About

Rose Wintergreen (they/them) is an award-winning electronic singer-producer and abstract expressionist painter from Melbourne, Australia.

Captivated by the challenge of portraying things that are fleeting and in motion, their works – music and paintings alike – are abstract-expressionist explorations of the exquisite tension between the euphoria and melancholy of constant change.

They delight in building rhythm, texture, and melody in intuitive ways that cannot be fully controlled or predicted.

They regularly draw and paint without looking at the canvas or page and sing melodies inferred by the sounds of day-to-day life.

Their art is held in private collections in Australia and internationally.

Wintergreen’s song-writing has been likened to Sarah Blasko, Massive Attack, Laurie Anderson, Kae Tempest, and Kate Bush, and music production likened to Bjork and Grimes.

Their ambient electronic soundscapes are ethereal, cinematic yet intimate, sculpting found sounds from daily life (trams thundering through the Melbourne CBD, wind howling, jangling house keys, birds overheard on walks) and fusing them with sparse instrumentation, experimental production, spoken word and soaring sung vocals.

In 2013 Wintergreen was named Artist of the Year at the Australian Independent Music Awards (Electronic category) and finalist for the prestigious Vanda and Young Songwriting Award (previously won by Washington and Kimbra).

Wintergreen exhibits paintings with traditional galleries but is also known for “performing art” live, collaborating with strangers who believe they cannot draw, and painting music as it is being performed (including at sold-out Midsumma Festival shows, collaborating with Max Lawrence and the Forest Collective to paint their music on stage as they were performing it).

A passionate believer that creativity is a fundamental human right for everybody, Wintergreen also teaches drawing classes.

Wintergreen has graced stages across the country, including the Toff In Town, Brisbane Powerhouse, the Oxford Art Factory, the Thornbury Theatre, Port Fairy Folk Festival, and the National Folk Festival.

They have toured and played alongside Brendan Maclean, Julia and The Deep Sea Sirens, Sam Buckingham, Hannah Acfield, Rosie Catalano, Al Parkinson, and Haarlo.

Wintergreen’s highly anticipated second album — “Aurora” — released in 2014, was added to rotation on Triple J Unearthed, included in PBS FM’s top 10 featured records, and received widespread play on Triple J, Radio National, Double J, local ABC, and community radio across Australia.

The lead single “Feet In The Sand” has had over 40,000 Soundcloud plays, and the music video, featuring Wintergreen being buried alive in sand, was also played on RAGE.

Recorded in Alice Springs and produced by multi-award-winning artist/producer Dave Crowe, “Aurora” showcases material refined in collaboration with some of Australia’s finest songwriters (including Charles Jenkins, Angie Hart, Jen Cloher and Clare Bowditch).

Entirely independent, fans helped Wintergreen fund the record through crowdfunding.

A prolific writer and music producer, Wintergreen is an active member of the Ableton Live Melbourne and Beat Collective music producer communities and Spirit Level recording artist community.

“Serene” – Dom Alessio, Triple J

“Really pleasing” – Dave Ruby Howe, Triple J

“The audience absorbed every minute, rapt… A voice like birdsong. We simply can’t get enough.” – Hessian Magazine

“An amazing singer-songwriter. A gorgeous voice.” – Clare Bowditch

"Sublime. Sparklingly atmospheric tunes." – TheMusic.com.au

"Stunning." – Angie Hart (Frente)

"Beautiful songs." – David Bridie (My Friend The Chocolate Cake)

More about Rose (real talk!)

I’ve done a lot of different things, including working as a creativity coach, marketing manager, statistician, research officer, support worker, and recording and touring as a professional recording artist.

The pattern: I have always pushed myself beyond my limits because I didn’t know how to protect myself from my inner critic, Ursula, who always told me I needed to do more, no matter how many hours I had already put in, and that I was never going to achieve enough, or be good enough.

It was only after suffering a spectacular health crash - my body would literally not let me go on - after touring nationally three times with my last record release (I was the tour manager, the booking agent, the publicist, performer and artist manager, whilst also running another business) that I finally realised I couldn’t live that way anymore.

I found my way back to colour and drawing by accident. People kept giving me mindful colouring in books. I didn’t want to colour in, I wanted to get shit done! But I was too burnt out to do anything but rest.

I gave in out of desperation and started colouring.

Over time, I started doing my own drawings, and I realised making time to sit and play with colour and line just for the sake of it was bringing me peace and freedom from Ursula’s voice, especially if I reminded myself “I am not trying to be good, I am finding new ways to play with colour and shapes and lines”.

Now I’m a prolific artist creating a brighter world with joyful abstract drawings and paintings.

I haven’t conquered Ursula so much as learned how to have a loving relationship with her.

People often ask why I use so many experimental techniques in my art, like drawing without looking at the page, or drawing moving objects or music.

It’s one of the ways I’ve learned to loosen Ursula’s grip and claim my human right to create and just for the joy of the process.

It is your human right to create and express just for the joy of it.

I’m passionate about sharing my techniques and story so you can find relief from your inner Ursula and come home to yourself.

It makes your world brighter when you do this, even if you don’t ever share what you make with others. The energy is contagious, I promise.

Let’s make the world a brighter place together!

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