The Record from Hackensack, New Jersey • 35

The sisters Roche come home with a new sound By Barbara Jaeger Staff Writer The Roches are going back to the beginning. Tonight, Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy Roche, who spent their formative years in Park Ridge, will perform in the county where they made their debuts. Maggie and Terre's first stage was the back of a flatbed truck from which they sang the praises of a local political candidate. For Suzzy, it was the stage at Park Ridge High School, where she sang in the school choir and performed in its musicals. Tonight, the venue is a bit different.

The Roches' lovely folk-rock harmonies will fill Englewood's Harms Plaza Theater, where symphonic and chamber music generally is heard. "We're looking forward to that show; it's a sort of homecoming for us," said Terre, who added that the trio's only previous professional appearance in Bergen County was at a concert at Ramapo College in Mahwah. For Maggie and Terre, who now make their homes in Greenwich Village, and Suzzy, who lives with her 4-year-old daughter, Lucy, in Rockland County, tonight's show brings the opportunity to showcase material from their most recent album, "Another World." I 1 -A. 1 The album marks a departure for the Roches. While the three-part harmonies are still present, acoustic guitars have been augmented by electric guitars, synthesizers, and electronic drum machines.

Sparse, sometimes moody, arrangements have been replaced by ones that are more upbeat and pop sounding. VUVr V. Mi I if- a A. ft. I sv -1 Is this an attempt by the Roches to reach a wider audi ence? "Yes, I guess we did try to make this one more accessi ble," said Terre, a bit hesitantly, during a phone conversation last week.

"But I don't think it's so much a divergence from our sound as an evolution of it." And, says Terre, the new material has been well-received by audiences at recent shows, where they are joined on stage by synthesizer player Libby McLaren. Regimen "Although most of our fans identify us with an acoustic ill fir -Vrv" Vt-I V- guitar sound," she said, "I think most of them like us to experiment and come up with new ways of doing things." She said that after the release of their last album, Keep On Doing," they began experimenting with several electron ic instruments, including a drum machine, and keyboards. Maggie has always been more partial to the piano than the guitar," said Terre. To write new material, the Roches follow an arduous regimen, setting aside every weekday afternoon from 1 to 5. "We just lock ourselves in a room, with a piano and various other instruments, and concentrate on Wnting," she aid.

"It's a tedious process, and a lot of times we feel we're not accomplishing anything, especially when all you have to show for all that time is a bunch of half-written tunes and yrics, but somehow it all comes together in the end." After the songs are written comes the task of selecting what will go on the album. For "Another World," the Roches vrote 17 songs, but only seven are on the LP. (Rounding out i the album are "Missing," a song by their brother, David; a wonderful remake of the Fleetwoods' 1959 hit, "Come Softly Me, and "Love Radiates Around by Mark Johnson.) Asked how they choose the material, Terre said: "It's not i true democratic process, with the majority winning all the The Roches: Suzzy, top; Maggie, left, and Terre. ime. If someone doesn really want to do a particular song, ve usually don't." As with their three other albums, the songs that work est on "Another World" are the ones that are somewhat lutobiographical.

Particularly touching is "Older Girls," a and it's a fact that they order what's herrd on the radio." Terre said the Roches are considering leaving Warner Bros, for another label. "I guess you could say we've got the seven-year itch." she said. "But our work Is very important to us. and we would like to be able to continue. I think if we plan things right, everything will work out." omposition by Terre and Suzzy that with a clever bit of ialogue poignantly captures the problems and frustrations women who "have a crop of growing kidsmost of the uarriagcs on the skids." They were signed by Warner Bros.

Records in 1978, but Terre said that the company has made little effort to promote them. "The don't see us as one of their mainstream acts," she said. "And consequently we haven't been really promoted. "For us, it's frustrating to get to a town and play and then hear from the people that our records are not available in the stores." "The publicity department has aggressively promoted the Roches," said Liz Rosenberg, director of publicity for Warner Bros. Records.

"A lot of people have worked very hard for them. "The response, however, has Just not been there on the radio level. It's up to stores to order what records they want, 'romotion Tickets fur the 8 p.m. show are $13.50 ami are ocai'l-uhle at the box office, (30 N. Van Brunt the Capitol Ttieatre box office in Passaic, Ticket Master outlets, or by calling Ticket Master Charge at (S00) 6H2-80S0 or (212) J07-717J.

"We've always written from our experiences," said erre. "And now that we're almost all in our thirties Maggie 34, Terre, 32, and Suzzy, 29, this is something we've seen ffecting women our age." The Roche sisters have reached a professional crossroad..