Interview: The Sort Of Secret World Of ROZES
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You likely know her voice on "Roses" more than you know the face of ROZES.
Twenty-three year old Elizabeth Mencel broke through when her pen and her voice was featured on the 2015 hit from the DJ duo The Chainsmokers.
"Roses" became a top ten hit for Mancel under the moniker ROZES, leading to an EP all her own and a handful of collaborations. However, ROZES has managed to sidestep most of the spotlight soaked up by her Grammy award-winning friends.
"I like to say it's my forbidden secret," explains ROZES from her Philadelphia area home. "I can ride in the car and people, they would know my voice on the radio but they would have no idea what I look like. I'm like in this secret world, but also not."
It's not all underground of course. "Roses" was a ubiquitous earworm that reached far beyond the pop landscape, touching every backyard bbq and late night hang along the way. That's led to at least some fame for the singer-songwriter. Things are fairly normal around Montgomery County for ROZES with the same squad and same church, yet there are those that make her wonder.
"There's people that will stop me and say hello that I haven't talked to in years and probably wouldn't stop me otherwise" ROZES explains. "I'm not very good at small talk or saying hi to people. I'm actually quite shy and insecure, so when someone comes up to me...I always get in my head, like, are they just talking to me because, you know?"
The latest release from ROZES is a collaboration with the DJ group Cash Cash called "Matches".
It was born out of a meeting at the holiday "Let It Snow" show from Philadelphia radio station 96.5. That's where ROZES approached the trio about working on the song.
"They ended up loving the song and adding their magic to it, and it just came together like the perfect storm" she explains.
Once again ROZES writes about relationships on "Matches," but this time the inspiration is a little different.
"Roses is actually about my current boyfriend and then Matches is about an ex from like high school" laughs ROZES. "He'll always say - 'not my favorite lyric' - you know, something like that. But he also understands that it is my escape and my communication. It's my way of breaking my heart for my fans so that they can connect and heal."
You can hear ROZES perform "Matches" and much more during a hometown show at The Foundry at The Fillmore in Philadelphia on Thursday March 9th.
To hear more from ROZES listen to the full interview below.
