Spider + Octopus

Members of the Pensacola freshman group Paper Scissors Rocketpack are going on record calling themselves obscure. The truth of the matter is their popularity is growing each day, especially those days in which they perform three shows.

Over the past five months, band members have been working hard on the group's mellow creations, playing at such venues as Sluggo's, The Handlebar and the Arts Council of Northwest Florida's Outside Art Fair.

What keeps them going? Let's just say it directly involves Mexican cuisine. Drummer Bob Alston recently shed some additional light on the group's direction.

IN: You said on your MySpace page you're obscure, but you've managed to gather a list of over 2,000 friends. How obscure are you?
ALSTON: We are as obscure as the sound of one hand clapping.

IN: There are some familiar names in Paper Scissors Rocketpack. What were you guys up to before this gathering of talent?
ALSTON: We were writing, sleeping, working, going to school and playing independently of each other. It's only been about five months that the pieces have all been put together.

IN: You've just started recording. How's that going?
ALSTON: It's going well. We will be finishing the album this summer and it will be out around the middle of this fall. We will most likely release an EP sometime this summer, though. For the kids, of course.

IN: You've said you're at home on stage, and you've played on a few different stages. What kind of crowd do you prefer?
ALSTON: We love to play for crowds with open minds and open wallets.

IN: You've been on the flyers with some very decent groups. How is it sharing the bill with some of those talented regional acts?
ALSTON: It's good. The bands in Pensacola are pretty competitive, but most of the new bands in town are bucking the trend. One can hope that this supportive mantra can help bring Pensacola music back to life. And in turn, help make the bands from Pensacola more successful.

IN: What secrets of the trade have you picked up from them?
ALSTON: That if we are nice to them they will sometimes let us borrow equipment.

IN: So your record is 1-1 with the weather in outside gigs. How was the atmosphere at the Outside Art Fair recently?
ALSTON: The funnel cakes smelled delicious. And it was gorgeous weather.

IN: You're on the radar now with your "Pensacola tour." Any future plans to go regional? National? Global?
ALSTON: We are already making plans for space travel.

IN: In fact, you guys are working pretty hard-three shows in one day on occasion. What's fueling that work ethic?
ALSTON: Coffee, frequent catnaps and tacos. Lots of tacos.

IN: So who's the biggest band member fan of blogging?
ALSTON: Ronnie, our electric guitarist. He likes the interwebs.

IN: There are a lot of talented indie/folk bands in Pensacola. What are you guys doing to set yourself apart from those acts?
ALSTON: Showing up on time and bathing.

IN: I would be remiss if I didn't ask about the band name.
ALSTON: I would be remiss if I said anything. I wasn't yet in the band when it was named. But I do think it's pretty catchy. - IN Weekly

NEW ACT ON THE RISE
by Joe Pantalones

In music, good things often come to an early end. The Cripple Lilies broke up last year, and in doing so, were labeled the IN's "Best Band that Broke Up." But sometimes, great things come out of a break up. Paper Scissors Rocketpack hopes to become the proverbial phoenix rising from the smoldering remains of The Cripple Lilies.

The four-piece band is one of the most active new groups on the Pensacola scene and is led by guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Chad Bishop. He is joined by drummer/programmer Brandon Warren; bass/keyboard/synthesizer player Brandon Clarkson; and guitarist/keyboard player Aaron Finlay. The IN caught up with Bishop as they are preparing to go on tour before producing a new album.

IN: Describe Paper Scissors Rocketpack's sound to the uninitiated.
BISHOP: I would kind of describe it as singer/songwriter folk music. But these guys have done a whole lot to change it. Everyone really brings something different to the table. I like folk music quite a bit. Brandon Warren likes a wide variety of stuff. He really loves jazz and is a trained jazz musician. He also listens to a lot of indie-rock. Brandon Clarkson listens to ELO and a lot of that older 70's rock. Aaron listens to just about everything. I think in the end, it's just-song by song-whatever we want it to be. Some of the new stuff we're about to record goes from 70's soul to straight up folk music with some indie-rock songs in between.

