Interview – Hey Rosetta!’s Romesh Thavanathan

Hey Rosetta! perform at The Echo in Los Angeles, CA

After a month spent touring Australia, Newfoundland's Hey Rosetta! have returned to the Northern Hemisphere and began a North American tour tonight at The Echo in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a large and energetic crowd on hand the band tore through hits including Yer Spring, Welcome, New Goodbye, and Yer Fall (For which a new video was just released). As Hey Rosetta! audiences would expect the night was an orchestral-rock roller-coaster of irresistible hooks and undulating textures, ranging from the simplicity of singer Tim Baker accompanied by guitar or piano to earth shaking mountains of harmony when the entire band kicked in.

Hey Rosetta! Cellist Romesh Thavanathan

As the concert evolved one couldn't help but notice the versatility of Jack of all Trades, or, Romesh of all Trades, Romesh Thavanathan, who played numerous instruments throughout the evening. Frequently referred to as the Cellist of Hey Rosetta!, Thavanathan actually does quadruple duty involving guitar, keyboards, and percussion. Make that quintuple duty since he also sings. I caught up with Romesh after the show and took the opportunity to ask him about it all.

Q: Romesh, you play cello, keyboards, guitar, and shaker, and probably more things I didn't notice, during a Hey Rosetta! performance.  Which instrument is your favourite to play?

A: Cello, 'cause it's between my legs.

Hey Rosetta!'s tour continues north to San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver, before turning east through Canada and the States, culminating in sold-out performances on December 15 & 16 at the Delta Ballroom in St. John's, NL. There are currently no shows scheduled for Swift Current, SK