Holly Rose

British singer/songwriter Holly Rose began composing poetry when she was seven, an ability that later proved valuable to her career. Upon completing her studies at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford, the 19-year-old joined the South African band Semisane as its vocalist. At the same time, her mother forwarded several of Rose’s recordings to producer Jeff Calvert in the U.K., who responded at once with enthusiasm for her vocal and compositional abilities. Difficulties both within the group and in her personal life led her back to Britain, where she and Calvert promptly started writing and recording new material together. Her first single, “I Don’t Care,” appeared in March 2008, with plans for the debut album to follow later that year on Whisky Records.