IN: How do you utilize the synths and programming? Do you incorporate fully programmed drumbeats? Or do you just use the synths for more of an ambient backdrop?
BISHOP: We're starting to use programmed beats in addition to the live drumming. Brandon will program stuff that isn't necessarily a full-blown drum beat with a kick and a snare; it'll be more patterns of sounds triggered by him at different parts of the song. Pretty much everyone in the band will play the synthesizers at different points.

IN: Are you excited about being able to do another tour?
BISHOP: Yeah. We're going to do 10-12 dates in March, then take a few weeks off, and then another 10 to 12 in April. Then we're planning on taking the summer off and just doing shows that we want to do instead of pushing ourselves so hard to tour. I think this'll be our fourth or fifth tour since the album was released in September. We just got back from a four-week tour of the Midwest and Northeast. It was freezing! It was like -33 in Wichita.

IN: Were the shows better than the weather?
BISHOP: The Northeast is really hard because in cities like New York and Buffalo, they have established scenes with a million bands and a million clubs. You could spend your whole life just playing one of those cities. But the Midwest was really good with the exception of Des Moines. We played about six shows around the Midwest, from Wichita up through Minneapolis. They all went really well. The Midwest has a really awesome kind of concert going crowd. They want to see shows and they're not going to stay home because they haven't heard of you. They're a little more willing to discover things, I guess.

IN: Have you done any of the digital distribution yet?
BISHOP: I have in the past but not with this present album ("Escapist vs. Exit"). I may in the future. It was very successful when I did it in the past. I'm still getting checks in the mail for downloads of the Cripple Lilies album.

IN: What do you see in the band's future?
BISHOP: I really hope we'll have time to record the albums as close to the way that we want to. I want to have all the hard work end up helping us sustain our lifestyle so that we can continue to play music. It'd be nice to alleviate the constant struggle of having to go on tour or find a job. Although some of the struggle is necessary.

IN: Do you enjoy touring?
BISHOP: I do; I enjoy it quite a bit. But at the same time, I hate it. I think this last tour kind of showed me the side that I don't like. It was so cold. I'll never tour the Northeast in the winter again. I do love being in different places every day and playing for different crowds. When we're on tour, we're usually promoting something and we're playing anywhere between 10 to 20 songs for six weeks straight. By playing in a different place every night, the songs and the experience are new. I love that.

IN: How do you guys stay entertained on the road?
BISHOP: We take probably 50 CDs between us when we go on tour. And by the second week we're so sick of everything we end up listening to talk radio all day.

IN: Who's your favorite talk radio personality?

BISHOP: I really like Bill O'Reilly. He just pisses me off. It only takes him about four minutes before I'm throwing things around the car. I can't stand that guy. But he's just so asinine in his comments that I have to listen. - Pensacola IN Weekly

The Cripple Lilies fell into my lap three months ago after they sent a letter to the owner of The Saddle Creek Bar (where they're playing Saturday night), which found its way to my in-box, asking for suggestions for locals to open their show.

I clicked to thecripplelilies.com and checked out their music. What came to mind was Mal Madrigal, Midwest Dilemma, and just about any of the lighter, folkier bands from the Saddle Creek stable (the Azure Ray off-shoots, Bright Eyes, etc.). Of course, none of them will be opening the show (The openers are a couple bands I'm unfamiliar with -- Audrey and Barn Burning).


Their new record, La Bete, was co-produced by David Barbe, formerly of Bob Mould's band, Sugar, and recorded at his Chase Park Transduction studios in Athens, a facility co-operated by Andy Lemaster of Now It's Overhead. Pretty good pedigree. After talking to Cripple Lilies frontman Chad Bishop, I discovered he was once fired by Dave Dondero -- an artist that records on Conor Oberst's Team Love label.

