Laura Rose has been singing all her life. As happens to us all, we eventually graduate into adulthood and need to find a way to “make it.” When that happens to an artist, the real challenge is finding the balance between making a living and the passion to create.

But there is a third way, and Rose leaned in. At 17, she quit her “day job” in August of 2022 and soon adopted her stage name, “Scarlet Tantrum.”

In an interview on SoPines Scene Radio Sessions last September, she told hosts Mary Stone and Frank Daniels, “I’m very proud of myself for how hard I’ve worked and how far in a year I’ve come.” And she’s put in the work.

In March of 2023, she competed in the Homegrown Voice competition in Raleigh. Her showing there brought her the notice of PCG Artist Development, a group out of Nashville dedicated to mentoring musicians through the industry.

Rose also hosts the bi-weekly Open Mic Night at Swank Coffee Shoppe. “Everybody’s welcome,” she says of the events, “it’s kind of a place where you can get out of your shell.” That’s important to Scarlet Tantrum.

“As an artist so hard, it’s hard to break through and just be okay with being vulnerable and letting your guard down and letting people see you.” And she creates that space, often opening the evenings herself to relieve the tension.

She extends that space through her music, using songwriting as a kind of therapy, and she hopes her songs can be that place for others. “‘Cause that’s what music does for me. And I want to be that song to somebody.”

She’s released three singles so far in 2024, “Brat,” “Paradise” and, most recently, “Not Worth My Time.” Her plan is to release another in the coming months. She has split her time between Nashville and Moore County, NC.