The one man army
What can you say about a guy that writes all of his music
and plays every instrument on his CD?
You could say a lot, but one thing that particularly comes to mind is
talent. Bryce Avary, aka The Rocket
Summer, has been musically involved since he was kid and his experience shows
in his work. Upon releasing his debut EP, Bryce has played numerous venues in
the
10 Questions with The Rocket Summer
- by Mattias and Dave-Os -
1. “The Rocket Summer” - That’s
a really cool name; what’s the story behind it?
B:
Well, I was really young when it happened.
I was 16 when I made my first record, which was an EP. We were about to put it out and my friend
suggested that I name it instead of just using my own name. He was reading a book called “Martian
Chronicles” and one of the chapters was called “Rocket Summer,” so he was like
“You should name it The Rocket Summer.” I just thought it was really
cool so it doesn’t really have like a super meaningful meaning. It was just kind of a casual thing that I did
when I was a kid.
2. So you pretty much do
everything when it comes to your music.
When did you realize you were so musically inclined?
B: When I was 12, I started playing drums and piano and I just got really obsessed with it. I made that CD and I didn’t have a band. It was just a really fun experiment, and I just ended up doing that to this point.
3. Who would you say is your
biggest inspiration for getting into music?
B: I don’t know…I’d have to say the Beatles, or as weird as it sounds, Michael Jackson or something. Just like when I was a kid, you know. Pre-weirdness, I guess. Pre-scandal left and right and stuff like that.
Dave-Os:
Do you still like Michael Jackson?
B: He still is cool. I guess he just has some issues.
4. What’s life like outside the
hectic world of The Rocket Summer?
B: I don’t really know *laughs* because it’s pretty much all we do. My wife is our tour manager and she does merch and stuff. We pretty much tour all year and play so many shows. When we’re not touring, we’re probably making an album. For the past few years, there hasn’t really been anything but [The Rocket Summer]. I guess whenever there’s days that we’re not actually doing anything, we’ll probably go to the movies and hang out with our families.
5. You received quite a bit of
success in
B: Man it was a blessing – the whole thing. It’s just really cool.
Mattias:
How’d you get so famous there?
B: I was on a label that was big there and I just got on MTV and stuff really [happened] fast. We just went back and it was awesome. I wouldn’t say we’re like super stars over there but we do ok. *laughs*
6. On your album “Calendar
Days,” you’ve got a track featuring a grade 6 girls
choir. What was it like working with
them?
B: It
was cool. My little sister was in the 6th grade when we did
that. She’s a freshman in high school
now, so it was a little awhile go. It was fun.
A little awkward, but it was fun. It was really weird trying to conduct all
these kids and they were all really nervous so I was like “<whispers>
sing loudly.” It was fun though. They were awesome. I’ve seen a couple of them at our shows so
it’s pretty cool.
7. If you could be cartoon
character who would you be?
B: Oh
man…I’m trying to think of the last cartoon I saw…
Mattias:
Well you’re pretty animated up there when you perform so…
B:
*laughs* I guess I could be a cartoon character. I guess a good parody would be like Mighty
Mouse.
Dave-Os:
Good answer. Everyone loves Mighty Mouse.
8. What’s better? Having three
arms or three legs?
B: Three arms definitely. Then you could do many more things. You could play several instruments…two instruments at once.
Mattias:
That’s so Rocket Summer.
9. Would you rather walk on
water or fly three times of your choosing?
B: I would fly three times, I think. I’d just be bored walking on water, but I guess if I was drowning or something that’d be good. Hopefully I’ll never have to think about that. If I’m ever drowning one day, I’ll probably be thinking about that question.
10. Who would you like to see on
Band of the Day?
B: Oh shoot…there’s so many. I’d probably have to say Maxeen.
Dave-Os:
How about someone not on the tour?
B: Hmm…I’d have to say This Day and Age. They’re pretty cool dudes.
In addition to being incredibly
talented, Bryce is an amazingly nice guy as well. I’m sure when it comes down to it, we’d all like to have three arms for our own personal
reasons. Another quick thanks to The Rocket Summer and everyone involved with
this interview. Stay tuned for more BotD
interviews to lick your knickers.
Catchya on the flipside, folks,
The BotD Team