"I played mandolin with Dave for about five minutes until he kicked me out of his band," Bishop said. "Actually, I'm not even sure he made the decision to kick me out, but I really wanted to go on tour with him. Instead, he took the rest of my old band, Flat Broke Folk, and renamed them Dave Dondero and the Entire State of Florida."

Dondero lived around Pensacola -- where The Cripple Lilies hail -- for about five years. With that in mind, you'd think the beach town, located an hour southeast of Mobile, Alabama, on the gulf side of Florida, might be some sort of indie music hotbed. Nope. "Most of the bands in our scene are hardcore, punk, metal and hippie jam bands," Bishop said. "We don't fit into it."

Started two years ago with his girlfriend, Elizabeth Lopiccolo, Cripple Lilies plays gorgeous, easy-going, multi-instrumental indie folk reminiscent of Kings of Convenience, Cat Stevens or, yes, recent (i.e., alt-country-flavored) Bright Eyes, complete with layered harmonies, smart lyrics and lush arrangements. They effortlessly create carefree melodies that go from my ears directly to my right foot, which bounces up and down involuntarily to their beat. The instruments are plain ol' piano, flute, bass and drums, maybe a few guitars.

They spent a couple years playing up and down the gulf coast at places like The Green Turtle and The Hammerhead, lounges inhabited by hard-drinking locals who came to Florida to escape everyday life. "They would wind up following us back to wherever we crashed that night, passing out on the couch," Bishop said "It was like being in a Steinbeck novel."

That was followed by a Midwest tour opening for Tom Feldmann & the Get-Rites, "an old-timey blues stomp band," Bishop said. "They play at all the Folk Alliance places, so people always headed for the door when we start playing." Yikes.

Bishop and Lopiccolo wound up recording at Chase Park after hearing recommendations from fellow Pensacola bands This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb and The Deadly Fists of Kung Fu, both of whom had recorded there. Dave Barbe's co-production style consisted mostly of giving fatherly advice. "He's a little league baseball coach part-time," Bishop said. "He took that route encouraging us. He knew when to push and when to back off. He was a great influence."

Together, Barbe and the band tried to create a warm, late-'60s early-'70s analog folk sound. They wound up with a recording that has unusual depth and an organic quality that feels like they're playing across from you in your living room.

Released by Minneapolis label Magnolia Recording Company (owned by Tom Feldmann), La Bete has received almost no critical notice. In fact, Google "Cripple Lilies" and you'll find little more than their website, their myspace and a press release. Like every other band that's done it on their own, Cripple Lilies are struggling to get attention, but Bishop doesn't sound too concerned about it.

"People are hot and cold over us, there's no in between," he said. "It's hard to generate interest with industry people, hard to get them on board with where we're going. We're not doing a lot of screaming; we're not running with a lot of trends."

Bishop said they're motivated by the DIY way of life. "We watched all the work that Dave Dondero did," Bishop said. "He spent quite a few years struggling before he hooked up with people who understood what he was doing. We're making art we believe in. Maybe it isn't commercially viable music, but we like it. Hopefully it'll last beyond our little career." - Lazy-i: May 24, 2007

Sep. 20--For guitarist and singer Chad Bishop, playing music professionally was a last resort when he had no other way to make a living in Europe.

"When I was 20, I moved overseas, and it was the only way I could actually make any money living in Scandinavia and London," Bishop, 32, told The Log. "I didn't have a work visa; I did have a guitar -- it worked out really well to extend my stay."

Now Bishop, a Pensacola resident, plays professionally by choice, as the guitarist and vocalist for Paper Scissors Rocketpack, which is tentatively scheduled to perform at Funky Blues Shack Sept. 25.

Bishop, who took up the guitar in his teens, said that in Scandinavia he found people to sponsor him in clubs, but in London he'd had to "busk" -- playing guitar on street corners for donations.

"I didn't have a busking license so I had to busk with one eye looking for the cops. It was fun. I learned quite a bit: I learned you're not entitled to people's attention. I learned to get out there, screaming at the top of my lungs."

