#roseglass

One such band is House of Harm, a trio out of Boston, Massachusetts, comprised of lead singer Michael Rocheford and guitarists/synth players Cooper Leardi and Tyler Kershaw. House of Harm made their debut in 2017, and have been slowly amassing a fanbase that appreciates and understands their dark pop leanings, resulting in almost 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Today they released the single “Roseglass,” a four-minute track that feels darkly ethereal. The band has been described as “shadow pop,” a term that feels fitting as the days get shorter; this single is perfect for the gloom and colder weather. With lyrics like, “Mirrored safe from the shame inside / Misled to instill all of the honesty that lies,” the band is exploring themes of self-deception and wishing things could be different. Rocheford described the single as being “about the human cycle of putting yourself into situations where you feel like you’re an intruder for the sake of a better outcome later,” something that is only reinforced by the music video the band released along with the single. 

In the video, the band stands in a market in southeastern Massachusetts, with Rocheford crooning the lyrics as passersby make their way through the stalls. Some choose to ignore the band, others jumping in front of the camera or simply walking through the frame without concern. But the band looks directly into the camera for most of the video, creating a sense of vulnerability despite the public setting that only gets more intense as the song progresses. That vulnerability is what the band hopes to perpetuate with their upcoming album, Playground, out December 1. They started writing the album in 2021 and narrowed it down from 75 songs to just 10 worthy tracks, that they feel build a cohesive world for the listener to get lost in. 

You can listen to “Roseglass” wherever you stream music, and if you’re a dark pop fan or simply want to hear more from House of Harm, be sure to pre-order Playground. The band is also playing three shows this week, tonight in Philadelphia, tomorrow in New York, and the following day in Boston, so be sure to check out the tour dates here if you’re interested in hearing House of Harm’s atmospheric sound live.