“The Only Person You Should Be Trying To Impress Is Yourself” – Conversation with Flooding
“THE ONLY PERSON YOU SHOULD BE TRYING TO IMPRESS IS YOURSELF” – IN CONVERSATION WITH FLOODING INTERVIEW By Eli Callingham 11 June 2026 Arriving in Brighton for The Great Escape as part of their first UK and European tour, Flooding delivered one of the festival’s most absorbing sets. Packing out the upstairs of The Prince Albert, the Kansas City trio moved effortlessly between moments of delicate restraint and glorious onslaught. Showcasing the dynamic songwriting that has quickly made them one of the most exciting names emerging from the American underground. Fresh from completing the UK and European leg of the tour before heading onwards to Canada and beyond, frontwoman, guitarist and songwriter Rose Brown took some time out to speak with us about artistic growth, musical envy, finding confidence on stage, and artists and experiences that continue to shape Flooding’s output. What has been inspiring you lately lyrically, emotionally, or even texturally? I get inspired by characters, fictional and real. I like to experiment with retelling stories of people who parts of me identify with. It brings out emotions you didn’t think existed inside of you and you can really surprise yourself. Looking back at the earliest version of Flooding, what parts of the band’s evolution would surprise you most? My stage presence now would shock 20 year old me. I used to wear ill-fitting boyish clothes to fit in with the poorly dressed men who dominate the music scene and had my guitar hitched up so high it was practically in my armpit to replicate how it feels to play guitar hunched over alone in my bedroom. And I could barely move out of the fear of playing the wrong note. Now I trust myself a lot more on stage, and I’ve found that wearing dresses and high heels makes me feel more like myself and in turn more confident (and playing my guitar strapped low as hell does too). Your output displays a real command over contrast and intensity, what’s a song/project/band that completely changed your understanding of dynamics? When we first started the band, I was a bit naive to the whole 90s quiet-loud thing. Our dynamics came from my bandmates giving me a fuzz and overdrive pedal and showing me exactly how to use them, not anything intentional on my part. But soon after we established our dynamics, I dove really deep into PJ Harvey who I saw myself in a lot and am very inspired by as an overall artist. You’ve spoken a lot about the Lawrence/Kansas City scene and how it feels to be a part of it. What do you think makes a local scene feel alive instead of just aesthetically or sonically cohesive? I think musical envy is a big creative driver. If you get jealous of your friends’ music and it pushes you creatively, that’s actually a good thing and you should be grateful that you’re involved in a scene with inspiring output. A lot of music scenes (local or not) don’t have that. What’s a genre or scene we’d be surprised you’d be into? Reggae As you’re currently touring the EU/UK are there any spaces you’ve played, will play or have visited that you love? Our favorite place on our EU/UK tour was Amsterdam. We stepped out of Amsterdam Central station and it felt like spawning in The Commons in Wizard 101. We would be very grateful if we were able to visit that city again. Similarly, are there any EU or UK artists you’ve seen or heard of that you’re excited about? After our UK tour together, we have come to the conclusion that Tummyache is the best band in the entire country, and massively underrated. Another case of musical envy that got me really excited about writing music again. What’s something you’ve learned through making music that you wish you understood earlier? The only person you should be trying to impress is yourself. {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts
Artist Playlist: Flooding
← Back Artist Playlist,TNAM.UK Playlist FLOODING A playlist featuring artists chosen tracks and our TNAM staff picks from the American rock band Flooding. Alternative,Rock {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }} {{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }} {{ options.labels.newReviewButton }} {{ userData.canReview.message }} You Might Also Like Recent Posts