Getting attention for a new Pensacola band -- both for their tour and their first CD, "escapist vs. exit" -- is also a challenge, Bishop said. He told The Log that Pensacola has an enthusiastic music scene but "it's a really small scene -- once you play the three viable clubs in town, you've done the circuit.

"We don't have a lot of funds to do our own promotion," Bishop went on. "We have to reach out and try to get as much promotion as we can before using our limited resources. We have to network with other bands: If they come to Pensacola or near, we set them up for shows" and look for help in return.

The name of the band, Bishop said, was chosen to create a "surreal environment" for their music. The name of the album, he said, refers to a choice between finding a way to escape a bad situation and simply exiting without dealing with the problem.

Touring is important for promoting the CD, he said, because even small gigs give the band exposure: "Even if you don't play for a lot of people every night, the fact is, you're popping up all over the place, talking to people at the radio station and the press, finding all the opportunities you have and just using them."

Bishop said being small is an advantage on the Internet, where the band maintains a MySpace page: "Getting reviews on blogs helps quite a bit, at least with an independent album. Bloggers love anything obscure, even if it's obscure because it's only been out a day."

As a promotion for the current CD, the band has released a couple of songs on a vinyl record that comes with a download ticket authorizing buyers to download the group's songs for free. Bishop said he'd been initially doubtful about going vinyl, but the idea of releasing such an old-fashioned record was too appealing to resist.

"I think most musicians want one -- it definitely lends a nostalgia to your music right away," he said. "Most of the kids I know grew up listening to their parents' vinyl records and buying their own CDs, so we still had some connection to it."

Bishop said Paper Scissors Rocketpack has their second album written, and plans to do a nationwide tour in the spring.

"If gas is really expensive, we probably won't go past the Midwest," he added.

To see more of The Destin Log or to subscribe to the Newspaper, go to - Destin Log/Knight Ridder/Tribune 09/20/2008

On a cloudy Saturday afternoon, Chad Bishop sips a cup of tea in the kitchen of his two-story Pensacola home as he talks about the music, upcoming shows and album of his band: Paper Scissors Rocketpack.

Bishop, a University of West Florida graduate, said Paper Scissors Rocketpack was born when he and five of his friends got together earlier this year to share their love of music.

"Everyone in this band is in it because they want to be," Bishop said. "This is not going to be a project that begins and ends with a recording."

The members are: Jesse Dilaha, who plays the electric guitar, banjo and sings; Aaron Finlay, who also plays the electric guitar, keys and sings; Brandon Clarkson, who plays the bass and the piano; Aaron Clark, who plays the violin and is the bands' engineer; Brandon Warren who plays the drums and sings; and Bishop, who is the lead singer and plays the acoustic guitar.

Bishop describes their sound as an indie, folk sound that is slightly influenced by the Beach Boys and the Beatles.

"There are some elements of classic Beatles. None of us could escape that stuff," Bishop said.

Bishop said that they are trying to figure out who their main audience is, but the band has a pretty broad appeal.

"Anyone who can actually physically get into the shows is probably part of our audience," Bishop said.

As a fairly new band, Paper Scissors Rocketpack is becoming better known around Pensacola.

"We are at that point where we're starting to gather a fan base," Bishop said. "Enough people in Pensacola know who we are because they know us individually, so we won't have to play to an empty room."

With their first album, Escapist vs. Exit, due out next spring, the guys have been busy preparing for a tour. The tour will go as far north as Athens, Ga.

Bishop said that even though they don't play to empty rooms in Pensacola, there may be a few empty rooms during their tour, but that is to be expected.

Bishop wrote most of the songs on the band's upcoming album.

"When I'm writing the songs it's more of that '60's rock sound," Bishop said. "I get a lot of inspiration from the books I read."

The direction of the songs on the album was not only influenced by the band member's multiple musical influences, but also by Bishop's childhood.

