The Rocket Summer is the rock solo-project of Bryce Avary who is based in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Avary plays every instrument on his records as well as produces them.
Overview
Bryce became interested with music around the age of 11, when his father bought him his first guitar from a pawn shop. He then started playing drums and various other instruments. After being in a high school "indie rock punk" band inspired by Pavement, Archers of Loaf and Weezer, Avary began performing local acoustic shows as a teenager in Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton. As Avary's local fan base grew, he released his first EP at the age of 16 in limited release during 1999. Distributing the EP himself under the name The Rocket Summer (the name inspired by Ray Bradbury's short story) to local stores to be sold on consignment, his music appeared on The Adventure Club segment of the KDGE radio station, and quickly became the most requested local band on the program that year.
With increased interest in the music from local, national, and international magazines and the EP selling in 5 continents, in 2003 Bryce produced and released his debut album Calendar Days. The album title comes from a line in the song "TV Family". Using a $15,000 budget, the album was recorded in Kansas on the label The Militia Group. The album was critically praised as being extremely uplifting, and included varied music (for example, the track "What We Hate, We Make" which includes the 6th grade choir that his younger sister was in from Texas). The album sold well throughout the United States and Japan.
In November 2004, Bryce began working on his second album Hello, Good Friend - the album title coming from the song "Never Knew". This album included more piano central songs than his previous album. The Rocket Summer has toured the US and Japan extensively and has gained a large fan base. The album was subsequently released by a Christian music label to Christian retail outlets. Although The Rocket Summer is not a "Christian band", and it is not immediately obvious in his lyrics, Avary is a Christian and lets his faith influence his lyrics and his music. Avary says that his faith is the most important thing in his life.
He signed with Island Def Jam Records for his third record, Do You Feel, which was released on July 17, 2007. The first single from the album is "So Much Love". The Rocket Summer has released the music video for So Much Love. On September 5, 2008, the music video for Do You Feel was released. The music video for "Do You Feel" was co-directed by Bryce Avary with director Nate Weaver. The video was funded by Avary. The video for Do You Feel featured stories of real people with "real issues" such as homelessness, addiction, disease and abuse. The video also featured cameos from artists Andrew McMahon of Jack's Mannequin, Matt Thiessen of Relient K, Josh Farro and Jeremy Davis of Paramore, Mike Herrera of MxPx, Forrest Kline of Hellogoodbye, Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low and Jonathan Cook of Forever The Sickest Kids.
While Avary writes and produces his albums as well as playing every instrument, he is also known for his hard work-ethic on the road. The Rocket Summer has toured - and sold out - the US, Canada, the UK, and Japan numerous times and have also been responsible for taking now popular bands such as Paramore, The Plain White T's, The Format and Phantom Planet as support acts. The Rocket Summer has also played many worldwide festivals such as Glastonbury Festival in England, T in the Park Festival in Scotland, Summer Sonic Festival in Japan, Oxegen Festival in Ireland, Austin City Limits, SXSW, Bamboozle and Cornerstone, and the 2007 Vans Warped Tour.
Other touring stints include a UK tour starting January 27, 2008 with The Secret Handshake and Between the Trees supporting. Before The Rocket Summer's set every night, Jamie Tworkowski spoke briefly about To Write Love On Her Arms. Beginning March 14, 2008 in Houston, Texas and ending in May in Cleveland, Ohio, The Rocket Summer co-headlined the Alternative Press tour with All Time Low, The Matches, Sonny, and Forever The Sickest Kids. The Rocket Summer returned to the UK with another headlining show beginning on June 28, 2008 in Yeovil and ending on July 16, 2008 in Birmingham. As for any tours planned for 2009, they will be co-headlining a tour with Forever the Sickest Kids, with mention that My Favorite Highway, Sing It Loud, and Artist vs. Poet might be present. This tour kicks off October 25 in Oklahoma City, OK lasting through until December 5 in Anaheim, CA.
After conclusion of the extensive touring, Bryce Avary took some time off to write a new record, what would become Of Men and Angels. He recorded the new album at Ocean Studios in Burbank, CA from February-April. He produced the record with CJ Eiriksson, who also engineered the album. Some of the tracks were mixed by Neal Avron. Though originally expected to be released in 2009 by Island Def Jam, the album has now been pushed to an early 2010 release and to hold fans over, the band is releasing a 4-track EP entitled You Gotta Believe on October 27.
Other projects
Musician and songwriter Bryce Avary, of The Rocket Summer, created a clothing company by the name of "Call It Captivate." It is a clothing company created to "express relevant art through fashion, to inspire, to educate, and most importantly, be used as an outlet to encourage people to give to those in need." Call It Captivate has partnered with several charities and when one purchases an item, the buyer gets to choose which charity 25% of the proceeds go to.
Discography
Studio Albums
EPs
References
External links
