Photo Credit: Danny Dodge

Portland’s Roselit Bone is set to drop ‘Ofrenda’ on August 25th, and on top of that, they’re set to zig-zag here and there from Washington to Utah and many places in between until October. We sat down with Roselit Bone’s own Charlotte McCaslin to talk about the new music, combating life on the road, and more in this back-and-forth exchange. 

Kendra: A few years separate ‘Ofrenda’ and your last release from 2019, and during that time, a heck of a lot happened in our collective reality. Most of which was mentally draining, so with that – when did you all have the mental capacity to get back into creative mode and start working on the new album?

Charlotte McCaslin: There were a lot of false starts during the writing and recording process and half the lineup of the band changed by the end of it. It was hard to practice in 2020 while staying safe so a lot of the work was done remotely, and there was a lot of pre-production and demoing done before we headed into a proper studio at the end of 2021. I still am not sure I have the mental capacity to be on a stage again, desperately trying to sell enough T-shirts to pay for gas to the next town, but here we are. 

Kendra: Now Portland is where y’all call home, and it’s known for a multitude of things, including those food cart pods. With that, what local spot like that would you say has the perfect dish that matches up with the overall aesthetic and vibe of ‘Ofrenda?’ 

Charlotte: The veggie corn dog at Lift Off. It is substantial, half synthetic, and corn-based. By its nature a very, very sad food, it is elevated by the dreamy atmosphere and the care taken with its creation. The veggie corn dog at Lift Off has borne witness to several breakups and absorbed many tears of mine over the course of writing ‘Ofrenda.’

Kendra: One of the songs I really loved on the new record is “Crying in the USA” because, after 9/11, country music went hard towards patriotism. Toby Keith basically transformed himself into a bald eagle by 2002, so it’s interesting to hear a band like yours have this country sound but at the same time speak out against America’s antics – and there was a lot to pull from in recent years. For you, what’s the most embarrassing thing about this country and its policies at the moment, and do you think that we’ll be able to overcome the continuous BS from D.C.?

Charlotte: I don’t feel embarrassed to be from America and I don’t feel like I’m directly speaking out about its antics. I think America is a collapsing country, and most other countries will follow suit as climate change upends all governments and systems.  

I’m trans and there are very few places on the planet where I feel remotely “safe,” so I kind of just feel sick to my stomach when people find glee in arguing about politics like it’s a football game. I’m not trying to make ironic leftist country music, I’m just venting and lamenting and trying to escape into a song while the world spirals out of control. I think this is fully in line with a lot of country music traditions. I don’t think a video of my band and I slapping our asses in front of a hay bale is going to enlighten anyone about anything but the compromised state of our mental health. 

Kendra: On the flip side, you have “Your Gun,” and this song deals with a more personal aspect of life and life on the road vs. when the touring is said and done. Are you preparing to do anything different before you head out this year to combat the initial feelings that led you to pen this track?

Charlotte: I suppose I’ve done over a year of therapy to prepare. My life is much different than it was when I wrote “Your Gun.” I have a very happy and healthy relationship now, with our violinist Faith, so instead of coming home to a nightmare or crime scene, I guess I’ll just be a little bummed if our house plants don’t get watered. With my partner on tour with me, facing everything with the same enthusiasm, the road feels like home. 

Kendra: And this is going to be a lengthy run out on the road. You’ll start at the end of August in Washington and wrap up in early October out in Utah. Being an 8-piece, how much practice goes into the live shows so that no one is stepping on anyone’s toes figuratively and literally?

Charlotte: We don’t obsessively practice, our other jobs take up too much of our time, but we’ve been doing this for so long that a lot of the kinks have been worked out and it only takes a few days on tour for us to tighten up. I do a lot of arranging of each members’ parts in order to make the best use of what little time we have to play music together. 

Kendra: Time for a side note – So August is a huge month for me, with so many loved ones’ birthdays being celebrated, so I’d love to know what song you’d dedicate to your loved ones, be it friends, family, or both…

Charlotte: The title track, “Ofrenda” is a song for my friends. It’s not particularly hopeful, but I hope it can be like another warm body in the room when someone is grieving a death or feeling like ending their own life. 

Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Ofrenda’ out on August 25th and a tour already booked and ready to go, what else can the people out there expect from you as 2023 rolls along?

Charlotte: We’re hoping to shoot a few more music videos in the fall, but aside from that we don’t have much planned for 2024. I’ve been doing all the booking myself this year and it has cut into the time I get to actually spend playing music, so I’m hoping we can find a worthwhile agent before we plot out our next moves. A lot depends on how this upcoming tour is received so I’m putting everything I have into making the shows memorable.
Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Ofrenda’ out on August 25th and a tour already booked and ready to go, what else can the people out there expect from you as 2023 rolls along?

Charlotte: We’re hoping to shoot a few more music videos in the fall, but aside from that we don’t have much planned for 2024. I’ve been doing all the booking myself this year and it has cut into the time I get to actually spend playing music, so I’m hoping we can find a worthwhile agent before we plot out our next moves. A lot depends on how this upcoming tour is received so I’m putting everything I have into making the shows memorable.