WHO IS CHRIS ROSE?

Growing up in Port Macquarie NSW, singer - songwriter Chris Rose has always been blessed with beach and bush to inspire his music. With a love for surfing and bodyboarding, if he’s not making music, you’ll find him in the water at Lighthouse Beach.

His talent and passion for singing was obvious from an early age, spending most of his time with music-loving friends, guitar in hand and lyric writing book at the ready. Chris got his first taste of performance at school concerts, and knew early on that this would be his life’s path. As an only child, his Mum and Dad were huge supporters of his music, introducing Chris to Australian music by watching the Long Way to The Top Concert on TV. This is where Chris’s love for Aussie icons such as Billy Thorpe, Stevie Wright, and Brian Cadd was born.

High school became a place for Chris to really sink his teeth into music and the possibilities of where it could take him. He teamed up with friends to create rock bands and acoustic duos, and began songwriting and co-writing original music. At 15 years old, he penned his first solo song ‘Nowhere Land’ sitting on the gusty Lighthouse Beach headland, surrounded by crashing waves.

It caught the ear of directors from the Talent Development Project (TDP) based in Sydney, which was an opportunity to hone his craft and to share his original music with new audiences and industry mentors. The program has previously shaped the early careers of many of Australia’s most well-known artists such as Human Nature, Morgan Evans, John Foreman, and Angus and Julia Stone, to name just a few.   

Described as having a songwriting ability ‘beyond his years’, Chris signed his first major label record deal in 2012 at the age of 19 and released his debut single ‘We Are’ in 2013. The development deal helped Chris to build a reputation, co-writing with some of the biggest names in music. The experience confirmed to Chris that being true to himself and writing his own brand of melodic songs was the path he wanted to follow, as an independent artist.  

Chris has very diverse musical influences from a range of different genres and artists. Think Bryan Adams, Hozier, Eagles, Paul Kelly, Elvis, Roy Orbison, Keith Urban, George Michael, Bruno Mars, Andy Grammer, Fleetwood Mac and more. He loves to take his favourite parts from various genres and blend them to create his own stripped back modern soulful singer-songwriter sound.

Chris is now a prolific songwriter and over the last five years he’s written his most authentic songs on his own. Generally he comes up with songs in his daily travels, when he’s hit with a flash of inspiration walking the dogs on the beach or driving around town. He quickly reaches for his phone and records the ideas, later developing and nurturing these tiny grains at his piano or with his guitar. From this point, Chris has the instrumentation and production mapped out in his mind before he takes them to the studio for producer Stuart Stuart to bring the tracks to life.

Working with the Brisbane based music producer since 2018 (who has also worked with the likes of Sheppard, Lee Kernaghan, and The Veronicas), Chris and Stuart have developed a strong collaboration, with Chris having a number of successes since beginning their partnership.

In 2019, his self-written and promoted single ‘Someone Like You’ was added to the Hit Network’s rotation Australia wide. August 2020 saw ‘Keep Me Believing’ used by Channel 7 as the soundtrack for a nationally-run three week advertising campaign for Home and Away. Building on these achievements Chris followed up with a twist on his sound, turning heads in the country scene with five strong single releases between 2021 and 2023, including rocking party anthem “Cold Beer Buzz”, poetic love song ‘Made For Loving You’, and ‘Things We Shouldn’t Do’ which hit #1 on the iTunes Country chart and #16 across all genres to mention a few.

Moving into 2024, Chris continues his path as a songwriter, recording artist, and an in-demand live performer by releasing a string of fresh material showcasing a mature stripped back soulful vibe. Keep your ears peeled for “Everybody Needs Somebody” and “Ocean Blue” self written by Chris.