Roger, Roll
Artist
Roger, Roll disappeared in 2010 after releasing the single Polaroid in Reverse to glowing reviews at a release show with openers The Lumineers.
He re-emerges 15 years later in Sweden for the culminating release One Thread, a 5-song EP finalizing an exploration of memory, entropy, and time, echoing influences from mid-2000s era Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, and Bon Iver.
Roger, Roll is the musical outlet of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Eric Peterson, who began releasing music under the moniker as a teenager in 2005. Through 2009, Peterson was joined at various times on stage in Denver, CO by as many as 6 other musicians--a revolving door orchestra that brought Roger, Roll's recorded sound to life.
It was during this time that the songs that would eventually come together on One Thread were conceived by Peterson and refined with the band: ruminations on the world's ceaseless entropy, our efforts to tame that entropy through photography and the written word, as well as memory's double-edged role in the affair.
Originally planned as a series of singles, the first (dubbed Polaroid in Reverse) was released in 2010 as a limited edition of 7" lathe-cut records. Roger, Roll co-headlined the release show with future collaborator Corey Teruya's Hello Kavita, and was opened by future household names The Lumineers.
Despite critical acclaim in the Mile High City and plans for further releases, Roger, Roll abruptly disappeared from the scene.
Now 15 years later, from the hushed beauty of Sweden's forests where Peterson is now based, and featuring Teruya and James Han (Landlines, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel), One Thread finally sees the light of day--the 5-song EP emphatically closing the door on Roger, Roll's first two decades, opening up for more music to come.
One Thread
Release Date: February 21st, 2025
*Recommended for radio play. All songs radio-friendly.
- Polaroid in Reverse
- Picture Perfect *
- Select Passages from a Dictionary
- Meaningless Pop Song
- One Thread *
Written, produced, and performed by Eric Peterson in Seattle, Stockholm, and Dalsland; featuring James Han (Landlines and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Wheel) on piano on track 1, and Corey Teruya (Hello Kavita) on guitar on tracks 1, 4, and 5. Mastered by Martin Ankelius at Cutting Room. Cover art by Biba SJ.
Available for pre-order on Bandcamp.
Best Use of the LP Format
Eric Peterson's final record in his brief but influential career as a Denver musician was lathe-cut rather than pressed in the traditional manner. As a consequence, the record is more delicate and will bear the marks of repeated listens; the songs will become fuzzier and eventually disappear entirely into white noise. And in that way, the record embodies its message: Polaroid in Reverse offers a contemplation on the world's ceaseless entropy.