"We're trying to create a surrealistic environment," Bishop said. "When I was a kid I was doing little scenes in shoe boxes; I still feel like I'm doing that with this album."

Next spring Paper Scissors Rocketpack is planning a nation-wide tour to promote their album. They plan to keep busy by sharing their love for traveling and playing music even though it's not always easy.

"It's definitely a labor of love," Bishop said. "We haven't generated anything monetarily, but we get to spend two months out of every season wherever we want. That's why we do it; we get to see the world."

At their upcoming shows the band will give away a free demo CD that features some of the songs off their upcoming album.

Paper Scissors Rocketpack is releasing a seven-inch single on Nov. 18. The single will be available through a link on the band's Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/paperrocketpack.

A complete schedule of the band's upcoming shows can also be found on their Myspace page.

The band also has a blog that can be found at www.paperscissorsrocketpack.blogspot.com - The Voyager

Pensacola, Fla.'s Paper Scissors Rocketpack plays indie folk rock with an orchestral sound, supplied by a violin and upright bass, that will appeal to fans of The Swell Season and Cat Stevens - Athens Banner-Herald

The band Paper Scissors Rocketpack! wants to portray an image that is not based on reality, creating a surrealistic environment for their songs.

“The band was named after the game rock paper scissors and you can never beat rocketpack because it always flies away,” said lead vocalist/guitarist Chad Bishop.

Hailing from Pensacola, Fla., the band has been together for a year and a half after playing in different bands together and knowing each other since they were teenagers. Bishop describes their music as Americana, Indie Rock and Folk jammed together as one.

“Our band is unique because we all are invested in it and we all love what we do.” said Bishop. “We are not a fashion parade even though we are very fashionable.”

People can expect a Rocketpack live show to have an element of surprise with mellow and upbeat rock songs.
“People usually expect really spastic music, but we are like a fungus, we grow on you as the night goes on,” said Bishop.

Bishop has been a professional musician since the age of 20 and said that his international living experience influenced him to start playing music.

The band performs all original songs, but has numerous influences dating back from ‘60s music to the present.
“An Indie Pop band from Scotland by the name of Belle and Sebastian and a Pop/Rock band from Illinois by the name of The Sea and Cake really influence us,” said Bishop.

Some of the band’s long term goals are to release a mix album in the spring produced by Dave Barbe, to establish themselves as touring artists, and to be able to support themselves as self released or to be signed to a record label and be comfortable.

Paper Scissors Rocketpack! will take the stage at Eighth & Rail this Saturday, Oct. 11.

The band has an album due to be released in the spring called “Excapist vs. Exit” produced by Dave Barbe and is also recording a vinyl record that is due to be released in November.

“I want to share a moment experience and share issues that are important to myself and the audience,” Bishop added about the show. - The Corner News, Auburn

Paper Scissors Rocketpack: This Pensacola, FL band features the finely crafted lyrics of singer Chad Bishop, whose literate, personal storytelling drives the songs. His band recorded its latest record, Escapist vs. Exit, here in Athens with acclaimed producer David Barbe. Says Bishop of the project, "this album is more personal than the ones I've written before, but at the same time I try to frame all the songs within a story not related to me." For example, the moving track "Dresden" is superficially about the bombing of Germany during World War II, but at its core it is a story about the loss and reconstruction of one's identity. It's a theme that is close to Bishop's heart, as he had to pick up the pieces after his previous band, The Cripple Lillies, fell apart. Even between recording, mixing and mastering this latest record, Bishop had to deal with band members dropping out. With a solid lineup finally reconstructed, Bishop is optimistic and excited about the chance to start fresh. In addition to Escapist vs. Exit, you can also pick up the vinyl release from the band which features demos recorded before going into the studio with Barbe. These versions are "drastically different," featuring elaborate string arrangements and, according to Bishop, a less singer/songwriter feel. - Flagpole: Michelle Gilzenrat

CD Review: Paper Scissors Rocketpack Paper Scissors Rocketpack is an indie rock band from Pensacola, Florida. Former singer of the Cripple Lilies, front man and songwriter Chris Bishop has taken a new approach to his songs of layered texture with lines reminiscent of something out of a book of classic poetry. Returning with a new sound, but not a new message, Paper Scissor Rocketpack brings Bishop’s poignant storytelling to a wider audience with the new pop-infused album Escapist vs. Exit.

