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MUSIC REFUGE PHONE INTERVIEW
September 3, 2004

Interviews > Calling Bryce
A Exclusive Interview with The Rocket Summer

MR: Do you already have songs ready for the new album? some, all?

Bryce: its actually almost done. as it looks theirs probably going to be like 12 songs. i have to finish the lyrics on 3 of them. then go record it. im extremely excited about it.

MR: Do you think the album with be harder/softer sounding?

Bryce: I dont know. i would say its going to be a lot more rocking. at the same time a lot more gripping. so their can be parts that are super soft and also parts that are more explosive than calendar days.

MR: How did you come up with the name rocket summer?

Bryce: When i was like 15 or something i put out my first cd. I didnt want to use my own name and only people id heard is like the foo fighters. my friend came up with the name rocket summer from the first chapter of the Martian chronicles and i just went with it.

MR: Do fans ever tell you stories about how your songs affected them?

Bryce: Yea, yeah they do. its really bizarre. its amazing to see, for whatever reason, people that like love it. i hear a lot of stories. i feel very blessed and fortunate for that.

MR: How did the kids feel about being in your choir for "what we hate, we make"?

Bryce: They were pretty excited, to say the least. i think they were so freaked out it was happening. that they were at school and like recording a rock album, sort of a rock album, whatever this is.

MR: Whats your favorite song from calendar days?

Bryce: My favorite song would probably have to be either cross my heart, or tv family, or this is me. one of those three.

MR: I love the song "tv family", how did you come up with the idea for that song?

Bryce: I wrote the music for that song, i felt like i should write it, what i was going through. before i really understood the concept of Christianity, i struggled with wanting to be really good. not like anything like drugs or anything crazy. but wanting to be this thing unattainable. that was before i realized what it was all about. that’s kinda just like the idea of going to heaven and everything being ok.

MR: Did you grow up with your family going to church?

Bryce: Yeah i did actually. it hasnt been to very recently that i fully understood and fully a really had a relationship and it not just being going to church.

MR: Did you ever take instrument or singing lessons?

Bryce: The only instrument lessons i ever took was in high school. i was in high school drum line, learned how to read beats and stuff. never really took lessons on anything else.

MR: What’s your favorite instrument to play?

Bryce: The drums are really cool. but i like them all.

MR: Are you going to be doing all the parts on the new album too?

Bryce: Yeah, all of them except for like if we do some crazy things like orchestra and whatnot. but ill do the simple parts like guitars, pianos, drums and stuff. but this might be the last time i do that, we'll see

MR: Do you have the same band go with you all the time?

Bryce: No actually. but im sort of hoping that one day it becomes a fuller size thing. more of a band you know. but kind of waiting for the time and people to be right. for some reason it hasn’t been exactly right yet. i dont want to just throw a band together and have us break up or something.

MR: Whats the best thing about being on the road?

Bryce: Meeting people and playing shows. everything else kind of sucks. being in a van 8 hours a day definitely makes me crazy. playing shows in the different cities is cool.

MR: How did the shows go up in canada this summer?

Bryce: They were amazing, its so weird. since we hadn’t played there every before. our ottawa show was massively sold out. like 200 people waiting to get in. then theirs quebec where nobody speaks english and everybody was singing, like 150 people. the smaller shows in like london and toronto was a really great show. when we played london and that was like really small and that was fun.

MR: Who would you have come play a concert for you on your birthday?

Bryce: hmmm, i would have to reunite a band. like that dog or the rentals. but for bands that are still together, probably the cardigans. cause i saw them a few weeks ago and they were just magical.

MR: Do you ever have a chance to talk to people about your faith on the road?

Bryce: Yeah i do, people ask me about it like every day.

Author: bluekey
Date Posted: September 3, 2004