We are - Black Autumn Roses
David Peck (Glass) discovered hip-hop at an early age, and started writing his own raps at 10. He began filling journal after journal with verses, and performed his first original song at age 15. Solomon Welch (Solomon Z) started playing the bass at 11, and soon added more instruments to the list in the following years. He played his first live show in The Dave Yonker Band at 17, and that's when he knew, "...this is where I want to be... this is where I have to be."
Black Autumn Roses kicked off in 2020, during the height of COVID. David and Solomon, cousins and best friends, were in lockdown together. Before, the boys had spent years apart, even honing their skills in different states. Now, two young men with time to spare and a passion for music, it didn’t take long for them to discover what could be created when they worked as a team. "I was looking for an outlet," says David, "...a way to express things you can't just walk up to your family and say."
One night, after making up songs by the fire, the proposition was made. Solomon asked David if he wanted to try to start a band, and although hesitant at first, David gave in. The duo began to take writing seriously after completing their first song together in early 2020: Ezr. Using a backtrack played through car speakers, David rapped his verses and Solomon sang the chorus for a trial run. The boys realized they might have something special, and were excited to show their friends and family what they'd created.
In August of 2020, David and Solomon performed their first show together under the name, Dancing in the Fire, and adopted the stage names Glass and Z. After switching to Black Autumn Roses, the albums started coming out. With David’s lyrical gifts and Solomon's musical talents, they started building an extensive library of ongoing projects. The pair have since released 3 albums and 3 singles adding up to 40 songs in total, with more to come...
David and Solomon hope to impact listeners with their music by creating a sense of comradery. "I want to draw people that are like us," says David, "...that need some form of expression one way or another... to listen to our music and go ‘I'm not the only one.’"
Yin and Yang
~ Glass ~
Glass does the majority of lyrical work for Black Autumn Roses. Although singing may not be his strong suit, nearly all the raps and choruses throughout the albums are written by him. Growing up in a home where expressing emotion was not the “manly” thing to do, he turned to hip-hop and rap. Now, all of Glass’s emotions are laid out in his songs for everyone to feel.
“I was looking for creative ways to express those parts of me that weren’t so sunshine and rainbows.”
~ Solomon Z ~
Z orchestrates the music behind the words. He spends countless hours in the studio recording and mixing so that songs are not only meaningful, but pleasing to the ear. Whether playing or engineering, each instrument is artfully woven into every piece with the hope of reaching listeners from around the globe.
“Just to be a part of music, no matter what part I’m in... I’m expressing a part of myself and... most of my emotions through the music... rather than the lyrics.”
The goal of Black Autumn Roses is to not only reach people and create “good” music, but to affect listeners so that they truly feel something. Everyone has a story, and everyone has been a part of something they may not be proud of. But, just because you had a bad experience doesn’t mean that experience has to define you, it means you’ve lived. Express yourself, and don’t be afraid to feel your emotions. The artists behind Black Autumn Roses hope that you make it through whatever battles you’re facing, and that maybe their music can help you along the way.