November Loop member finds Rosehips fills bill

By John Benson

The Columbus band is ‘a little bit more rock,’ the bassist said.

When Canfield native Jill Harrison moved to Columbus to work on her sociology Ph.D. at Ohio State University, the bassist wasn’t necessarily looking to join another band.

Already a member of Youngstown act November Loop, which now plays less than a handful of shows annually, Harrison enjoyed playing music but was beginning to concentrate on her studies.

However, things changed in December of 2006 when while bartending at Columbus’ Cara Bar, a local act took the stage and piqued her imagination.

“One night there was this band – three girls and a guy – playing named Rosehips,” said Harrison, a 1996 Canfield High School graduate. “They were really, really good. The sound kind of grabbed me. It was a little bit more complicated than I thought it would be. It kind of had a bit of the early ’90s feel that I liked.

“So after the show I talked to the band, and it just so happened they were looking for a female bass player at the time.”

Within two weeks, Harrison was playing with Rosehips and never looked back. The quartet recently released its self-titled debut, which includes band favorite “The Dead Are Watching.”

Considering Rosehips now features an all-female lineup, some people naturally may think the group must sound like The Donnas. Harrison said the band actually transcends pigeonholing with a unique sound that dates back to an alt-rock heyday.

“I think a lot of people might say, ‘Look, an all-female group. They’re cute and they can play and they might get some notoriety because of that,’” Harrison said. “But it was different for me when I saw them play for the first time. I was like, ‘They’re cute but gosh, they can really play well, too.’ Sometimes people don’t really expect that.”

She added, “Our label is called Pillow Fight Records, and I think that’s pretty accurate. It hits you hard but it doesn’t really hurt.”

Harrison admits she still loves playing with November Loop, but Rosehips offers her a new challenge.

“There is some overlap, but I think November Loop is a little bit more shoegaze,” Harrison said. “I think both of them have roots in the early to mid-’90s [sound], but in different ways. November Loop took it more of the slow dive Galaxy 500 route and Rosehips is more of The Smashing Pumpkins. It’s a little bit more rock.”

Rosehips returns to Youngstown for a Friday gig at Cedars Lounge. Even though Harrison recently turned 30, she’s both optimistic and realistic about her musical future.

“I mean, I’m always open to take some time off from school if we got picked up on a cool tour, but I’m in school for a reason,” Harrison said. “I realize it’s hard to be a rock star, but I love it and it’s definitely a good outlet. I have to always be playing music, so I’m glad I found the Rosehips. We turned into a really kind of serious band.”