Ross Freedman Talks to Us About Latest EP, ‘My Enemy’ And Everything Leading Up To It
Ross Freedman unpacks the warm nostalgia that drives his creative process. With heartfelt stories and autobiographical frames, this interview shed light on the heart, history, and harmony driving his sound. The artist has just put out his EP, ‘My Enemy’ after a brief hiatus and it is a swirling pool of emotion and indie rock. Choreographed to be evocative and extremely touching, the four tracks blend vintage influences with storytelling that will stay with you.
1. We loved your latest EP, ‘My Enemy’. There’s heart, there’s history, and harmony. With each track, you fathom a fresh world of emotion and energy. What inspired the creation of this EP? And what are some of the focal themes you want your listeners to explore as they listen?
Thanks! I’m really proud of this batch of songs. Each track on ‘My Enemy’ has its own bit of inspiration, but there’s definitely a through-line of who we think we are and who we want to become. For me, there’s an overall theme of dealing with loss and regret, but I hope it’s all wrapped up in a happy, listenable power-pop indie-rock vibe. And I also hope that listeners find some of themselves to connect with in these songs.
2. Your love for 70s music and presentations manifests in your songs. What about that era appeals to you and how do you seek to revive them in/with your soundscapes?
Wow, that’s a deep question. I have distinct memories of riding in the car as a small child with my mom. We’d be listening to AM radio in her baby blue Galaxie 500, and I’d be sliding around across the back seat—no car seats or seat belts required back then! A few years later, I got a small transistor radio for my birthday and would listen whenever I could. That era was loaded with so many great singer-songwriters and some really iconic songs.
Over the summers, I would sleep on the floor of my older sister’s room (she had an air conditioner window unit) and, each night, we’d listen to one of her albums—Jackson Browne, Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Carole King—it was great. So, the pull for me is emotional. That era, as a child, was loaded with warmth and comfort. Even the production on those records, when you listen to them today, is so warm and cozy.
3. ‘My Enemy’ follows two album releases ‘Hold Fast’ (2011) and ‘Fall’ (2016). Across these releases, how do you think your artistry and songwriting have changed?
With a few tiny exceptions, like focusing on writing lyrics that initially don’t make sense and are more stream-of-consciousness, I don’t think my writing has changed all that much over the last few years, to be honest.
What I think has definitely changed is my confidence, and with that comes a more secure approach to collaboration, arranging and production. These songs simply don’t exist without collaboration—even in the writing of them. Having the good fortune to work with the unfathomably talented Steve Dawson and Gerald Dowd, I know the songs will have a solid harmonic foundation, and I get to play around with sound that’s interesting to me. I’m a more confident arranger and producer.
4. All musicians find resonance in a genre pretty early on in their life. While you’re primarily a rock artist, we see a lot of folk and americana influences in your work. When and how did you arrive at your sound?
We already touched on the 70s, so this is a great question to dig into all the other influences, right? My sister was five years older than me, so she was at college just as I was in middle school. She exposed me to artists like Elvis Costello, Split Enz, and Joe Jackson, to name a few. She got into British New Wave just as it was becoming a thing. Which led to synthesizer-based bands like Human League and Heaven 17 (again, before they were popular in the States if you can even say that about Heaven 17).
As all of this was happening in the 1980s, I was taking piano lessons, playing drums and percussion in the concert band while also singing in the chorus and performing in musicals at school, and teaching myself bass guitar so I could play in a band with school friends.
You can probably hear some eclectic influences on ‘My Enemy’ from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Foundational artists for me are Billy Joel, Joe Jackson, The Cure, Ben Folds (Five), Neil Finn, Elvis Costello, and Aimee Mann.
5. As an artist, what are some fundamental values that anchor you to your craft or help you shape it?
This is such a good question. I think my North Star is ‘searching’—navigating through loss and finding a way to move forward. It’s certainly not a unique experience, but I experienced a sudden and what has turned out to be a defining loss as a young teen long before I had the tools to begin reconciling what had happened. It’s a theme that I revisit as I get older and discover different angles or frames that help me recontextualize loss and get back to living.
The track is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music!
Listen to ‘My Enemy’ by Ross Freedman here -
