP release of Cast Away The Clouds (2007)
- Each New Day (Guitar Version) b/w Autumn (Double Agent - digital single, 2008)
- "This Will Be Our Year," originally by The Zombies (Double Agent, 2011) - with Kathy Elzey, Rose's mom
- "Our Days In Kansas," on the compilation Wish I'd Kept A Scrapbook: A Tribute to Tullycraft (Unchikun Records, 2010)
- "Distant Ships" - single-sided 7" (Kingfisher Bluez, 2013)
- "Please," a cover of The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want", on the compilation Carry On Rioting (Tuff Enuff, 2013)
- "A Life That's Good" (Lennon & Maisy cover) on Live at the Bluebird: A Nashville (THE TV SHOW) Covers Compilation (Nashville Covers/Bandcamp, 2020)
- "Words and Smiles" split 7-inch with Bratmobile (Four Letter Words Records, 1992)
- "Supercrush" b/w "You and Me"/"Hiding" [volume 36 of the "International Pop Underground" singles series] (K Records, 1992)
- Tiger Trap (K Records, 1993)
- Sour Grass EP (K Records, 1993)
- "Baby Blue," from Julep (Another Yoyo Studio Compilation) (Yoyo Recordings, 1993)
- "Hiding," from the International Hip Swing compilation [songs from the "International Pop Underground" series] (K Records, 1993)
- "Supreme Nothing," from the Stars Kill Rock compilation (Kill Rock Stars, 1993)
- Fine Day for Sailing 7-inch EP (Yo Yo, 1994)
- Long Distance 7-inch EP (Slumberland, 1995)
- Don't Go 7-inch EP (Lookout!, 1996)
- Go Sailor (Lookout!, 1996): Compiles the three 7-inch EPs plus two compilation tracks
- It's Love (K Records, 1995)
- Loveseat 7-inch EP (Slumberland, 1995)
- The Softies (aka "He'll Never Have to Know") 7-inch EP (K Records, 1995)
- The Softies (Slumberland, 1996)
- "The Best Days" b/w "As Skittish as Me"/"Stranger" (K Records, 1997)
- Winter Pageant (K Records, 1997)
- Holiday in Rhode Island (K Records, 2000)
- The Bed I Made (Father/Daughter Records, 2024)
- Mitsumeru (K Records, 1998)
- So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) 7-inch EP (Septophilia, 1998)
- Shake the Pounce (K Records, 1999)
Brave Irene
- Brave Irene (Slumberland Records, 2011)
Tally Ho!
- I Never Will Marry (WIAIWYA, 2012)
PUPS
- PUPS (Green Burrito Records, 2013)
- Month Long Sleep 7-inch EP (WIAIWYA, 2013)
Imaginary Pants
- Imaginary Pants (Lost Sound Tapes, 2012)
- Channels b/w Seacliff 7-inch EP (Rok Lok Records, 2013)
- Kites At Night EP (Lost Sound Tapes, 2014)
Knife Pleats
- Hat Bark Beach (Lost Sound Tapes/WIAIWYA, 2015)
Olivia's World
- Olivia's World (Lost Sound Tapes, 2019)
As producer
- Lisa Prank, Perfect Love Song (Lost Sound Tapes, 2019)
Live collaborations
- "The Biggest Lie" (with Elliott Smith; 2-13-96, Stinkweeds, Tempe, AZ)
Collaborations
- Rose Melberg & Dustin Reske – "The Love We Could Have Had" on 4-band Split (1995, Double Agent)
- The Potatomen – "All My Yesterdays" – vocals on 3 tracks (1996, Lookout Records)
- The Smugglers – "Rosie" – from Rosie (2000, Lookout Records)
- Rose Melberg & Gregory Webster – "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)", originally by Ramones (2013, Kingfisher Bluez single-sided 7")
- The Bright Ideas – All Is Calm, All Is Bright! – vocals on "When You Think About Christmas Time" (2000, Popgun Recordings)
- Rose Melberg & Nick Krgovich – "The Mental Beast Christmas Compilation" – "Coldest Night of the Year", originally by Vashti Bunyan (2009)
- Gigi – Maintenant – vocals on "Alone at the Pier" (2010 Tomlab Records)
- Blanket Truth – "Urban Wildlife" – vocals on "Friendly Haunted Mansion", "Bubble Up" (2012, Lost Sound Tapes)
- Jay Arner – "Bad Friend b/w Black Horse" – drums (2012)
"The Softies". The K Mail Order Department. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
