Bosh Rothman Pays His Respects with New Single, “In the Cold, Cold Night”

Cover songs are unique opportunities for artists to express themselves in specific ways, something Bosh Rothman is taking full advantage of with his latest work. Today, the former Blondshell drummer and member of Kills Birds and Living Things unveils his own unique interpretation of “In the Cold, Cold Night,” originally by The White Stripes. It comes as part of a full EP of covers titled Joshua, which will be released on May 8th via Broken Bones Records. “In The Cold, Cold Night” is a particularly bold choice for a male vocalist, since it is one of The White Stripes’ songs to feature Meg White on lead vocals.

As a drummer, Rothman wanted to pay his respects to fellow drummer White, who has been a significant influence on him. She has such a unique style that has been very inspirational to Rothman. In a sense, he wanted to pay his respects to White, which helped make “In The Cold, Cold Night” an easy choice to remake.

Commenting on the song, Rothman states:

“Sung by the amazing Meg White, one of my biggest influences in drumming. Her signature sound helped carry The White Stripes into the ether.”

Rothman’s version of “In The Cold, Cold Night” stays true to the original, but he has also used it as an opportunity to put his own spin on it. Rothman performs it in more of an indie rock style, with more musical and instrumental diversity. It’s more of a “band” version of the song, featuring Rothman’s own signature style that differentiates it from its original.

Featuring one original, Joshua is Rothman’s opportunity to reinterpret songs that have had a big effect on him. The five other songs are his own reimaginings of songs originally by The Foo Fighters, The Carpenters, Ringo Starr, and more. The songs are mostly entrenched within the musical traditions of Americana, folk, and indie rock. They were remade and recorded during a difficult time for Rothman. The St. Louis-based Rothman was in a dark place, and he knew it. He was eating too much, sleeping days away, and in constant emotional pain. It was a prolonged funk that he couldn’t find his way out of.

Two of the artists Rothman covered on Joshua actually helped him find his way back. He recalled the stories of Ringo Starr and Dave Grohl, two of his musical heroes. After The Beatles and Nirvana dissolved, respectively, they directed their pain towards their art. From their efforts came whole second careers in music that have extended for each of them for decades now. It was the inspiration that Rothman needed to get back on track. And he couldn’t be happier to be refocused on doing what he loves and sharing that love with the world.