Australian hard rockers Rose Carleo and Mick Adkins joined Australian Musician’s Greg Phillips to discuss 42 Days, the latest album from the ROSE CARLEO BAND, and revealed a record shaped equally by thunderous pub rock energy and deeply personal experiences of grief, healing and resilience.
Fresh from launching the album at the Marrickville Bowlo, the pair said the new material had already connected strongly with audiences, with several songs road-tested live before the album’s release. While the band’s trademark loud, uncompromising rock sound remains firmly intact, 42 Days also captures a more emotional and reflective side of the group.
Much of the conversation centred on the album’s title track, “42 Days,” which Rose explained was written following the death of her sister in 2024. The grief delayed the album’s completion by almost a year, with Mick continuing work on demos while Rose struggled emotionally. The song emerged six weeks after her sister’s passing while the couple were staying in Tasmania with family. Rose described the track as both a tribute and a turning point, the song that helped pull her out of what she called “the funk” of grief and back into music and life again.
Another key moment on the album is the acoustic ballad “Where She Sleeps,” written in memory of a close friend’s 17-year-old daughter, Millie, who passed away unexpectedly due to a heart condition. Mick and Rose described the emotionally draining recording process, admitting there were repeated moments where they simply broke down in tears while trying to finish the song. Ultimately released with the blessing of Millie’s parents, the pair view the track as one of the album’s emotional centrepieces and an important “breather” amid the heavier rock material.
The interview also highlighted the band’s enduring love of classic Australian pub rock, with influences ranging from AC/DC and The Angels to Rose Tattoo, The Screaming Jets and The Radiators. Mick spoke passionately about the energy and authenticity of the Aussie pub circuit, crediting those bands for inspiring the Rose Carleo Band’s powerful live performances and commitment to keeping loud rock music alive.
Gear talk features heavily throughout the interview, with Mick revealing his love of Gibson Les Pauls, vintage Ibanez guitars, Marshall amplifiers and stripped-back setups focused on pure amp tone rather than pedals. Rose discussed her own Les Pauls, Gretsch guitars and long-standing relationship with Takamine acoustics, which she uses extensively for songwriting.
Rose also reflected on her appearance on the TV show The Voice, describing the experience as emotionally and physically exhausting but ultimately worthwhile. Initially reluctant to participate, she eventually saw the opportunity as a way to showcase the band to a broader audience… with the deal breaker being that the band were allowed to wear their Rose Carleo t-shirts in the audience… free publicity they’d not be able to afford otherwise!
Looking ahead, the band plans extensive touring throughout Australia, with Adelaide and Victorian dates already lined up, along with hopes of returning to Japan after a successful recent tour there. The pair spoke enthusiastically about the passion of Japanese rock audiences, the professionalism of local venues and sound crews, and the appreciation overseas fans have for the uniquely Australian “four-on-the-floor” pub rock groove.
Throughout the interview, both Rose and Mick repeatedly return to the same idea: that 42 Days is an album grounded in real-life experiences. Whether dealing with loss, perseverance, friendship or survival, they hope listeners find songs that feel personal to them, music that connects because it comes from genuine emotion and lived experience.
42 Days is available on CD & Vinyl at: https://www.rosecarleoband.com/
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
MAY
22 Three Brothers Arms, Macclesfield SA
23 Renmark Club, Renmark SA
24 Beach House Café, Victor Harbor SA
30 The Duke, Newtown NSW
JUNE
27 Chasing Winter Sun Festival, Sawtell NSW
JULY
9 Duke Of George, East Fremantle WA (Solo)
AUGUST
21 – Flamingos Live New Lambton NSW
22 – Dead Set Darlinghurst NSW