A biography of The Rocket Summer
The Rocket Summer, although the name would indicate a band, is actually the name under which, American solo musician Bryce Avary releases records. Avary writes all the songs, plays all the instruments, and produces each of the Rocket Summer's songs. This article will provide a biography of the Rocket Summer.
Conception and history
Live performance
For live performance, Avary is usually joined by guitarist Seth Brewton, bass player Nick Aranda and Steven Padin on drums.
Origins
The name, The Rocket Summer, apparently owes its origins to the suggestion of a friend of Bryce Avary's, with the phrase coming from Ray Bradbury's fictional 'The Martian Summer'.
Beginning of his career
Avary had begun his musical career in his mid-teens, playing in a band at school, as well as playing solo acoustic gigs, in his home area of Forth Worth/Dallas in Texas.
EP
His first eponymous EP was released in 2000, and sold well in local record stores.
It was later re-released as 'The Early Years EP' in late 2006.
This set a pattern of releasing EPs at frequent intervals, punctuating the appearances of full-length albums.
Calendar Days
The Rocket Summer's debut album was named 'Calendar Days'.
Recorded for around $15,000, it was released in 2003 on independent label as The Militia Group.
The albums
Avary's second album was titled 'Hello, Good Friend', and included the song 'Brat Pack' among others.
The Rocket Summer's 'Do You Feel' was the next full-length album release in 2007.
Current activities
Extensive touring and popularity trend
Avary has supported each of The Rocket Summer's releases with extensive touring. The fourth full-length album was recorded in 2009, but only released in 2010, due to behind the scenes issues. It immediately went to number one on iTunes.
Lyrics
The Rocket Summer lyrics tend to be optimistic and upbeat, complementing a commercial, pop-based sound.
Downloading the album
Although, the band's latest release is a stripped-down acoustic live album, it can be downloaded for free from the band's official website. Entitled 'Bryce Avary, His Instruments and Your Voices', it came out in May 2011.
Sound of the album
The sound of The Rocket Summer has developed over the years, and has now taken on a much more 'indie' and alternative sound, with notably more mature lyrical themes.
Songwriting skills
Avary's songwriting skills have also been in demand in a highly commercial setting.
He co-wrote the song 'Stomping The Roses' for American Idol singer David Archuleta, with the song appearing on Achuleta's second album 'The Other Side of Down', which came out in 2010.