Biography
La Rocca, an Irish piano rock quartet, emerged from the indie pop underground while channeling an assertive strain of pop extravagance that belongs to a longstanding lineage of theatrical rock acts reaching from Queen and the Electric Light Orchestra through U2 and Simple Minds to present-day counterparts such as Coldplay and Keane. The group pairs singer Bjorn Baillie’s expansive, resonant voice with Nick Haworth’s luminous piano lines, positioning La Rocca as an indie outfit driven by lofty ambitions. Although three members—lead singer and guitarist Bjorn Baillie, bassist Simon Baillie, his brother, and drummer Alan Redmond—grew up in small towns surrounding Dublin, Ireland, the band itself formed in Cardiff, Wales, during the members’ time at Cardiff University. The sole Englishman, keyboardist Nick Haworth, comes from rural Lancashire across the Irish Sea. Taking its name from a Bristol bar where the quartet performed an early show, La Rocca issued a self-titled EP on the small Irish indie label Wet Clay in 2003. The EP generated enough interest to support international touring, which attracted the attention of Los Angeles-based independent label Dangerbird Records, leading to a signing in 2004, as well as producer Tony Hoffer, whose credits include Beck and Belle & Sebastian. Hoffer’s involvement encouraged the band to relocate from the United Kingdom to Los Angeles. A re-recorded version of the EP, retitled Sing Song Sung after its standout track, appeared in February 2005. The band’s debut full-length album, The Truth, followed in November of that year.
Singles
