Recording sessions

The Cranberries worked on 19 tracks for the Roses album in Toronto and London between April and June 2011 with producer Stephen Street

Stephen Street

Stephen Street is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, as well as Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs...

, who previously collaborated with the band on Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?

Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We? is the debut album by Irish rock band The Cranberries. Released in 1993, it was their first full-length album after having released four EPs, and is also their first major label release. The album was written entirely by the band's lead singer Dolores...

, No Need to Argue

No Need to Argue

No Need to Argue is the second studio album by Irish rock band The Cranberries, released in 1994. It was the band's most successful album, and has sold about 17 million copies worldwide. It contains the band's most successful single to date, "Zombie". The album's mood is darker than that on...

and Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Wake up and Smell the Coffee

Wake Up and Smell the Coffee is the fifth studio album by The Cranberries. Released in 2001, the album has sold 170,000 copies in the US as of April 2007. Worldwide, the album has sold 1,300,000 copies by 2002....

. Seventeen tracks were finished for the album. Although not all tracks will be included on the album, the band intend to release every track commercially. According to producer Stephen Street, the recordings recaptures "the delicate darker mood of [the earlier Cranberries albums]". The album will include string arrangements.

First session (Metalworks Studios, Toronto)

The Cranberries recorded 15 tracks at the Metalworks Studios

Metalworks Studios

Metalworks Studios is a music recording studio in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It was established in 1978 by Gil Moore of the Canadian rock group Triumph.-Music Artists:*Alexisonfire*Adriana Lombardo*Jason Dawson*Kate Voegele*Demi Lovato*Fair to Midland...

 in Toronto (Canada) from 18 April to 15 May 2011. All album tracks, except "Losing My Mind" and "Waiting in Walthamstow", were recorded during the first session, along with "Someday", "Eyelash", "Serendipity", "In It Together", "Perfect World" and "Stop Me", which are planned to be released as bonus tracks and B-sides.

Second session (London)

The band and producer Stephen Street went back into studio in London from Monday 20 June to Wednesday 22 June, to work on four new backing tracks for the upcoming album. Two new songs, "Losing My Mind" and "Waiting in Walthamstow", were completed during this recording session. The name of the studio and the titles of the two remaining unfinished tracks remain unknown.

Track information

Asked about "Tomorrow", O'Riordan told Billboard that "it's about the way we sometimes hyper over-escalate things in our minds, overthink about things...when sometimes spontaneity and just jumping in is better. Tomorrow you might not have that moment back again. So it's really about moving on and also about kid of looking at the younger generation and how they worry about all kinds of silly things. They don't think they're silly, but when you're older you know better." A one-minute preview of the song was released on 31 July 2011.

"Astral Projection" is described as "a dreamy rock song which could be catchy", while "In It Together" "is a very feel good song creating the same type of atmosphere as 'Stars' — colourful".

"Schizophrenic Playboy" is a rock song dealing about the risks of sexual encounters. Noel Hogan described the studio mix of the song as "very James Bond". A one-minute preview of the song was released on 31 August 2011.

"Fire and Soul" is a ballad with drum loops and light electronica elements. A one-minute preview of the song was released on 13 October 2011.

The songs vary in pace and mood, from the soft and summery “Fire and Soul” to the reggae infused “Raining In My Heart” and the sweeping storm that rages within “Conduct Yourself.”
The title track "Roses" is described as a "very sparse [...], but a very strong track". The music was written by guitarist Noel Hogan few years before the band went back into recording sessions.

"Someday", "Raining in My Heart", "Astral Projections" and "In it Together" were planned to be included on the cancelled 2004 album. The band first worked on those titles with producer Stephen Street during some recording sessions in 2003

The Cranberries 2003 Recording Sessions

From February to May 2003, Irish band The Cranberries recorded material intended for a 2004 follow-up to the band's fifth album, Wake Up and Smell the Coffee . This material remains unreleased as the band decided to pursue personal projects and go into hiatus in September 2003...

, before re-recording them for the Roses album in 2011.

Live performances

"Astral Projection" and "In It Together" were first performed live in Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

, on 29 May 2003. "Astral Projection" was later performed in 2010 at some Latin American shows during the Reunion Tour.

On 18 June 2011 the band performed "Tomorrow" at the London Feis Festival for the first time. "Schizophrenic Playboy" was first performed in Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 on 16 July, at the Marés Vivas Festival, in Porto

Porto

Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...

.