Americana Highways is hosting this premiere of Rosie Flores and the Talismen’s song “I’ve Got A Right To Cry,” which was recorded at Cedar Creek Studios, produced by Rosie Flores and recorded and mixed by Andrew Hernandez and released as a duo single in July.
The video was filmed at Firefly Studios; edited by Adrienne Isom of Mule Kick Productions; and directed by Rick Mendoza.
“I’ve Got A Right To Cry” is Rosie Flores on vocals and guitar; Chris Sensat on vocals and drums; Mike Molner on lead guitar and Michael Archer on bass.
Rosie Flores dispatches bluesy styles with a healthy does of swing. This one is a therapeutic release. The video captures the band live jamming in a studio setting. The video appears just beneath the interview.
AH: You have a version of the Everly Brothers song, “So Sad.” Tell us about your level of fandom of the Everly Brothers. What’s the best feature the group had, in your estimation?
Rosie Flores: Of course, for me the harmonies are The Everlys’ best feature. I’ve also read The Beatles were greatly influenced by those close-knit harmonies as well as Simon and Garfunkel. So many groups had to be influenced as was I.
I heard them on the radio when I was 7 years old and sang along with “Bye Bye Love,” and I’m still singing along! Both Chris Sensat and I are doing more Everly Brothers songs as our setlist grows because it just feels so good to harmonize on some of those melodies written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant! We are both huge fans of The Everlys and The Beatles. Chris and I discovered that there is a unique blend between our voices. We picked the tune “So Sad” to kick our recording project off with. It’s been wonderful to hear it on the radio!
AH: Who produced your upcoming album, and what was it like to work on the album with the band?
RF: I am actually producing the Talismen! However we are all in this together. This group of musicians are stellar and very experienced in recording and playing live. It’s amazing to work with these guys and I look forward to completing the whole album over the next few months with original songs as well as a cover here and there. Talismen are: Mike Molnar, guitars, Chris Sensat drums and vocals, Michael Archer, bass and upright.
AH: What originally sparked the song “I’ve Got a Right to Cry”?
RF: My first single record to hit the Billboard charts in 1987, “Crying Over You” was written by James Intveld. We became very close and then a breakup was inevitable as he was a bit younger than me. So this song was inspired as an answer to “Crying Over You.” I co-wrote it with Nashville songwriter, Will Rambeaux.
AH: How did you form your band “The Talismen?” And tell us a little more about the band members.
RF: Singer and drummer Chris Sensat and I started working together during the 2020 pandemic as a duo for my weekly Wednesday FB livestream called “3’s A Charm.” We picked 3 Everly Bros. songs and found that “So Sad” sounded so good, so we decided to record it! Chris picked the band: Mike Molnar on guitar, whom he’d toured with as a member of The Bellfuries (one of my favorite bands of all time) and bassist Michael Archer who recently moved to Austin from Canada. They have been working together as a trio called Fausto Faucito so it was a ready made team to book studio time with! We went into Cedar Creek Studios with Andrew Hernandez at the helm and it turned out so well, we decided to cut another tune, “I Got a Right To Cry.” We then enlisted Archer’s wife, the very talented Emily Gimble to add piano to “I Got A Right To Cry.” The idea to put out an A and B single came from the support and guidance of Mule Kick Records who actually hosted my livestream on their FB page for over 50 weeks! We love Mule Kick and their enthusiasm for country roots and blues music, they are the real deal, as well as stellar musicians themselves.
AH: How did you come up with the very cool name “The Talismen”?
RF: The name came from Mike Molnar. Talisman is the word for a good luck charm and so he thought it sounded cool to change it to Talismen. We liked it and so we are now called Rosie Flores and The Talismen!
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