|
Interview with The Rocket Summer
By: Meagan Rockne
 >Don't be fooled by the name. The
Rocket Summer is not really a band, but rather the musical
talent of 22-year-old Bryce Avary. This is a kid who has
been making music and performing around his hometown of
Dallas, Texas since he was 14 years old.
Bryce was on tour with Umbrellas and Brandtson promoting
his current CD, Calendar Days, and his
soon-to-be released album, Hello, Good Friend,
both out on The Militia Group. NowOnTour caught up with
him after his set where we discussed his forthcoming CD, his
live show, girl bands and the cinematic genius of
Ladybugs. Or at least we made an attempt to,
that is when we weren't being interrupted, (cough) Matt
Traxler (coughs.)
NowOnTour: I'm gonna go straight to the
hard-hitting questions right now.
Bryce Avary: Okay.
You went to the UK with The Ataris and then you
went to Japan with Ash.
No.
No?
We've been to Japan three times, but we toured America
with Ash.
Okay. Anyway, you've been to Japan. It doesn't
matter who it was with. So now comes the really, really hard
question: Who has the better candy, the UK or
Japan?
Japan. Yeah, I think that...well...It's totally a different thing
being in Japan. It was really surreal because we were being
treated extremely well - we had a bus and all this stuff. It
was insane. People were brining us gifts at every show. And
in the UK, it was, like, such hard, hard work.
But they have better candy.
Do they? I didn't try any of their candy.
You're gonna have to go back and I'll give you a
list of the candy that you need to have.
Yeah? I definitely should do that then.
What's the strangest food that you've ever eaten
on tour?
The strangest food I've ever eaten on tour would have to
been in Japan, I had cow tongue. That was definitely the
weirdest.
Your new CD comes out on May 17. On
Calendar Days you played all the instruments;
did you do the same for Hello, Good
Friend?
Yes.
Are you a perfectionist?
Yes, to an unhealthy degree. It started as a necessity
because I didn't have a band and then it morphed into that,
kinda. But, you know, I'm not like a crazy perfectionist.
Wait, yes I am. I'm praying for help in that area so I don't
drive myself nuts.
From what I've heard of the new album it
incorporates a lot more piano. Why the change from guitar
to piano?
I think for the six years I've been writing, I've been writing
on guitar and then, I don't know, I just really got into piano.
We'll see what the next record will be but I don't know. It's
kinda half and half, honestly. There's more piano then on
Calendar Days but it's like half on piano, half
on guitar. I mean, all the songs have guitar, like, a lot of
guitar in them but not as nearly guitar centered.
Your tour ends the beginning of May but the album
doesn't come out until May 17, why did you do that? It's
really annoying to go see a show and the band plays all the
new songs and they're good and then you get the album and
then you start loving them and then you kick yourself
because you didn't appreciate it.
Well, I had nothing to do with that and we only played two
songs off the new record tonight, so we wouldn't do that to
people. We wanted to play the ones people know. And we're
gonna go on tour very soon. We're gonna be back this
summer.
Who are you going on tour with?
We're doing a little mini-tour with Gatsby's American Dream.
But that's only gonna be for two weeks and we're not coming
here [Salt Lake City]. We're gonna be back this summer. I
wish I knew how to answer with you and whatever, but I
don't. So... We'll see.
Since The Rocket Summer is just one person, you,
have you ever had a confused fan ask about the rest of the
band? Do people not realize that it's just you?
Definitely. Sometimes. It used to happen. It usually only
happens when we open up for somebody and they don't
know who we are. But we've never really opened for many
people, so not really.
When you go on tour, how do you pick out your
band?
Seth played guitar with me, he's been doing it for over a
year and it's pretty much a solid thing. And then Jed, my
friend who plays bass, he's been playing for a month. And
Jared who plays drums, I just called him. I mean, I did it
with the intention of maintaining it that way but a lot of the
times it doesn't work out that way.
Have you ever thought about just getting a band?
Yeah. Completely. Everyday. But we'll see
(laughs).
You get a lot of hype for your live show. I read it
as being described as "breath taking, full of energy and
more fun than show's should be." Does that make you
nervous? Do you now feel an enormous amount of pressure
to have it be like that?
(laughs) I wonder who said that. I think that's cool. I hope
I'm living up to that quote but I don't know.
