June 20th - July 3rd: RocketRocketShip
Anyone who knows me was probably wondering why I went through a whole year (that's right! We started doing features on June 1st of 2011!) without featuring these guys. The plan was to feature them sometime last year and we were gonna switch it up and everything but clearly that didn't happen. So originally, I had my friend Victoria ask bassist, Dave Shears, a few questions so that I could actually feature them in my magazine for a class project and then I said that I would post it as a feature on here at the same time as the album release.
RocketRocketShip's full length album, Your Best Kept Secret, is now out on iTunes and hard copies will be available at shows soon. I suggest you pick it up and take a listen, I may be biased but I think it's awesome, and fun fact: I did the album art/layout for it!
(This is a bit different from our regular features because like I said, I originally used it for a magazine project. It was also done back in March or so, but I don't think any questions are affected by that.)
FYCB: Hi, Dave! So, how was RocketRocketShip formed?
Dave Shears: Paul and I have been playing music together since we were 15. We used to have a hardcore band on the west coast of NL called "The Waterford Project". When that band broke up, we decided to move to St. John's and start something fresh. Which is when RRS essentially started. We then did up 15 demo songs we recorded in Paul's basement, and posted em online with ads looking for a guitarist and drummer.
FYCB: You have your first full length album being released in late April, correct? What was the songwriting and recording process like?
Shears: It was definitely a learning process. It was our first taste of what it's like to have deadlines when writing. At times it was admittedly stressful, but in the end we all made a record that we're really proud of and we can't wait to release.
FYCB: How do your new songs differ from the older material from your EPs? Has the band developed much since then?
Shears: Our new music is much more dynamic than [the] stuff from the old EP. We've learned a lot about adding little things that make a big difference. Our EP was very raw and basic, whereas this new album is well layered. I think more than ever too the band is working really well together. Before it used to be, "Learn each other's songs" but now it's more, "work on songs together". Not to mention of course we changed guitarists since the EP and you can really hear the influence Bryce has had joining the band.
FYCB: Right, how did Bryce end up joining the band?
Shears: Well our guitarist at the time moved out of town, so funny enough I posted an ad on Kijiji that we were looking for a guitarist. And if you know Bryce Smith, when everyone else our age are scanning through Facebook, that guy is doing the same on Kijiji. So we had him come out for an audition, and like a month later we toured with The Playdates with him, and everybody just got along really well on that road trip.
FYCB: And what are some other notable bands you've toured with?
Shears: The only two bands we've TOURED with are The Playdates and These Kids Wear Crowns. All the other tours we've done we flew solo. But we've played with some big acts like Marianas Trench, Lil Jon, Bam Margera, Girlicious, and Jay Sean.
FYCB: You've done a show with Ten Second Epic as well, right? What was it like playing with bands like Marianas Trench and Ten Second Epic? And the others, of course.
Shears: Ah yes, we did play with Ten Second Epic too back in October. All the bands we've played with have been absolutely fantastic. And I can't really comment much on Marianas Trench because we never actually got to meet them, since that was at a festival and it was a very busy day. But, both Ten Second Epic and These Kids Wear Crowns were two bands that helped us a lot. We got to sit down with a couple guys in TSE at that show and just chat about recording and what we need to do as a band. And I can't even start to explain how much we learned on that week with TKWC. That was a huge eye opener for us regarding what we're doing right, what we're doing wrong, and what we need to do in the future. Another band that we had a lot of fun opening for and got to chat music with was The Novaks.
FYCB: Any plans for the band's near future? Any big shows or notable tours?
Shears: Haha. We have something very big planned for this summer, that's all I can say right now. But it will be the biggest summer for us to date.
FYCB: Oh, interesting! So, back to your upcoming album. Is there any sort of message the band is hoping to get across to your fans through the album?
Shears: I think the message we try the most to get across is to enjoy life and have fun. This album is more of a thank you to everyone who has supported us in the past 3 years. When we first started jamming we never imagined we'd ever get the chance to do the things we've done. RocketRocketShip is all about reaching for the stars, as cliché as that may sound. The single off the album "Back Where I Belong" really sums up our musical career, and we hope it can have some meaning to other people who listen to it. Over the past while we've faced tons of adversity and had lots of people look at us and say we couldn't accomplish our goals, but we've never given up and that's what this album is all about. As the song states "Well I hope fate still owes me one, cause my heart it weighs a tonne, but I'm not giving up... So wake me up, I think I'm dreaming, think I'm dreaming again. We've had enough, we're standing tall 'cause we don't break when we bend. Back, back, back, back where I belong"
FYCB: Awesome. Well, thanks so much for your time, Dave. Is there anything else you'd like to add before signing off?
Shears: Thank you for the interview! And I guess all I wanna add is make sure you check us out on Facebook and Twitter. And keep on the lookout for new stuff from RRS. In my opinion we've only just begun to discover what kind of band we really are and we're working day and night on improving that. Planning lots of cool stuff for the near future! Xo!
Be sure to check out RocketRocketShip at the following links:
http://www.rocketrocketship.com
http://www.facebook.com/RocketShipBand/
https://twitter.com/#!/rocketshipband