From Backstage to Centre Stage: Romy B ‘Loves the Whole Damn Process’

 In partnership with Mentos

Romy B has been deep in the music world for years, writing her own songs while working backstage at Perth’s RAC Arena and Optus Stadium, doing everything from prepping the green room for Dua Lipa’s concert to setting the stage for Coldplay. 

“I really like being the roadie,” she tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ, recalling her early work crewing for some of the world’s biggest artists. “I’ve been the random worker setting up the dark-themed green room for Billie Eilish or forklifting Iron Maiden’s 10-tom drumkit into rehearsals.”

The days were long and the sleep was short, but the lessons about how the music industry works stuck. “[At Coldplay], I was part of the first crew to hop on stage as soon as the concert had ended. Wearing my orange hard hat and safety gear, I was starstruck by the tens of thousands of people right in-front of me, from the view of being on stage.” 

Now, it’s her own music and her own team. A multi-instrumentalist and Nannup Music Festival Emerging Artist Award-winner from Boorloo/Perth, Romy B is now part of Mentos Fresh Sounds, a Rolling Stone AU/NZ spotlight on emerging artists shaping the next wave of Australian music. 

Her music plays with alt-pop and folk, but rarely remains one thing for too long. “My sound tends to jump or blend genres,” she says. “My arrangements are instrumentally layered, with a natural focus on finding chords to suit the lyrics rather than lyrics to suit the chords.”

“As an artist, I find joy in the whole damn process of creating a song: endless choices in melody, dynamics, recording, mixing, even mastering.”

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Romy’s creative process is about feeling things out, both in the studio and on stage. “I love sharing my music in person. Whether it’s playing live, debuting a freshly written tune, or seeing how it makes someone feel.”

Just like her music, her live shows are intimate, personal, and unpolished in the best way. “The best gigs are when I feel a positive energy exchange with the audience. It’s about quality over quantity,” she says. “I love when people bring friends, sing the lyrics back, and just have a good ol’ time.”

That love of performing goes back a long way: she got her first guitar at seven and never put it down. “My parents didn’t play, but I’m glad they didn’t stop me,” she says. At 16, she earned a spot at university as a Music Artist — an early milestone that gave her the confidence to keep going.

In the years since, an eclectic mix of influences have helped shape Romy’s sound. “I keep coming back to Madison Cunningham, Leah Marlene, Silk Sonic, Yebba, Tom Misch, Gregory Alan Isakov, Bon Iver, Carla Geneve (local to Perth), Beatenberg and Natsuma. I’m swept up by good and strategic songwriting, with a creative approach to production.

“I encourage people to broaden their taste in their listening. Throw on a new artist or playlist, give a fresh song the chance to sneak up on ya.”

For Romy, creating “fresh” music is less about chasing internet trends and more about trusting your creative gut. “As a musician, that’s allowing yourself to explore new approaches in songwriting, production, and even your personal artistry and expression. As a listener, that’s allowing those fresh songs and sounds to influence you,” she explains.

Image credit: Eva Burkhardt, Foreva Media

She’s a firm believer the best songs go beyond virality to stand the test of time. At the end of it all, she hopes to leave a legacy that lasts. “If someone hears one of my tracks years from now and still isn’t sick of it, then mission accomplished.”

If that’s the goal, Romy is fast approaching it. This year, she’s dropping a dreamy, vocal-layered dark-pop track titled ‘All That’s Left’, and working on a merch line of oversized tees and sporty crop tops that reflect her own personal style. 

Explore more fresh artists at the Mentos Fresh Sounds Hub.