Being signed to a major record label can represent Valhalla; a golden ticket for countless musicians. But for some still finding their way artistically, it can be a stifling and creatively suff ocating experience. Rosie Carney was just 15 when she signed to Polydor, but the deal came wiThlittle to no creative control. It proved to be an experience that would go on to shape her as an artist and a person, but only after considerable anguish.
The story is a familiar one; a young artist is put under immense pressure to churn out hits and become a star. For some it works, but for Rosie, it was an arduous process, which lefther feeling rudderless, confused and unsure of her own identity. “I felt as though I was being starved of my true self, but I thought it was normal, so I went wiThit,” she says.