About

Major of Roses is the artist name of independent singer, songwriter, and producer Magnus Rosell, based in Stockholm, Sweden. His sound is a unique combination of pop melodies and rock grit, echoing the works of artists as diverse as David Bowie, Elvis Costello, St. Vincent, and Massive Attack to mention but a few. All is tied together by a deep voice reminding of Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits.

Major of Roses is a one man creation, from song writing to production, the cover designs and the videos. All is made at home, true do-it-yourself, and is the result of many years of spare time passion. Each song is a statement in itself and has not been finished until it found its form, and does not always adhere to a standard pop song structure. Although many of the songs are superficially simple the production is mostly very detailed.

Major of Roses has been making music his whole life, but started releasing music in November, 2017. The first full album, Cornerstone, was released in June 2018. The title track is a catchy throwback to 50ies rock and roll, with a modern touch, that suggests there are a lot of great inspiration to be found in the past. “There’s a reason for the classics to be called the classics”. Among the other songs there are “Pry“, a desperate song that revels in space and understatement, and “Who Could Ask For More?” which is celebrating a relaxed life through an extreme use of double tracking, featuring several vocals on top of each other. “Albatross” tells the story of a man who wakes up one morning and starts to fly, believing he is an albatross, while “Slow Down“, with its industrial sounding backgrounds, assures you there is no reason to be pushed around.

Music by Major of Roses is available on all major streaming services and more. Choose how to listen here.

Some Press

Mystic Sons: Swedish frontman blends the dark styles of Tom Waits and David Bowie on his debut single.

Santa Rosa Records: On his soulful ”Who Could Ask For More?” Magnus advocates for a more relaxed view of life.

Dancing About Architecture: It [Pry] is a song confident enough in its own skin to take its time, which revels in restraint and underplay, often as interested in what is happening between the notes as the sounds themselves.

more more sound: The background music of “Slow Down” has almost an industrial tone, which makes me think of groups such as Nine Inch Nails or Bauhaus. However, the style is decidedly more minimalistic, and the singer’s great low-key, full-bodied vocals have a way to share a message with unique words and phrasing! Major of Roses could be compared to “Low-era” David Bowie, or perhaps, to artists like Lou Reed. His vision is experimental, but also accessible, and more important, this song is driven by an interesting and personal concept that is really eye-opening and intriguing!