Neska Rose Connects with Us to Discuss "Bubbling!"—Her Bold New Release and Creative Journey
- STAFF
- Aug 7
- 9 min read
By: Staff
"Bubbling!" is a bold, genre-defying masterpiece that captures Neska Rose’s raw vulnerability and undeniable artistry.
Get Ready for the Soulful Vibes of Neska Rose’s Latest Single "Bubbling!"
When Neska Rose drops a new track, you know it’s not just another song, it’s an experience.
Her latest single, Bubbling!, combines infectious funk-pop with smooth neo-soul, creating a world that’s both playful and emotionally charged. But the story behind the track is even more intriguing.
We spoke with Neska to uncover what inspired the blend of genres and how she managed to channel complex emotions into a sound that feels uniquely hers. From the cheeky, raw lyrics to the DIY magic of the music video, she reveals the journey behind the creation of Bubbling!.
What inspired Neska to blend funk-pop with jazz and neo-soul? How did these genres help her express emotions and stories in a way that feels deeply personal? And what’s the true meaning behind the metaphor of “you can’t get in the hot tub”?
In our conversation, we dive into Neska’s creative process, the meaning behind her music video co-directed with her parents, and what it’s like to stay true to your own voice in an ever-evolving music world.
Keep reading to discover how vulnerability meets confidence in Bubbling!—and how Neska continues to carve out her unique space in music.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview:
Hello Neska Rose, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more intrigued to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Q. For the fans meeting you for the first time, is Neska Rose your given name or a stage name? What inspired you to choose that for your artist persona?
A- Neska has been my nickname since I was about 2 years old, and I’ve changed it legally now.
Q. What inspired the song “Bubbling!”? How did a personal moment turn into such a rich metaphor for intimacy and discomfort?
A- Bubbling! It's about loving the discomfort, not wanting it to end, and looking for answers. The hot tub, the bubbles I’m referencing, kind of represent this pool of opportunity that you could potentially jump into. It’s like when people say, “Oh, you’re afraid you can’t just dip your toes in, you have to jump in fully.” To me, Bubbling! is about that inner conflict of whether you want to get in or not, especially when you don’t feel 100% comfortable with the other person in the tub.
Q. We absolutely loved your music video, the raw, authentic feel was so palpable. It really felt like we were stepping into your world. Where did the concept for the video come from, and how did you capture that “in the moment” vibe so perfectly for the audience?
A- I just kind of wanted it to feel like you’re hanging out with this guy who’s obviously, um, cute, and you’re having a good time, but it’s kind of awkward because you can’t fully be yourself. So yeah, you’re cuddling and doing all these cutesy things, but there’s still that weird tension. I recreated that idea by setting it at this cool house with Charlie, and we just played around with the awkwardness and playfulness of it all. Aesthetically, it was really easy because I just love a lot of indie music videos from the ’90s, which is kind of achievable to do, so yeah, I just did my own twist on it.
Q. As a teaser description, what would you tell someone about this song to intrigue them about its meaning if you only had one sentence to get them interested in listening to it?
A- This is Bubbling. It’s a song about a guy who kept trying to get me in his hot tub.
Q. Where does the magic of your music production begin? Do you kick things off in your home studio, or do you team up with an outside producer? And when it's time to wrap things up, do you handle the mixing and mastering yourself, or bring in someone to help perfect it?
A- I always come into the studio with the song fully written and a playlist of reference tracks for inspiration, mainly for instrumentation ideas. Then I go in and lay down a basic demo. For Bubbling!, I played and recorded my guitar live. I also did a rough vocal take, nothing too polished, because I like the vocals to feel alive and in the moment. All the other instruments in this song are MIDI. I usually prefer a live feel and often work with my drummer, Amador Soils (who I reference in the song ‘I’m telling you I'm calling Amador), but for this one, I was really craving that loopier, beat-driven sound. I picked a drum loop, chopped it up, wrote bass lines and just kept layering. I always compare it to makeup. I love layering until it’s too much, then pulling it back a little. The whole process was quick since I already had the production in my head. I mixed as we went, and even mastered it ourselves. I usually send it out, but this time I knew exactly what I wanted, so we finished it all in-house.
Q. What inspired you to blend funk-pop with jazz and neo-soul in your music? How did these genres come together to unlock emotions and stories that feel deeply personal, allowing you to express parts of yourself in a way that feels uniquely yours?
A- Well, it's literally in the name; soul. Like, there is soul in this genre, I believe. And I do think the instrumentation of a beat-driven drum and all the horns are there to serve the vocal. The vocal can be really upfront and kind of, like, cruising with the instrument. And I wanted this song to feel like a story, as if I'm telling this story. I always picture myself walking across the streets of London or some shit like that. And that's why I was inspired by a lot of British music from the early 2000s, like Lily Allen. And all the funk sort of pop stuff is just, to me, it's instruments that have a wink to them. And this song has a wink to it. So the instrumentation supports it.
