Biography
BOOKING: therocketboys@gmail.com
PUBLICITY: Brett Cannon|Paper Thin Media - brett@paperthinmedia.com
Usually, the western territory of Texas is not renowned as a musical breeding ground. But The Rocketboys, having spent the first years of their career in the unassuming town of Abilene, created an anthemic, ambient sound that matched the expansive landscape in which they lived.
Comprised of five guys who met in college, The Rocketboys formed in late 2005 and, over the next three years, somehow found time to record and release two E.P.s and two live DVDs, embark on multiple national and regional tours, and amass a substantial fan base in their home state of Texas, all while finishing their degrees.
Residing now in Austin, The Rocketboys continue to improve their signature sound, described by The Austin American-Statesman as showing “a mastery of mood and subtlety” and complimenting singer Brandon Kinder’s soaring melodies with “clear, ringing guitars and full-bodied keyboard arrangements, hard-driving drumlines and well-practiced transitions between calm and controlled chaos"
Soon after the band's inception as a six-piece, they recorded the “South Plains EP,” which contained the first four songs the band ever wrote. "South Plains" sold 1,000 units during a year and a half and has more than 2,000 iTunes downloads.
After a couple of semesters of building a local fan base, The Rocketboys were ready to take their music on the road. The band began touring regionally and played as many weekend shows as they could. Their audiences grew, as well as the demand for more songs.
In May 2007, The Rocketboys spent several months recording their first studio EP, “Sing, Bird, Sing.” Once released, the EP was an immediate success and garnered impressive reviews from such media outlets as The Onion, The Austin American-Statesman and HM Magazine. Songs like “Heartbeat” and “Do I Wake or Sleep?” became crowd favorites and quickly pushed The Rocketboys into the regional spotlight.
Over the next two years, The Rocketboys had the privilege of touring nationally and playing shows with such artists as Eisley, Grizzly Bear, Art Brut and St. Vincent, to name a few. They were invited to play a Dell Lounge tour and such festivals as Austin City Limits, Next Big Nashville, SXSW and Cornerstone Festival. The highlights of their tours included playing legendary venues like Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, Public Assembly and The Living Room in New York, and playing Stubb's and Antone's in Austin to sold-out crowds.
In late 2008, the band sought to take their careers to a new level and moved to Austin, a city in which The Rocketboys had seen previous success. Austin’s creative atmosphere provided a venue for The Rocketboys to compose their debut full-length “20,000 Ghosts.” Between January and June 2009, the band wrote and recorded a set of 11 new songs. On September 29, 2009, The Rocketboys released the album — engineered and produced by Louie Lino (Nada Surf, Matt Pond PA).
Describing the new album, guitarist Daniel Wheeler said, “’20,000 Ghosts’ displays a new range of diversity and maturity in our music, while maintaining the pop-sensibility that fans have come to love. We try to find the balance between a light, drum-driven brand of indie rock and darker, more atmospheric sounds coupled with lyrics and melodies you can’t get out of your head.”
The release of “20,000 Ghosts” will be followed by a North American tour and several festival appearances.
“’20,000 Ghosts’ is everything I wanted it to be. We poured ourselves into it and came up with something pretty special,” said Kinder. “I’m excited about taking this record on the road as much as possible this year and next. One day I won’t have to work at a coffee shop (sorry boss).”
Instrumentation
Josh Campbell - bass, voice
Mitchell Holt - guitar, voice
Brandon Kinder - voice, guitar, piano
Daniel Wheeler - guitar
Justin Wiseman - keyboard, piano
Discography
20,000 Ghosts (2009)
Live at Antone's CD/DVD (2008)
Sing, Bird, Sing EP (2007)
Colder Nights of Texas Live CD/DVD (2006)
South Plains EP (2005)
Links
| http://www.myspace.com/rocketboys |