A Q&A with Olathe-based Female Empowerment Singer/Songwriter Caley Rose

If you’ve tuned into the radio lately, there’s a chance you heard Olathe-based singer and songwriter Caley Rose, who is riding the sound waves with her newest singles.

After debuting Who’s That Girl? on Kansas City’s 90.9 The Bridge, Rose’s song has been played at radio stations across the country. Her newest single, GAME OVER, is expected to follow the same path.

Currently, Rose is renovating a trailer with her husband to take on a tour across the country. Until then, you can catch her performing around town. Hint: her favorite spot is the Kansas City River Market. 

Caley Rose

IN Kansas City Magazine recently caught up with Rose for a Q&A.

IN KC: From opera to off-Broadway to voice acting, you’ve had quite a robust career in the entertainment industry. What brought you to what you’re doing now as a singer-songwriter?
Rose: I really had a passion for music as a kid, and when I was clear to myself about what I wanted in this life, I realized I really wanted to work on pop music. So, I wrote with a couple of producers—and I like to point out that I failed a number of times for anyone who is in the failing stage—and I eventually found songwriting in 2017. That’s what really changed it for me. There were stories I wanted to tell that other artists didn’t because it wasn’t their story. So, I took the wheel and made it what I wanted it to be.

You talk about being able to tell the stories you want to, and I’m noticing a lot of your songs have a theme of female empowerment. How did you land on that message?
Being a girl who didn’t feel empowered growing up, I had zero confidence and wanted to be someone else rather than myself. It wasn’t a healthy place to be. So, I think about the kinds of messages I would have loved to have heard when I was younger. If I could give a young woman anything, it would be confidence. So, I hope that within the two minutes of my songs, my music can make them feel confident.

You’ve partnered with several domestic violence centers in the past. How did that first happen, and are there any Kansas City shelters you expect to partner with?
So, I wrote the song Behind Closed Doors. It came to me when I was walking around our neighborhood around Christmastime. I was enjoying looking at the houses all lit up and thinking about what the lives of the people behind those closed doors were like. I had a friend who was going through something dark at the time, and you never would have known from looking at the couple. It wasn’t my autobiographical story, but it felt like a compelling story to tell. When I did the music video I wanted to give the proceeds to something, so I teamed with Good Shepherd Shelter in Los Angeles where I lived at the time. I’m hoping to partner with some more awesome organizations here in the Kansas City area.

You just had your newest singles debut on the radio. As a new artist, what was that like?
It was the most exciting thing ever. I got in my car and listened to it because it’s just such a different experience listening to a car radio—which really takes me back to when I was a kid. Hearing my voice come out of the speakers is really, really special.

Where do you expect to take your career from here?
It’s funny because now that I’ve lived a huge dream of mine, I want to reach more people. The people who need my music, I want them to find it. The next part is going on tour. In Kansas City, I’ve been street performing a lot. I started at the River Market with outdoor performances, and I hope to do some indoor performances around town once Omicron has calmed down. Then I’m excited to hit up Nashville and Austin, and go all over the country. I’ll also be performing and doing positive speaking at schools—I actually just booked two performances at Kansas City schools.

Keep up with Rose’s career here.

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