SINE is an alternative rock/electronic band created and led by singer and drummer, Rona Rougeheart. She has stepped from behind the kit to create her own strong, sexy female fronted project that weaves dance beats with industrial noise and layers of booming bass, synths and guitars into a mix of jagged textures and dark, lush fusions.

RONA ROUGEHEART was born in New York, the youngest daughter of a Taiwanese mother and Irish father. She grew up as a military child, living all over the U.S. and in Okinawa, Japan. Her father was a musician who taught her how to play keys and guitar. It wasn’t until later, she decided to take up drums on her own. Early in her musical career, she played drums for multiple bands in Austin, TX, catching the eye of Gretsch Drums who, in 2012, gave her her first endorsement. 

Gibraltar hardware also added her to their roster. In April, 2019, she landed a direct support slot for Peter Murphy in Orlando, FL for the 40th Anniversary of Bauhaus Ruby Tour with David J. The night seemed ill-fated when Peter was unable to perform, but was revitalized when she joined David J, Curse Mackey, Mark Gemini-Thwaite and Marc Slutsky for an impromptu performance of Bauhaus tunes. From that night, a new project emerged between David J, Curse Mackey and herself, to be released. She continues to write new music and work on future collaborations.

What’s your story as an artist?

I was born in New York, the youngest daughter of a Taiwanese mother and Irish father. I grew up as a military child, living all over the U.S. and in Okinawa, Japan. My father was a musician who taught me how to play keys and guitar. It wasn’t until later, I decided to take up drums on my own. Early in my musical career, I played drums for multiple bands in Austin, TX, catching the eye of Gretsch Drums who, in 2012, gave me my first endorsement. Gibraltar hardware also added me to their roster. In April, 2019, I landed a sole opening slot with my band SINE for Peter Murphy in Orlando, FL for the 40th Anniversary of Bauhaus Ruby Tour with David J. The night seemed ill-fated when Peter was unable to perform, but was revitalized when I was recruited by David J to join him, Curse Mackey, Mark Gemini-Thwaite and Marc Slutsky for an impromptu performance of Bauhaus tunes. In 2021, SINE collaborated with Meat Beat Manifesto to release a new remix and video created by myself and Jack Dangers. I continue to write new music and work on future collaborations.

What do you want your music to communicate? 

My music communicates the darker side of human nature – psychological manipulations, self-realizations, lessons learned or about deceptions and games people play. Sometimes my lyrics are ironic and have some dark humor…like a lyric in SINE’s song “Communion” says, “she’s the girl of your dreams in your nightmare”…I find that to be quite funny.

What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?

True life experiences of myself and others. I’m an observer of people and their behaviors when dealing with others, as well as their own lives. I think anyone can read my lyrics and relate…or know someone that the words seem to resemble…sometimes it’s even the reader, themselves.

Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?

There’s really not one artist I look up to more than others…I pretty much look up to anyone who is creating music and that’s willing to be so vulnerable in the public eye. I look up to those who know this is who they are and aren’t catering to something they’re not, just to gain favor. 

What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?

It was really hot summer in Houston,Texas and Depeche Mode was playing Southern Star Amphitheater at AstroWorld for their Music for the Masses tour (fun fact: they filmed part of their movie “101” that day). At the time my family had season passes to the theme park and with those, you got free concert tickets to their summer concert series. My older sisters were going to see Depeche Mode and my parents told them to take me with them because I was a bit young at the time to be roaming the park alone. As soon as Depeche Mode got on stage and that curtain dropped as they began the song “Behind The Wheel”, looking wide-eyed I said to myself, “that’s what I want to do!”. That show changed me forever…I listened to nothing, but Depeche after that show. I had to go back and collect their entire catalog and literally catch up with Depeche Mode – I think that was the beginning of me wearing all black, too! haha!

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about

Desire, Denial and Paramania, is an 11 track collection featuring select songs from SINE’s albums, INSOMNIÆ and Injected, recorded between the years 2016-2020 and includes collaborations with Curse Mackey (Pigface, Evil Mothers, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult), producer Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails, 3Teeth, Slayer) and legendary industrial vocalist Chris Connelly (Ministry, Revolting Cocks, Pigface) with remixes by Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto), DÐ (pronounced ‘deth’), and dark pop duo, NITE. 

I decided to put this album together, which is more like a compilation, because it has been since 2019 that SINE had a major release. I was also in the middle of recording my next album, Mantis, which had been delayed many months due to the pandemic. I figured it was time to put together all of my best music and re-introduce myself to the world and that’s why I came up with the concept. I’m truly glad that I did because Mantis is on its way to being something much greater than it would have been months ago. Mantis is now going to be an EP trilogy, the idea of scott crow, founder of the label eMERGENCY heARTS out of Austin, TX that SINE just signed with. They have been a tremendous help in getting me back out there. I’m so thankful!

What inspires your sound?

It’s kind of a mixed bag when it comes to what inspires my sound. I’m a fan of all great music regardless of genre. I often leave a little “tips of the hat” to artists or songs that I had been inspired by in my own music. Just in my album INSOMNIÆ, I have little bits of The Smiths, Duran Duran, Curve, Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Crosses, Recoil and even Patti Austin and Jack Ingram – I think that one’s an easy one to find haha!

My new music on Mantis was very much inspired by bands like Massive Attack, Tricky, Nine Inch Nails, Grace Jones and some dub music. 

What’s your favorite tune of yours?

Currently my favorite tune of SINE’s is called “Attack”. And I’m not only saying that because it’s the next single to be released off of Mantis 1, but I truly do love the tune. It came together seemingly on auto pilot. At the time I wrote the lyrics, I had been inundated with seeing so much turmoil and unrest due to the George Floyd protests on the news and on social media. The reports of continued police brutality and instigated violence by those trying to stir up the situation was just sickening to me. I did a lot of writing during those days. Although, the song is *not* about those times, but more about the idea of kind of being under “attack” by anger and madness in the world…the harmful underside of the human condition. In the lyrics, I also reference NEOWISE, the comet that passed by in mid 2020.

Where are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?

What I really want to accomplish as an artist is sustainability. Continued sustainability that allows me to create my music and art. That’s the ultimate goal for me. It’s not about fame. Of course there are many artist that I would love to work with and tour with, same ones as probably everyone – NIN, Depeche Mode, Deftones, Recoil (Alan Wilder), Robert Smith…haha! But truly it’s about creating my music and art, making a living off of it and not being held back by some other entity that owns me. I don’t know if that’s possible in the music business, but I’d like to think that I can achieve that. Haha! I would also like to play Europe one day and go back to Taiwan and play another show at Revolver. 

Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?

There’s always those, but that feeling doesn’t last long with me because I realize that I can’t give up. My brain won’t let me…it’s what I do. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

“Someone has to make it….why not me?”, said by Josh Homme. And I agree…why not me? 

Funny story about that…I saw Queens of the Stone Age in Houston a few years ago and met Josh backstage and told him how much I loved that quote. He laughed and told me the whole story behind why he said it. He said it was like in the Civil War where the soldiers would be facing each other in a line, ready for battle. Then, they would run head on into each other and fight through, some dying and some making it to the other side. I really loved that analogy with being in the music business haha! One day, I’d love to meet him again, preferably at a fest we’re playing together or something and tell him “look, I made it to the other side!” haha!

Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?

Being a digital version of yourself in a virtual realitease…