INTERVIEW BY VIVIAN HUA
Where did the name The Rocket Summer come from?
When I was like sixteen, I made my first CD, and it was just going to be my name. Actually, it was like seven years ago, when I was fifteen. My friend thought it would be cool to actually name the project because that was such a… “crazy idea.” So I named it. He was reading a book called the Martian Chronicles, and one of the chapters was A Rocket Summer. So he was like, “How about The Rocket Summer?” and I was like, “Sure!” It was really casual.
Do you ever sing while playing the drums?
Um… yeah. I used to sing a song on drums for like a year and a half when we toured. We’re going on tour soon, and I’m playing drums for some of it, but I’m not singing. It kind of gets hard to sound good when you’re beating the crap out of drums and trying to catch your breath.
What inspired you to begin writing music?
Music itself was something I think God stuck in my heart, and [he] just made me want to do it really bad. I was like twelve or something when I started writing songs. I went to public school because I had been going to a private school. I met some friends who liked rock n’ roll, and I don’t know; it was intriguing. At that point, I pretty much started playing guitar and drums and started writing songs.
You didn’t grow up in a rock n’ roll family?
I didn’t grow up in a musical family whatsoever. We always kind of joke about how different we all are at family get-togethers. I grew up in like a Texan family – like, we would go hunt. It’s funny how we all turned out different.
Why did you decide to pursue this project in such a solo way, as opposed to having a band all the time?
When I was younger and in high school, I didn’t have a band. I was kind of like a freak when it came to just being obsessed about music. There wasn’t really anybody I knew that had that kind of fire inside them, so I was just sort of like, “Screw it. I’ll just make a record by myself, see what happens, and then look for a band.” Then I couldn’t really find a band. It never really clicked right. I don’t know why, but over a couple of years, it almost morphed into this. If I had a band that was perfect, it would probably become a band. I’m not super set on being a solo artist or whatever. It just kind of happened that way. It’s been really gradual and casual.
Tell me about your new album, Hello, Good Friend.
The album is a really good album, I think. It has like fourteen songs on it, and is a good representation of what’s in my heart – musically, spiritually, and lyrically – everything. I wrote Calendar Days when I was in high school, and I graduated and toured for two years after that. I’ve grown up a lot since then, and actually even got married. Had a lot of good things happen – some real life things, and some… not so good things. I think Hello, Good Friend totally shows how I’ve grown up musically and in life. I’m excited about the songs – if I can say that and not come off as pompous. I think it’s a good record, and I’m proud of it.
Do you have any expectations?
I expect it to become the biggest record in the… world, and if it’s not that, then I’m going to be totally disappointed. I’m joking. I don’t know. I think that if there’s anything I’ve learned about my life in the past year, it’s that you can’t really expect anything. I would hope that it would do pretty well and that it would touch people’s hearts. Hopefully I can just continue doing that, and we’ll see what happens.
Because you use pianos, does anyone ever compare you to Something Corporate?
Not really. We actually toured with them, though, which was cool. Maybe a little bit, just because of that. Maybe just the, ‘If you like Something Corporate, or if you like Ben Folds, or if you like Ben Kweller, or anybody who plays piano, you might like this,’ – like that. I’ve never heard that. I don’t think we write anything that sounds similar all.
What does the color purple make you think of?
My grandma. (Nervous laughter) Random. Cause it’s her favorite color. But um… that’s what it makes me think of. Or grapes maybe. Or maybe the California Raisins.
Any last words?
Thank you so much – I really appreciate your helping us out. Thanks for interviewing me, and come say hi.
Although The Rocket Summer may sound like a full-fledged band, it is in fact 22 year-old Bryce Avery ’s solo project. Don’t let his boyish good looks fool you. With a fiery voice and the ability to play every instrument a rock band needs, Bryce is a true musician by even the highest of standards. With this kind of street cred, it’s no wonder that Bryce has developed an underground following across the globe. We had the chance to speak with Bryce about his past, and the factors that propelled him to where he is now.
Where did the name The Rocket Summer come from?
When I was like sixteen, I made my first CD, and it was just going to be my name. Actually, it was like seven years ago, when I was fifteen. My friend thought it would be cool to actually name the project because that was such a… “crazy idea.” So I named it. He was reading a book called the Martian Chronicles, and one of the chapters was A Rocket Summer. So he was like, “How about The Rocket Summer?” and I was like, “Sure!” It was really casual.
Do you ever sing while playing the drums?
Um… yeah. I used to sing a song on drums for like a year and a half when we toured. We’re going on tour soon, and I’m playing drums for some of it, but I’m not singing. It kind of gets hard to sound good when you’re beating the crap out of drums and trying to catch your breath.
What inspired you to begin writing music?
Music itself was something I think God stuck in my heart, and [he] just made me want to do it really bad. I was like twelve or something when I started writing songs. I went to public school because I had been going to a private school. I met some friends who liked rock n’ roll, and I don’t know; it was intriguing. At that point, I pretty much started playing guitar and drums and started writing songs.
You didn’t grow up in a rock n’ roll family?
I didn’t grow up in a musical family whatsoever. We always kind of joke about how different we all are at family get-togethers. I grew up in like a Texan family – like, we would go hunt. It’s funny how we all turned out different.
Why did you decide to pursue this project in such a solo way, as opposed to having a band all the time?
When I was younger and in high school, I didn’t have a band. I was kind of like a freak when it came to just being obsessed about music. There wasn’t really anybody I knew that had that kind of fire inside them, so I was just sort of like, “Screw it. I’ll just make a record by myself, see what happens, and then look for a band.” Then I couldn’t really find a band. It never really clicked right. I don’t know why, but over a couple of years, it almost morphed into this. If I had a band that was perfect, it would probably become a band. I’m not super set on being a solo artist or whatever. It just kind of happened that way. It’s been really gradual and casual.
Tell me about your new album, Hello, Good Friend.
The album is a really good album, I think. It has like fourteen songs on it, and is a good representation of what’s in my heart – musically, spiritually, and lyrically – everything. I wrote Calendar Days when I was in high school, and I graduated and toured for two years after that. I’ve grown up a lot since then, and actually even got married. Had a lot of good things happen – some real life things, and some… not so good things. I think Hello, Good Friend totally shows how I’ve grown up musically and in life. I’m excited about the songs – if I can say that and not come off as pompous. I think it’s a good record, and I’m proud of it.
Do you have any expectations?
I expect it to become the biggest record in the… world, and if it’s not that, then I’m going to be totally disappointed. I’m joking. I don’t know. I think that if there’s anything I’ve learned about my life in the past year, it’s that you can’t really expect anything. I would hope that it would do pretty well and that it would touch people’s hearts. Hopefully I can just continue doing that, and we’ll see what happens.
Because you use pianos, does anyone ever compare you to Something Corporate?
Not really. We actually toured with them, though, which was cool. Maybe a little bit, just because of that. Maybe just the, ‘If you like Something Corporate, or if you like Ben Folds, or if you like Ben Kweller, or anybody who plays piano, you might like this,’ – like that. I’ve never heard that. I don’t think we write anything that sounds similar all.
What does the color purple make you think of?
My grandma. (Nervous laughter) Random. Cause it’s her favorite color. But um… that’s what it makes me think of. Or grapes maybe. Or maybe the California Raisins.
Any last words?
Thank you so much – I really appreciate your helping us out. Thanks for interviewing me, and come say hi.
Check out TRS online at www.therocketsummer.com!