Introducing Jay Johnson, UTR Bassist!

We're excited that Jay Johnson (J.J.) is now the bassist for Under the Rose!

J.J. has actually known Jason since their college days, and he played with Bad Charism for a few years during the early 2000s. In Under the Rose, he contributes a solid foundation that was lacking before his arrival. Aaron played bass on the first two UTR releases, and the bass essentially blended in as another electric guitar. In contrast, J.J. fills up the low frequencies, providing a much thicker sound. In addition, he contributes strong songwriting skills and brings some serious vocal chops that provide the opportunity to add complex harmonies into our live show.

J.J. listens to a wide variety of music with a focus on hard rock, metal, and pop-punk. His favorite bands include Killswitch Engage, Alter Bridge, Jimmy Eat World, and Green Day.

Soon, we'll be releasing some new music featuring J.J. Stay tuned.

Introducing Stacy Renfroe, UTR Vocalist!

Stacy Renfroe is now our lead vocalist! He's been making music in and around Birmingham for years both in bands and as a solo artist. His solo material perfectly displays his skills in writing songs, playing guitar, and seamlessly blending complex vocal harmonies into heavy music. We're excited about the effect he is having on Under the Rose's new material and about his own material that he brings into the band.

Stacy has a wide range of influences but draws heavily from classic rock, metal, and grunge. Some of his greatest influences include Led Zeppelin, Alice in Chains, Alter Bridge, and Dio. His smooth voice rounds out Under the Rose's jagged edges and counterbalances the percussive elements present in our heaviest songs.

Stacy and I (Aaron) have known another for about a decade, but until recently, we had never worked together on a creative project. After the release of Nineveh, I became overwhelmed at the prospect of sifting through the backlog of half-written Under the Rose songs in order to find material for our next project. I reached out to Stacy to gauge his interest in helping us with a few songs, and we quickly realized that we would be able to do some pretty cool things together. It all came together pretty quickly.

We look forward to bringing you Stacy's vocal stylings very soon!

Under the Rose debut + Diablo III release combo!

I'm sure you've all heard whispers of a collaboration between Blizzard Entertainment and Under the Rose for a synchronized release of Diablo III and Under the Rose's debut CD. No? Well then, consider the awesomeness of smiting evil to the pounding drums, raging guitars, and withering vocals that is A Spirit of Burning. Still not sold? How about the game strategy we subtly hid in our song, Divide and Be Conquered: co-operative multiplayer is a strong point for Diablo III. If none of this appeals to you, have no fear; the Diablo series always includes first-class music.  


(There really isn't an Under the Rose + Diablo III combo pack. However, you could build your own combo pack by adding Diablo III and Under the Rose's debut CD to your Amazon.com shopping cart.) 


So, yeah, it was really just a happy accident. Being a fan of the Diablo series, I couldn't let the coincidence go unremarked.

UtR on 95.1 the Fox, Sunday 5/13

Okay guys, listen up. This Sunday, May 13, after you take your mom to a nice restaurant and deliver a spa gift certificate to the mother of your children, you’ll need a good dose of rock n’ roll to pat yourself on the back. We here at Under the Rose are happy to oblige.  And ladies, is there any better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than by moshing? The answer is a resounding “no.”

As you might’ve guessed, the above paragraph is a poor attempt at convincing you to listen to our music on Mother’s Day. The fact is, Mother’s Day is much more important than our music. But if your schedule is open on Sunday night at 8 p.m., please tune in to 95.1 the Fox to hear the radio debut of our song “Give Me Something Real,” the first track on our forthcoming debut CD. (You can listen on the Internet by visiting http://www.wxfx.com and clicking Listen Live at the top right corner of the page.)

We want to thank Rick Hendrick, the Fox’s long-time Program Director, for playing our song. Rick has always been a great supporter of local music. Back in the early 2000s, he regularly played Bad Charism tracks on the station and secured our first show in Montgomery. So here’s to you, Rick! Thanks again!

Debut CD Available 5/15/2012

After two long years of songwriting, production, recording, mixing, and mastering, we have finally completed our debut album. The official release date is now set for May 15, 2012.

Preorder, Get 25% Off

To preorder the album, visit our music page. When you make your purchase, include the code "preorder" (with no quotations) to receive 25% off the price.

The Sound

We affectionately call our sound "thrash pop." The sound on our first CD sits somewhere near the intersection of crunchy guitars, pounding drums, layered vocal harmonies, and frenetic screaming.

The Process

Ever heard of the Postal Service? They made their early recordings via mail, hence their name. One musician would record part of a song and mail it to the other musician, who would record the rest of the parts.


This album was conceived and recorded in a similar way. In fact, during the entire recording process, we played these songs face-to-face exactly once. There are several songs we never played together at all. I'd record a guitar riff or a completed song and email it to Jason. He'd comment and suggest changes. When we agreed on the song, I'd revise the scratch tracks and resend them. Then, Jason would record the final drum takes. Through online file transfer or by mail, he'd send me the drum files. Then, I'd piece together the rest of the parts: guitars, bass, vocals, auxiliary percussion, and synth. 

The Story

A few years ago, Jason and I talked occasionally but didn't have an ongoing musical relationship. Jason purchased a recording rig and began to record music with friends. When a few of my friends lent me some recording equipment, it occurred to Jason and me that we might be able to collaborate on a recording project. At first, it was just for fun, and we had no direction about musical styles or lyrical content. But slowly, we rediscovered our similar work ethic, creative vision, and thought processes. And as we discussed God, music, C.S. Lewis, beer, and our shared past, songs began pouring out. That's how the project took shape. (For the full story, see About Under the Rose.)


It's simple enough to write about the process, but we both had to learn a lot about recording and mixing. It was frustrating at times, but we had some great help along the way. So, we hope you enjoy the CD. We're already looking forward to the next project and hope to make great improvements in songwriting and production.