The Rocket Summer

The Rocket Summer

The Rocket Summer is the project of Bryce Avary, a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from Fort Worth, Texas, in the United States. It is a solo act rather than a band, and Avary begins the project as a teenager, first issuing The Rocket Summer EP independently at the age of 16. He is born in 1982 and works in pop rock, with his music also described through tags such as indie rock, alternative, rock and emo.

Background and name

Avary takes the name The Rocket Summer from a Ray Bradbury short story. From the start, he builds the project around writing, performing and producing his own material, and the act becomes identified with his role as a one-man creative force.

Releases and recognition

One of the project’s key releases is Do You Feel, which reaches No. 44 on the Billboard 200 and No. 16 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, and sells more than 100,000 copies in the United States. Its title track becomes a major online hit, with the album version played more than four million times on the project’s MySpace page. The video for the song includes guest appearances from Paramore, Relient K, All Time Low, Jack’s Mannequin, Forever the Sickest Kids, MxPx and Hellogoodbye.

Another release, Of Men and Angels, appears on Island Def Jam Records. It debuts at No. 1 on iTunes, reaches No. 38 on the Billboard 200 and No. 4 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart.

Live work and touring

The Rocket Summer tours internationally and sells out shows in the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia and Japan. Avary also appears at a number of major festivals and events, including Glastonbury, T in the Park, Summer Sonic, Soundwave, Austin City Limits, SXSW, Bamboozle, Cornerstone and the 2007 and 2010 Vans Warped Tour. He also tours with acts including The Goo Goo Dolls, OneRepublic, Paramore, Relient K, The All-American Rejects, Copeland, All Time Low, The Ataris, Something Corporate, Plain White T’s, Hellogoodbye and Phantom Planet.

Style and fan base

The project’s music is described as lush, catchy and artful power pop. Avary says he aims to write songs that audiences can sing along to, while also making records that are honest and emotionally direct. His work and live shows are strongly associated with positivity, optimism, sing-alongs, excitement and themes of struggle and personal perseverance. He also describes The Rocket Summer as a “young veteran” act with a loyal hardcore following.