Rowena Wise is a Naarm-based artist whose ruminations on love, alienation, and self-empowerment are fast catching attention. Described by CLASH as “carefully etched indie folk”, she delivers songs that have a newfound sense of honesty, holding space for all of life’s beauty and messiness. Inspired by the strong storytelling sensibilities of 60s folk icons, Rowena’s storytelling is like a close friend, offering heady ruminations on love, loss and alienation while giving gentle echoes of courage and empowerment.
To celebrate the release of her debut album Senseless Acts of Beauty, Rowena hits the road this August for a national tour, including a show at Thirroul’s Franks Wild Years with support from Lee Sullivan.
Hailing from the Western Australian surf town of Margaret River, Rowena Wise’s musical journey began at a young age. Together with her mother (a folk musician from Chicago) and father (a luthier who builds the custom guitars she plays today), they performed as a family band throughout her youth, playing folk festivals all over. Now, grown up and living on the opposite coast in Naarm, Rowena is on the precipice of something exciting of her own.
Having gained a burgeoning reputation over the last few years as both a lyricist and performer, Rowena is finally opening her songbook up to the world with a stunning new album, Senseless Acts of Beauty. Inspired by the strong storytelling sensibilities of 60s folk icons, Rowena is making a sound that sits her snugly alongside the likes of Aldous Harding, Julia Jacklin, and Waxahatchee. Produced by Rob Muinos (Didirri, Jess Locke, Julia Jacklin), Senseless Acts of Beauty combines Rowena’s piercing lyricism and soaring melodies with a warm, punchy and organic live band sound.
A new zenith, Rowena’s songs are full of emotional depth, and by allowing a searing honesty to run throughout, she’s being true to herself and the listener with piercing lyricism. Over the album’s ten tracks, she offers heady reflections on heartache and the blurriness of selfhood, yet counters them with warmth and relatability. Hailed as a “menacing force in indie-pop's next generation” (Pilerats), Rowena showcases a raw, earnest power with Senseless Acts of Beauty, cementing herself as a compelling voice in the indie music scene and beyond.