From packed-out living rooms and campus shutdowns to funk-fuelled grooves that demand you move, Roscoe Street are carving out their own lane with a fearless DIY spirit and a sound built for sweaty, joyful chaos. Blending funk, soul and blues with the energy of today’s forward-thinking acts, the six-piece have quickly built a reputation for turning any space into a dancefloor.
We caught up with the band to talk musical influences, cracked ceilings, songwriting as a six-piece, and why their infamous House Tour is only just getting started.
For anyone discovering Roscoe Street for the first time – how would you describe your sound, and who are your biggest musical influences as a band?
Our sound is big, energetic, loud, dancey – the kind of music you can’t help but move your feet to. We’d say some of our biggest influences are the greats of funk, soul and blues – Luther Vandross, Jimi Hendrix, Chili Peppers, Jamiroquai, etc. We also take so much influence from artists right now – Tom Misch, Parcels, Ezra Collective, Esmeralda Road and Foals are some big ones. There’s so much incredible stuff just under the surface right now and we’re proud to be adding to the space.
The ‘House Tour’ concept is brilliant – a proper DIY adventure. How did the idea first come about?
The lead singer and the drummer share a birthday, so we thought that instead of a party, we would put on the biggest gig we could in the halls we were living in at the time. We had lights on the fridge, a banner hung up between cupboards, instruments on stove tops and a PA system basically taped to the walls. We packed out the place to the point where the crowd was spilling out into the street and campus security had to shut it down. I think it was then that we realised we’d found our niche. We thought – why not take this to other unis?
Any particularly chaotic, hilarious, or downright surreal moments from the tour?
The £100+ fines we racked up in parking tickets is a fond memory. I don’t think London liked us very much (But we very much liked London). It was such an unbelievable week, waking up usually on the floor of the ‘stage’ (or living room) we’d just played in, packing all our gear into the car and setting off for the next destination. Bristol was pretty surreal. It was the final night, and we had a few mates in the city, who obviously told their mates who told their mates and so on. It was absolutely rammed before we even started playing. In classic Roscoe Street fashion, we finished the set with a cover of “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry, which had the room absolutely bouncing. At the end of the set, we went into the ‘green room’ (one of the housemate’s bedrooms, directly underneath the living room) to find that with all the jumping, we had literally cracked the ceiling above his bed. One more girl pop banger and that place would have caved. Sorry Jas and the Bristol hosts!
With a 6-piece setup, how do you approach writing songs to balance everyone’s sound and style?
It happens every which way, really. Sometimes we’re all together, building on a riff one of us has come up with on the spot, writing the lyrics one by one. That’s always good fun. Other times we’ll have a little musical idea, and one of us will go away and write the whole thing, structure and all, then we’ll work on adding that sprinkle of Roscoe Street magic. That’s always amazing, because we all come from such different musical backgrounds and draw on such different personal influences so that when we throw it all together, the sound is so distinctive. It can only really be described as Roscoe Street! Any way we do it, reaching that part of the session where all 6 of us are thinking as one is such a great experience. Premiering a new song at a gig is always such a proud moment.
You’re planning to hit the road again in 2026 for an even bigger run — what can you tease about “House Tour: Volume 2”?
We can’t wait to get back on the road. It’s all under wraps for now, but just expect bigger tunes, better vibes, and a ridiculous amount of mischief. Dates are releasing soon, so follow our Instagram @roscoestreet_ for more updates. It’s going to be a good one.
Any upcoming releases, videos, or new material we should be keeping an eye out for?
Since the tour we’ve been spending a lot of time writing and recording. We’ve got a few new tunes under our belt that are just itching to get out. There may also be a plan to record one or two live in concert – you don’t want to miss that!
For students or young musicians wanting to do their own DIY tour, what’s your biggest tip?
BRING A PILLOW. Those living room floors are not as comfy as they look, especially 5 nights in. To be honest, however you want to do it is probably the right way. As long as you have the gear and the audience, that’s really all you need. And obviously a few tanks of petrol. It was an incredible experience, one that we’re very keen to repeat. We’d highly recommend it to anyone, and we’d love to see something like this catch on!
Follow @roscoestreet_ on Instagram and @roscoestreet_ on TikTok for updates.
Photo Credit: Charlie Williams (@scrawny_nan)