In the last lines of “Mustard Seed Boat,” Bishop sings, “No need for hope again, inside my mustard seedling.” The lyrics describe the overall philosophy of the album brilliantly. Under the surface of Paper Scissors Rocketpack’s catchy instrumental pieces lays critical and somewhat bitter lyrics about overcoming life’s obstacles. While the songs may sound peppy on the first listen, on the second or third time around they play out more like an Arthur Miller manuscript, complete with unfulfilled hopes and dreams.

Although Paper Scissors Rocketpack’s admiration for ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) is evident, that aspect in no way hinders the originality of their work. The lyrics are skillfully crafted using unique parables to draw from life lessons and the symphonic sound definitely adds a layer of appeal for a broader, more mainstream audience.

The band members have all known each other since high school, playing in different bands together, like a family.

This may contribute to their growth toward a surreal and whimsical image over the years. Bishop has said that international travel and experiencing varying living conditions has had a huge influence on the content of his songs’ messages.

The band belongs to the small independent Minneapolis based record label Magnolia Recording Co., and sometimes tour with their friends The Get-Rites.

The entirety of Escapist vs. Exit was recorded at Chase Park Transduction Studio in Athens, Georgia. Notable music engineer David Barbe produced the album. Barbe has worked with well-known musicians such as Kelly Hogan and The Drive-By Truckers.

Paper Scissors Rocketpack is currently on tour across the southern U.S., with a more extensive tour in the beginning of Spring 2009. A new album is in the works and will tentatively be available in Spring or Summer 2009.

-Holly Elliott - The Gargoyle - Flager College Newspaper

After nine months of working on a demo, Paper Scissors Rocketpack just finished recording its first album, "escapist VS exit," in Athens, Ga.

Now, Chad Bishop (vocals and acoustic guitar), Brandon Clarkson (bass), Bob Alston (drums) and Aaron Clark (violin and head engineer) are gearing up for a 10-day tour of the Southeast in September, and the release of the new CD in the spring.

"The thing about touring, when you are a band from Pensacola, you have to find local bands in those towns that will help you out," Bishop said. "It's kind of the trade-off. It's hard to find, because who wants to play with a band from Pensacola that you've never heard of?"

Musicians Taylor Crawley, Ronardo Recacho and Samuel Hensley also helped Paper Scissors Rocketpack put together its album. Bishop, who wrote the songs for "escapist VS exit," wanted to "create a surreal environment" for the album.

"The whole album is about escapism or just exiting the situation," he said. "Sometimes when you're in a painful situation, you have the urge to just find the exit. It isn't as clear as just escaping, you know, not dealing with it, just exit. That's kind of what's going on."

Even though they are through with the recording process, the group still has some things to get in line before they release the album. They are going to release a seven-inch vinyl record with two songs, a demo version of "Dresden" on one side and a studio version of "Mustard Seed Boat" on the other, in September. When you buy the record, you also get a download ticket which allows you to download all the band's songs online for free.

"Dresden," a song about identity and the issue of transsexuals, is based on a person named Lili Elbe, who was the first person to undergo a sex change.

"This song is talking about how it's almost reassuring to go be the person you want to be," Bishop said. "It's kind of a cast against the American fire bombing in Dresden in World War II. I thought it was really neat because this place was leveled to the ground and also this person's identity was leveled to the ground. So I was trying to make that connection."

To hear more of Paper Scissors Rocketpack, check out the band at 7 p.m. today at the Red Door Venue, 6510 W. Jackson St. Visit the band's Web site at www.myspace.com/paperrocketpack to find out more about its upcoming tour. - pensacola news journal