If it sucked, can I tell you?
Yeah.
Okay
Did it?
No. Not at all.
Okay. You're making me nervous.
What's the worst thing that's ever happened on
stage?
Stuff I don't want to talk about. (laughs)
Like?
Like stuff that I don't want to talk about.
Okay, give me not the worst but a common
occurrence that's slightly embarrassing.
A common occurrence...I don't know. Hold on (Bryce's wife,
Tara, reminds him of an embarrassing situation.) My voice
cracking. Definitely embarrassing. That happens all the time.
Thanks. That happened tonight. It happens almost every
night. I feel really embarrassed every time it happens. I
mean, I've had worse. I've had bad things happen, like
getting attacked on stage, but like...
Attacked?
That's never fun to talk about.
You started on the music path at a really young
age, how old were you when you decided that music was
something that you really wanted to pursue?
I always kinda wished it would happen when I was a little
kid, but when I was 12 my dad got me a guitar at a pawn
shop and it was right at that moment pretty much. Yeah, I'm
deathly afraid of not doing this because I would
have no idea what I would.
Is this something you would recommend, would it
have been better if you were older?
No. I mean, I'm glad that I got started young because this
isn't where I'd be if I started now. It takes so long; it takes a
really long time.
How old are you now?
I'm 22. I put out my first EP when I was 16.
Do your parents ever ask you when you'll grow out
of this phase and get a real job?
No. I'm actually married and out of my house and I have
been for a year so that doesn't ever happen anymore but to
answer your question, no. They're pretty cool.
Were they like that in the past?
They were when I was young and stuff, when I was trying to
play "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or something when I should
have studying.
What bands are you currently impressed with that
are out now?
Currently impressed with, that are out now....
Like, if you saw them, you would turn into a
14-year-old girl and probably start crying.
Well, I did that when I saw The Cardigans... (At this point,
Bryce gets distracted by Matt Traxler, the guitarist for
Brandtson and they talk about how Bryce went up into the
sound booth during Brandtson's set and sang back-up vocals
for one of their songs.) Who has impressed me? The
Cardigans and...bands that I would cry if I saw...I like them
a lot...other bands that would make me cry are bands that
have broken up, like...I would cry if I saw That Dog. Do you
know who that is? And like, I would cry if I saw The
Sundays. I've just named three girl bands. Let's see, who
else would I cry if I saw....
That's okay, girl bands are good.
I know, I obviously have a love for them. Let's see...I'm
trying to think. Oddly enough, I'm not a really big fan of the
whole 'hipster' thing but we went and saw our friends Ash a
few weeks ago and The Bravery was opening for them and
that band was awesome. They were so good. And I had seen
them on TV and I was just like, I didn't really get it...It's just
a hip thing, you know, one of those things. But then I saw
them live and it was so good. The Bravery's
really cool.
It seems that indie is big money right now. Do you
think it's easier to break into the music business because of
it?
I don't know. I never knew it was big money. I
wish it was big money.
If you're indie, you get signed like that
(snaps.)
That doesn't mean anything about money, unfortunately. I
wish it did.
Record labels are making bank off of
it.
Yeah, record labels are definitely.... Yeah, indie's the thing -
Indie music on all accounts, whether it's indie rock or
independent labels putting out hardcore.
Do you consider yourself indie
rock?
Somewhat, yeah. Half indie rock and as weird as it sounds,
but kinda pop.
I was looking through some of your bio stuff and I
was looking at this picture of you and a lake and you looked
a lot like Jonathan Brandis, the actor.
Oh my gosh.
He was in that Ladybugs movie. Do
you remember that movie?
Yeah. He's not around anymore.
Have you ever had the desire to dress up like a girl
so you could play soccer...
So I could play soccer with Rodney Dangerfield.
And then end up with a crush on one of your
teammates?
I've never thought of that. I remember when I saw that
movie though - good stuff. No, but that's a very interesting
question.
Sorry. When I thought of it, it made me laugh so
hard.
(laughs) That's funny. Yeah, we were in LA when he died. It
was really weird. Yeah. What a weird way to end this. Hold
on, hold on. Thank you so much for doing this and I
appreciate it beyond belief and thank you for driving and
drive home safe, okay?
|
|
|
|
|
|