Q. Your music video for “Bubbling!” is very DIY, with your family heavily involved in its creation. This feels so cool and truly amazing. Can you tell us more about the process of co-directing with your parents and how that affected the final video?
A- Thank you so much. Well, I draw inspiration for a lot of my music videos from, like, films that I like to watch. I try to watch a movie almost every day, and for some reason, my preferred genres are failed movies, movies that haven’t received much attention, movies that have, like, only 90 reviews on Letterboxd. And they usually have to be from the '90s and take place in either New York or some sort of town in the U.S. that I’ve never heard of or never been to. Think, like, Harmony Korine, Vincent Gallo. I enjoy a lot of indie stuff, and with this music video, my mom found this really cool house in Joshua Tree, which I thought had a lot of cool knick-knacks and quirks to it. I wanted the music video to feel casual because this story, to me, is a bit casual, and has that wink to it. And I never felt the urge to include anyone else in my music video before until this one, because to me, it’s heavily about that dynamic between two people. So I got my friend Charlie to act in it with me, and he’s really cool. We went to Joshua Tree, and we just kind of relaxed throughout the whole shoot, no script, which made it really easy and fun. It didn’t really feel like a shoot, we just played around with what was in the house and what the house gave us.
Q. Do you have a favorite song from your early years of listening to your favorite bands—one of your favorite artists you'd love to cover in the studio because it still feels deeply connected to who you are today?
A- I’d love to do my own version of a Roy Orbison song- he’ll always be my greatest and, in my opinion, the best love ballad writer. And how his songs were sung by my other favorites, The Everly Brothers, and Linda Ronstadt. Anything like ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’ to ‘Love Hurts’ or ‘She Wears My Ring’. I’m down to do a Roy EP.
Q. Many artists hit a few walls along the way. Have there been times you questioned continuing with music? What helped you stay committed to your path?
A- No, I never questioned it, luckily. It’s kinda the only thing in my life I haven’t questioned.
Q. How does making music make you feel? Does this song come from a real experience, and performing it allows healing of the feelings that created it or does it make them resurface?
A- It’s mainly about real experiences. Because I use songwriting as a journaling tool. Sometimes I put myself in a character's shoes, but that’s less common. And obviously, writing out the song feels really healing because it's a way to make sense of my feelings. A lot of the time, I don't even know what I'm feeling until I write it down in a song. That’s why I have to do it every day, because if I don’t, I feel like I’ll burst, and feel unknown and unsure of myself. So yeah, it does feel healing, but sometimes when I do perform the song, it feels like it resurfaces the feelings. That kind of happens when the song is fresh, like, when time hasn’t really passed yet. As I grow as a person, I’m not as affected by it. I do remember if I write a song and immediately go and produce it, the emotional element of it is much stronger because I’m really in it. Even with “Bubbling!” I kind of wrote it and started producing it so quickly that literally in the final hook, I’m kind of breaking into tears. My voice sounds pretty emotional in it, and it’s literally because my voice is cracking from trying to hold myself back from crying. So yeah, it depends on when I perform the song. But I just love it either way.
Q. What are your top three dream venues to perform at?
A- The Largo, The Orpheum, The Greek.
Q. Outside of music, who or what has had the biggest influence on your personal growth or artistic perspective?
A- I always grew up in a spiritual household. My mom’s a naturopath, and we always had spiritual tools that guided me. Reading books like The Power by Rhonda Byrne, helped me put things into perspective. As I got older, I became interested in Kabbalah too. Now I listen to a lot of David Ghiyam, and he’s been helping me with songwriting. Outside of that, I was a total book freak as a kid. I used to be the librarian’s pet. Comic books especially influenced me because of the visual element, and when I write, I kind of see a whole universe in my head. Paulo Coelho was big for me too. Eleven Minutes really stuck with me more than The Alchemist. Filmmakers are a huge influence; Harmony Korine, Vincent Gallo, Woody Allen, Darren Aronofsky, Sam Mendes. And artists, too, I love Cindy Sherman. Her photos are eerie and weird and beautiful, and they make you feel everything at once: happy, sad, disgusted, excited. I think all the artists I’m drawn to have that in common. You don’t just love or hate their work, it hits all the emotions, and that’s what helps me grow.
Q. What do you want people to remember most about you after hearing this song and reading this interview?
A- Remember what you want to remember. My main thing about music is that the universe allows me to keep writing. I attach an idea to it and leave it to the listener or reader to make of it what they will.
Q. We can't thank you enough for sharing these intimate details! So, what's next? Can you give us the inside scoop on your upcoming projects and what fans should be excited about? We'd love to be the first to share the news!
A-So I have another track coming out in September, written and produced by me. And another one after that, they’re all ready to go, and I’m not stopping.
Neska Rose, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Neska Rose’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
