History of The Rocket Summer
Do You Feel
 “There’s
a common theme on this record,” says Bryce Avary, the frontman,
songwriter and multi-instrumentalist behind The Rocket Summer. “Wanting
to do greater things for the world, and not just trying to be a
rock’n’roll star. I think we all have that desire but our issues and
daily life get in the way. These songs are about trying to overcome
that.”
Talk with Avary for even five minutes and you’ll discover a young man
who is the complete opposite of today’s rock star. He’s confident, but
humble. His attitude is undeniably positive in a genre that perpetuates
misery and self-loathing. And he sees the bigger picture – who he is
now, what it took to get there and where he wants to go.
He’s also freakishly talented. Do You Feel, his third full-length record
and first major label release, is similar to his previous work in that
he wrote and performed the entire album himself . It’s rock guitars,
sunny pop and a cavalcade of pianos. It is also possibly the most
energetic and upbeat album you’ll hear all year.
The ambition and drive that’s so apparent on the record have always been
a part of Avary’s personality. The Texas native initially fell in love
with music around the age of 12. “Originally, all I listened to was
bands like Superchunk and Built To Spill, indie rock. Over time, I found
myself just loving anything that’s a well-written song, anything that
touched my soul. It could be indie, Brit-rock, country, it didn’t
matter.
“Growing up, I was kind of a nerd, so I had a lot of time on my hands,”
he says, laughing. “So I got sort of obsessed with different
instruments.” After performing solo at a few cafes and house parties
around Dallas/Ft. Worth, Avary decided to record his first album. There
was only one problem.
“I didn’t have a band at the time,” he says. “So I recorded everything
on my own, but it was really out of necessity. Which is fine: I’m kind
of a freak in the studio. I get consumed with making music, seeing songs
from beginning to end. It’s probably best that no one is in there.”
So at the tender age of 16, Avary put out a self-titled EP as The Rocket
Summer. A local Dallas indie-rock radio show, “The Adventure Club,”
started playing tracks from the record, which caught the ears of indie
stalwarts The Militia Group. Two more records, Calendar Days and Hello,
Good Friend followed, along with the fans, who sing along to every word
of every song. Soon, Avary found himself headlining mid-size concert
halls.
Throughout all of The Rocket Summer records, one thing remains constant:
the vision. “Hope is a huge part of this and I want people to feel
connected to that.”
That attitude remains for Do You Feel, the first album The Rocket Summer
recorded for Island Records. Avary recruited producer Jim Wirt (Incubus,
Jack’s Mannequin) to co-produce the release with him. “I actually didn’t
know much about him at first,” Avary admits. “But then I heard some of
the records he did, and I realized how good he was with mixing things
like piano and heavy guitars. Plus, he’s so positive and gets really
excited about music.” He laughs. “And he’s not a jerk.”
As with Avary’s past work, Do You Feel is full of guitar-fueled power
pop, piano-laced ballads and big, big choruses. The horn-driven “So Much
Love,” the first single, marks a bit of a departure, and one of the rare
times Avary collaborated with other musicians. “We got the horn section
from Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The
Key of Life,” he says. “I love that album, so it was an honor to work
with those guys.”
Although many of the songs are uplifting, Avary doesn’t shy away from
controversy. On “A Song is Not a Business Plan,” Avary calls out the
industry and some of his music peers for looking at music as pure
commerce. “It is one of the few bitter songs on the record,” he admits.
“I wrote it the day we had to cancel our whole Canadian tour because my
van died – it was one of those days where I felt beat-down, working hard
for what we believed in, yet still sitting there, broke down and smoking
at the side of the highway! I got over it, but it felt good to get it
out. I think the bottom line is to stay true, even if it means I’ll stay
in the van a little longer. It’ll all work out.”
In addition to expressing himself with words, Avary is committed to
action. He is passionate about the charities Invisible Children (www.invisiblechildren.com)
and To Write Love On Her Arms (www.twloha.com).
There’s no denying that he’s on his way to making a difference in the
music world. “I do think there’s something special about The Rocket
Summer, something people can feel connected to,” he says. “I hope, if
you come see the band, that you come away from it feeling connected and
accepted in a way you haven’t before...”
The
Rocket Summer
felt the love on September 13th when they were announced as the User’s
Choice for Yahoo! Music’s Who’s Next program!
News Update
After a victory on Yahoo! Music’s “Who’s Next” contest,
The Rocket Summer finds
itself battling to be number one once again. The video
for the infectious, piano-driven “So Much Love” has just
been added to Fuse TV’s “Oven Fresh.” The video is currently up
against Britney Spears, Matchbox Twenty and Avenged Sevenfold, among
others, to keep its spot on the program. You can show The Rocket
Summer your love by heading over to
http://fuse.tv/tv/ovenfresh/index.php. Your vote really does
count!
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Listen to Music
"So Much Love" (Real Media - High)
"So Much Love" (Windows Media - High)
"So Much Love" (Windows Media - Lo)
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Wed 10.10.07
Buffalo, NY Evolution
Tue 10.16.07 Orlando, FL House of Blues
Wed 10.17.07 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Revolution
Thu 10.18.07 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Fri 10.19.07 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
Sat 10.20.07 Charlotte, NC Amos' Southend
Sun 10.21.07 Norfolk, VA Norva Theatre
Tue 10.23.07 Baltimore, MD Sonar
Wed 10.24.07 Washington D.C. 9:30 Club
Fri 10.26.07 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Sun 10.28.07 Lancaster, PA Chameleon
Tue 10.30.07 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance
Wed 10.31.07 Hartford, CT Webster Theatre
Thu 11.01.07 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
Fri 11.02.07 Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak
Sat 11.03.07 Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
Sun 11.04.07 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights |
Tue 11.06.07
Farmingdale, NY Crazy Donky
Wed 11.07.07 Worcester, MA The Palladium
Thu 11.08.07 Montreal, QC Le National
Fri 11.09.07 Toronto, ON The Guvernment
Sun 11.11.07 Pittsburgh, PA Club Zoo
Tue 11.13.07 Urbana, IL Canopy Club
Wed 11.14.07 Big Rapids, MI Ferris St. University-Wink Arena
Thu 11.15.07 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
Fri 11.16.07 Cincinnati, OH Bogarts
Sat 11.17.07 Cleveland, OH House of Blues
Sun 11.18.07 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargo
Tue 11.20.07 Nashville, TN Rocketown
Wed 11.21.07 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room @ Murat Center
Fri 11.23.07 Sauget, IL Pop's
Sat 11.24.07 Chicago, IL Rivera Theatre |
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