Much has transpired in the five years since the pandemic abruptly halted life worldwide. For numerous teens and young adults, this time marked a disorienting transition from childhood to adulthood. Just when they were ready to embark on their journey into the world as they envisioned it, everything changed unexpectedly. After two surreal and unpredictable years, they found themselves navigating new realities in ways that were, for better or worse, significantly different from their original expectations. This is vividly illustrated in the story of the Los Angeles-based alt-rock band Rocket.
Rocket's bassist and lead vocalist, Alithea Tuttle, had limited musical experience before the pandemic, as she was focused on a career in dance and rhythmic gymnastics. That changed when she sustained a severe spinal injury at age 16, halting those ambitions.
Her much-needed shift in focus occurred in 2020 when her partner, guitarist Desi Scaglione, encouraged her to explore music with him. The following year, along with schoolmates Baron Rinzler (guitar) and Cooper Ladomade (drums), Rocket was formed. Their debut EP, 'Versions Of You', was re-released this April, along with their new shoegaze-inspired single, 'Take Your Aim'.
With a guitar-driven sound reminiscent of the '90s grunge era and candid lyrics reflecting the joys and worries of youth, the band has rapidly gained momentum. It's 10:30 a.m. in LA when the group connects with CLASH via video call. Tuttle recounts the band’s origin: “We began toying with the idea of forming a band during lockdown. At that time, I had never played an instrument or been in a band, and while Cooper was an experienced drummer, he hadn’t been in a band either. Baron studied music in college, and Desi had toured with bands.” She adds that the group initially kept their formation under wraps: “When we first teamed up, I think it was mostly my fault that we thought, ‘We can't tell anybody, this is too insane!’ I had never done anything like this before and hadn’t expressed any desire to do it. We thought it best to keep it a secret until we knew we could perform well.”
Their first performance came when they opened for their close friends Milly at a well-received show in their hometown. Fast forward four years, and the band is preparing for a trip across the Atlantic, where they will play some of their largest shows to date, opening for one of their major musical influences, The Smashing Pumpkins. They are set to join the iconic Chicago rockers for several UK dates, including a significant show at London’s Gunnersbury Park on August 10th. “When we heard the news, we were all in tears. We thought, ‘This can't be real; they must have mixed us up with another band!’” Tuttle recalls excitedly. Adding to her sentiments, Rinzler states, “Growing up, they were a major influence on all of us, before we even started making music together. Billy Corgan and James Iha are both fantastic guitarists. They’re incredible musicians and writers. It's such an honor to say we’re performing with them, especially in England.”
The band has additional UK shows lined up for this summer. In June, they’ll perform a series of intimate gigs across the UK and Europe and will also make their Outbreak Festival debut in Manchester. Their most recent visit to the UK was just last November when they traveled across the country in an SUV. Scaglione reminisces about this experience, laughing as he says, “The emotions ranged from super exciting and everything feeling new to realizing how tough it was when we didn't even have a minivan to tour in, but we made it work, and thankfully, all the shows were great.” He continues, “The crowds were lively and responsive. It seemed like everyone enjoyed dancing to the music. In the States, we tend to be a bit more reserved in that respect, so it was refreshing to see.”
Rocket is often characterized by their DIY approach. When asked if this description fits, Rinzler responds, “Growing up in LA, there’s a significant DIY music scene, with people throwing shows at their homes or releasing music independently.” He elaborates, “Now, we’re letting others take the lead a bit and are more open to assistance instead of rejecting it. But when we started, we had no outside help. Until recently, we recorded and released all of our music ourselves, and we still make our own merchandise.” Thus far, the band has designed all their cover art, including that for 'Versions of You.' The recently re-released eight-track work features heavy, distorted guitar riffs, complemented by Tuttle’s entrancing vocal lines.
Speaking about the sporadic creation of 'Take Your Aim', which coincided with the EP's relaunch, Rinzler mentions, “It remained unfinished for
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Much has transpired in the five years since the pandemic halted the world abruptly. For numerous teenagers and young adults, it was a time