Robert LaRoche

Sacred Vow

Omad Records

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Robert LaRoche began performing professionally at the age of fifteen. Originally from Holyoke, Ma. LaRoche formed the Power Pop sensation ‘The Sighs’ in 1982. After ten years of touring in New England, ‘The Sighs’ signed with Virgin Records and released their debut CD “What Goes On” in 1992. The album received critical acclaim and the single “Think About Soul” was a staple on the ‘Modern Rock” radio  charts throughout the summer. The band toured with ‘The Spin Doctors’ and ‘The Gin Blossoms’. Their follow-up recording “Different” was released in 1995 on the NYC Indie label Big Deal Records. The band disbanded in 1996 and LaRoche  moved on becoming lead guitarist and co-writer for Austin’s Patricia Vonne. They toured Europe and performed at the  prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in 2013, where they were awarded the critics pick for ‘Best Live Performance’. In Sept. of 2015, LaRoche released his solo debut entitled “Patient  Man” recorded in Austin Texas, with gorgeous Everly Brother styled harmonies. LaRoche’s song craft is influenced by  Buddy Holly, Del Shannon, and the aforementioned Everly Brothers. The ‘Sighs” regrouped in the summer of 2016 to  record for the first time in two decades; “Wait On Another  Day” came out on NYC’s Indie label Omad Records. In 2019 LaRoche followed with a six song EP entitled “A Thousand Shades”, bursting with irresistible hooks, LaRoche took the  listener on a journey of love and heartbreak, with a silver lining of redemption. In 2023, LaRoche released the ten song CD “Forevermore” also on Omad Records, produced by the  Oscar Award winning songwriter John DeNicola, once again  the disc received stellar reviews. September 2025 will see the release of LaRoche’s new ten song CD “Sacred Vow” on Omad Records, once again produced by DeNicola.

The band includes LaRoche, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, lead and backing vocals; John DeNicola, bass, Hammond Organ, percussion, Dulcimer, Harmonium, electric guitar, Clavioline, piano, Wurlitzer piano, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, Cello, Violin, Dobro, and backing vocals; Tommy Pluta, drums and backing vocal on ‘Downward Slide’; John Leon, Pedal Steel on “Sacred Vow”; and  Harmen de Bresser, Upright Bass on “Sacred Vow”. The album  was produced, engineered and mixed by DeNicola at Silver Springs Farm Studio, Upstate NY. All songs are written by LaRoche.

On the opening track “Cross The Line” LaRoche sings “Tear down  the calvary, When you can’t go on, Reveal and recognize, If it makes you strong. Face the demons, That dominate your mind, Voice of  reason, Leave it all behind, When you cross the line. Feel the rage, Coming Out of you, In disgrace, Finding out the truth…when you cross the line. The title track “Sacred Vow” includes the lyric “You made me whole, When I did falter, Restored my grace, When I did fall, You let me pray, Upon your altar, Helped me escape, These closing walls…Pride will pull me under, Till I embrace, Your sacred vow, Your sacred vow”; with Leon on Pedal Steel, and de Bresser  on Upright Bass.

On “Calling Me Back Home” LaRoche cries “Knocked off my feet again, Hanging on to you my friend, I can hear you calling me back home…Make a wish and close your eyes, Dream of love that never dies, I can hear you calling me back home”. “Mission Hill” features LaRoche as he chimes “High above the Mystic River, The truth did lay, In plain sight, It was the case, They couldn’t crack, But was no mystery, At all…Ooh nightmare im Mission Hill”.

“Downward Slide” features a backing vocal from Pluta as LaRoche moans “I lost my love, In the heat of the night, I lost everything I own, Looking back now, I was way out of line, Trying to find my way back home, Frozen in fear, I failed you dear, Now I’ve got to face it alone, Searching for clues, At the scene of the crime, Coming to a fork in  the road, I’m praying to the heavens, For this heart of mine, I’m trying to put the brakes, On this downward slide…” On “Very Last Call”  LaRoche chants “Tell me are we dreaming, Or is there a chance, We could fall in love again, It wouldn’t be a coincidence, My friend…You could be, My very last call, You could be, My trail light and truth, You could be, My very last call, The way I want you”.

On “Holy Roller”, LaRoche groans “Put your arms around me, Shake  me to the core, Your love surrounds me, Call me back for more, Cards are on the table, Take me through the night, Willing and able, To resist a fight, Til we discover, That we’re truly one, You’re my holy roller  Destined to go on. “Bottle In Your Hand” features LaRoche as he shouts “Slam on the brakes, Before you fall down, And fade in the darkness of the night, Same old mistakes, All over town, Afraid that you’ll never get  it right. I tried to make you over, But you don’t seem to want to understand Burn in the fire, You know you can’t escape, Dead with a bottle in your hand.

“Without A Trace” includes LaRoche as he bursts out “Out on the trail, Searching for gold, Looking for clues, In my fall from grace, I felt the light Slip through my hands, Without a trace”. On “Long Way Down” LaRoche chirps “Ten long years, In the wilderness, Still you can’t outrun, Your past, Where you’re going I’ve already been, Washed my hands, In the river of sin, Long way down, Long way…redemption waits”. On the closer,  “Nighttime Falls” LaRoche croons “I feel your love, Coming down on me, Tell me what you want baby, Tell me what you want me to be, Ooh, you make me feel alive, Tell me what you want baby, Tell me what you want tonight, When nighttime falls, Lying close to you, Tell me what you want baby, Tell me what you want me to do”.

LaRoche says “Songwriting, recording, and live performance are a force for good”. “Sacred Vow” is to be true to yourself, true to your craft…and hold onto a belief in a power greater than yourself.”

Richard Ludmerer
Contributing Editor/Making A Scene

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