Your middle fingers are sure to be sore the morning after a Rumours show.
The hard-rocking, Waterloo-based punk trio’s act is a mushroom cloud of mayhem and defiance. On stage, bikini-clad frontwomen Carli Foxx (guitar) and Ela Rose (bass) split lead vocal duties, often during the same song, in between fantastic acts of axe-wielding.
“Don’t feel uncomfortable in your skin,” directed Rose from the xBk stage on April 9. “Wear whatever the **** you want and be confident in it! There are little girls looking up to you guys, they wanna ****ing see you be yourself.”
From over-the-shoulder, behind-the-head shredding to wrapping their tongues ‘round the jagged wire winding of their guitar strings, The Rumours' sheer dynamism is worth the cost of admission alone. But, that wasn’t always the case.
Fixing their “Bad Reputation”
Foxx and Rose sat perpendicular to each other in algebra class, which added up to a lifelong friendship. Immediately after graduating high school in 2015, the pair began jamming together as The Rumours.
The band drew inspiration from many rock groups of the '80s and '90s, especially those with an umlaut in their name. Rose was, and is, all about Motörhead, while Foxx discovered her north star at one particular concert.
“My mom took me to see [Joan Jett] when I was 14.” Said Foxx, “And the next day I stole my dad’s old electric guitar because I was like, ‘Yeah, I wanna do what she’s doing.’”
Just three or four months into their musical project, the pair received the offer of a lifetime. Little did they know their dream gig would spur a decade of nightmares.
FRYfest, named in honor of famed former University of Iowa football coach Hayden Fry, is an annual homecoming of sorts held in Coralville. In 2015, the celebration booked its highest profile headliner ever: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts. Rumours were somehow tapped to open.
“I think what happened was,” postulated Foxx, “they were like, ‘Oh, this is a band that has girls in it. This should work.’ Somehow we got picked and we opened for her — and it was horrifying.”
“We were terrible,” said Rose.
“Yeah, we were so bad,” said Foxx, who remembers stepping on a cable and unplugging her own guitar. “It was horrifying. She [Joan Jett] stood on the side of the stage and she watched us.”
Rose took a while to interpret Foxx’s gritted teeth and jerking head motions, blissfully unaware of the freshly-crowned Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s side-stage presence for quite some time.
“And then I finally looked over to my left and there is Joan Jett just staring at us,” said Rose, reenacting the moment with crossed arms, an open mouth and supportive nodding.
While Foxx’s recollection of the whole ordeal was hazy with regret, Rose is convinced they eeked a genuine smile out of the “Cherry Bomb” singer.
“She was probably like, ‘these idiots.’”
Despite how they felt their performance went, the fledgling band was greeted warmly by the rock legend. Foxx recalls Jett’s comforting, but authoritative presence.
“She was so cute and little, but at the same time she could take anybody out with just looking at them,” said Foxx, before shooting her shot: “Joan, if you hear this, let us open for you some time.”
“Give us another chance” said Rose. “We’ll be better!”
“Amyl and the Sniffers,” remembered Foxx, “if you’re hearing this, we’ll do better next time too.”
Rumors of a new member
Clint Wheelman joined The Rumours in 2023.
Born in Ankeny, Wheelman spent most of his life in Humboldt, returning to the Des Moines area in 2008 to play drums for local thrash metal band Dark Mirror. When Wheelman heard about the open position in The Rumours, he submitted a long list of credentials. Ironically, it was his experience as a wheelman that likely clinched him the gig.
“His email stuck out so hard to us,” said Foxx. “It was like, ‘Hi, I'm Clint. I have a passport. I've played with you guys before. I like to drive.’”
“Long distances,” Rose added.
“And we were like … ‘Does he like long walks on the beach?’” said Foxx. “So, [Clint] met all the criteria. I literally remember telling her, I was like, ‘I don't care if he sucks. I know he doesn't, but [even] if he does, he's perfect.’”
Murmurs of a new album
While its own existence remains shrouded in mystery, three singles from The Rumours’ upcoming third album have already been revealed.
“Bloodstains” was released in late 2025, while “San Francisco Coffee Shop Freak Out” (based on a true story) and “I Said No” have kept this year an exciting one.
We may also get one more single before the album’s eventual release. But, until they return from their European holiday, they’ll be taking their “sweet ass time.”
Europe dates and Chroma 63
Now in their 11th year, The Rumours have amassed two full-length albums, a bevy of frenzied singles and a following of grizzled, leather vest-wearing rock lovers, like those in attendance at xBk on April 9.
The trio will be heading across the pond at the end of May for several dates in the U.K. and Germany. This will be Foxx and Rose’s second transatlantic tour; Wheelman is looking forward to buying his first beer at a McDonald’s.
They are also set to headline the hardcore-friendly music, art and skate festival, Chroma 63, in their hometown of Waterloo on June 13.
This year's incredible lineup — featuring 15 other Iowa acts like Lipstick Homicide, The Value of Human Life, 10 Watt Robot, Running Man, Mr. Softheart, Greg Wheeler & The Poly Mall Cops, Druids and many more — is shaping up to be the summer's best locally-focused fest, nearly doubling last year's assembly of bands.
