The Rocket Summer

CTG: Musically, who were some of your early influences?
Bryce: I started playing guitar and stuff and drums when I was about twelve years old. I was really into Silverchair and Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins and Bush and all things alternative radio circa 1994. Then I got really into indie rock bands like Pavement and Superchunk... that's kind of what got me started. Then over time I just started, I don't know... it just opened my eyes to a lot of different kinds of music.  I don't really listen to a specific kind of music now - I'm just obsessed with it in general.

CTG: So if you had to have one song on repeat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Bryce: Oh, gosh... it might be "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel, or "Long December" by Counting Crows and there's a song called "I Spy" by a band called Guster.  Those are relatively kind of sad songs, but I would rather hear a sad song than a happy song for the rest of my life, I think, 'cuz otherwise I think it would be like too much caffeine haha.

CTG: Do you have any pre-show rituals?
Bryce:  Not really, I just try to warm up a little bit and just pray and stuff... that's about it.

CTG: You're basically a one-man band, playing each instrument when you record your albums.  Do you think your sound would have changed if you had a band behind you right from the beginning?
Bryce: I don't know... maybe... it's weird, 'cuz the band now probably sounds a little different from the record. I'm sure if we did it as a band it would have more of... maybe like a live sound I guess, depending on how it was recorded, but I don't know. It's a good question. We'll see if we ever decide to do it that way, which at this point, very well could happen.  I guess we'll see when we get there.  It's like the only person that's been with me forever is our guitar player.  Everytime we've made a record, it's like someone in the band has left like to go to college... even our drummer who actually ended up coming back haha.  But so everytime I've made a record that's kind of been the case.  So we'll see, you know, in the future.  I don't know. It's come up. I guess it's not broke so let's not try to fix it, but at the same time it could be great doing it that way.  We will see haha.

CTG:  Ok, so let's talk a little bit about the Alternative Press tour you're on right now with All Time Low, Forever the Sickest Kids, Sonny, and The Matches.
Bryce:  It's been a fantastic tour... it's been super diverse as far as all the different bands on the bill.  Everyone gets along great and the turnouts have been fantastic... it's just like every night it's been sold out essentially, and some of the places have been really huge.  It's just awesome and I'm really stoked I get to be on it and really thankful to be on it. But I'm definitely a little bit ready just to get off the road for a second just to start writing... I just feel very activated right now and I feel a little bit in the way.  I can write on the road, but it's definitely easier for me to just shut off from all things, and keep everything peripheral.  Just like, "This is what I'm doing right now" as opposed to, you know, soundchecks, interviews, and shows and moving and driving places and trying to find, you know, a place to eat and a place to go to the restroom or whatever haha, you know what I'm saying, like every day.  It'll be nice to get to that point for just a few minutes before I start missing the road again.

CTG:  So your wife, Tara, does she go on the road with you all the time?
Bryce: Yeah, she puts in, it's kind of crazy, she puts in so much work.  Not only does she sell merch but she actually like handles everything regarding merch like designs and graphics, and her biggest thing is she's actually been our business manager for the past three years.  She handles every bit of finance that comes in and out.  It's crazy, she's just kind of like, she's a very awesome person, very talented when it comes to that, and I've always been like "Don't do this 'cuz I just want you to myself" haha.  She's just really good.. she's like magna cum laude in university and all that stuff and she's just good at what she does on the road.  I'm sure that eventually, that will change, like if she's gonna always do merch.

CTG:  Well I know she's been on stage with you, right?
Bryce:  She has.  She's come on and played bass a little bit, but she's gotten too busy she doesn't really do that anymore.  I think we're gonna pull her up in Cincinatti for the last show.

CTG:  You recorded your first EP at 16.  Was there ever a point where you just kinda sat back and were like "Wow, this could actually happen for me"?
Bryce:  Yeah, I think, when I was really young, I just knew this is what I was gonna do... whether it was gonna pan out the way it has, or whether I was gonna be playing coffee houses or whatever in my home town, working at 7-11 or whatever, I just knew it was what I was gonna do.  With that said, every single day I'm just so thankful for what this is because I have it so much better than a lot of people ever get to have it.  At the same time, it's taken us so much longer than it has certain bands.  Half the bands that are even on this tour, you know, are really young and just blowing up and stuff.  I've slept on many floors and done that whole thing so just every day I'm just so thankful for what we have because I've kind of been doing it for so long. At the same time, I've always kind of known that this is what I was gonna do.  If you don't believe in yourself, you know, what's the point?  if you don't have big dreams... and I've always had really big dreams, so it's kind of like, you might as well try.

CTG: Do you have a favorite song to perform?
Bryce:  I think my favorite song to play live, right now, is "So In This Hour". It's the last song on my newest record Do You Feel, it's the last song we played tonight.  I just means a lot to me and it's kind of a change in scenery.  I think it's really honest and equally as good of a reflection of who I am as some of the more upbeat, happy, pop songs.  But you know, that's when I feel like it's real to me, so that's my favorite.

CTG:  On your website, therocketsummer.com, there are a bunch of photos of fans' TRS tattoos.  If you had to get one of your lyrics tattoed on you, what would it be?
Bryce: It would probably be the line "Not for me, but for my hope".  That's like basically trying to remind myself why I do this - not for myself, but for my hope.  I'm a very spiritual person, and that's something that even if I were to not do this one day, in life in general and raising a family and stuff, it's like not for me but for my hope.

CTG:  You've said before that the track "A Song Is Not a Business Plan" off of Do You Feel is a little bitter towards the music industry.  Were there ever times that you wanted to give up, that you thought the commercialism was going to take over?
Bryce: There were definitely times in the past where it felt like that. I haven't actually ever felt like that myself, but I've definitely felt, like massive pressure that would seem like everything pointed in that direction, but I knew that that wasn't what I was supposed to do.  There's definitely been times where I felt like everything was against me and everyone around me might have told me that maybe it was a sign that I should give up, but I've never really wanted to give up, you know, I've definitely been frustrated before plenty of times, but I dont know, this is what I do, and I'm stoked on it.

CTG: If you could play with another musician, living or dead, who would it be?
Bryce:  Gosh, there's people I would say, but you know I guess I'd feel so intimidated haha.  I would love to play with Stevie Wonder, but I'd feel stupid the whole time.

CTG:  Well you got to play with the horn section of his band on your new single "So Much Love", right?
Bryce:  Ha you're right, you're right, I did.  McCartney, or something but I'd probably just feel stupid.  So probably one of those two.

CTG:  Lastly, what's next for The Rocket Summer?
Bryce: Some time off, and then I'm going to the UK for a headlining tour, then a little more time off- and when I say time off I mean completely busy writing and doing other things haha just time off from the road and gearing up for the next tours and stuff.  And then we're gonna headline in the US this fall.

CTG:  Well, we'll definitely be there.