SPILL MUSIC PREMIERE: ROCKET KINGS – “SHE’S GOING TO MARS”

ROCKET KINGS – “SHE’S GOING TO MARS”

A SPILL EXCLUSIVE MUSIC PREMIERE

Primarily famous for hosting one of the biggest music festivals the UK has to offer, it should come as no surprise that the city should also produce some cool artists of its own. A case in point is the indie pop-rock outfit known as Rocket Kings, who happen to have a mix of guys and girls in the band (so not all kings per se). But their music is certainly very good, so that does put them in a separate class, so to speak.

Today we have the pleasure of premiering the new single “She’s Going To Mars”, presenting their latest – a true sonic thrill from their new full-length album Paving The Way album.  With 12 tracks, this is the band’s sophomore offering and a very cool one this is. Positive, clear, inspiring and fun with solid production.

While much of the album recalls the output of such artists as The Beautiful South, The Cranberries, Belle and Sebastian and Teenage Fanclub, this particular single brings to mind to some quite celebrated artists – The Wedding Present, the Pixies, Supergrass and The Boo Radleys.

Formed in 2016, Rocket Kings are a 5-piece made up of Dave Stewart (ukulele, vocals), Bex Crossland (vocals, ukulele), David Heath (drums), Jess Tuthill (ukulele, vocals), and Yoshiko Nakayama (bass). With three ukuleles in their line-up, along with bass and drums: this is ukepop as you’ve never heard it before!

Dave Stewart shares, “Bex is an astronaut! On our previous album, Everyday Adventures, there was a song called “Space Camp”, which I wrote about Bex’s actual visit to NASA’s US Space and Rocket Centre, where she participated in astronaut training. So on this album, we came up with “She’s Going to Mars” about what Bex did next! The backing vocals on the song are actually some of the lyrics from the original “Space Camp” song.”

The Paving the Way album was recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Josh McCrohan at Creative Control Studio in Bracknell. Dave Stewart produced this record together with McCrohan, who has become a really important factor in Rocket Kings’ sounds. Having provided professional sound services for Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull, Echo & The Bunnymen, Squeeze, Paul Young and Fairport Convention, among others, his input has been invaluable.

“We are really excited to share this album with people. It is chock full of Rocket Kings signature sounds and, as with our first album, these 12 songs are laden with top tunes and harmonies. The overall sound is perhaps a little more rocky this time around, and we regularly use overdrive and phaser pedals. We even have trumpet on a couple of tracks,” says Dave Stewart.

“The song arrangements were more collaborative this time around, partly because we feel like we are all playing better than ever as a band and we feed off each other with creative ideas. Also partly because the band found themselves with time to meet up just after Covid without gigs to practice for. Amongst other things, there are songs about space (a regular theme for the band), yellow birds, missing museums, faithful dogs, tall tales and the Berlin Wall.”

Paving the Way follows on from Rocket Kings’ 2021 album Everyday Adventures. The band debuted on the music scene with The Spellbound EP in 2018. Their influences are diverse, ranging from Teenage Fanclub, Lou Reed and The Kinks to The Wedding Present, Status Quo and The La’s. The band also recently shared a series of demos (from 2016), called Intense Whirlwind.

The Paving the Way album is out now, available digitally and also on limited edition vinyl and CD via Bandcamp. The album will also be available via other fine digital outlets, including Spotify and Apple Music.

CREDITS

All songs written by Dave Stewart except “Damn Tired” and “Say it with a Smile”, which were written by Jess Tuthill
Recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered by Josh McCrohan at Creative Control Studio in Bracknell
Produced by Dave Stewart and Josh McCrohan
Bex Crossland sang, played the ukulele, piano and tambourine.
Greg Forys played bass.
David Heath played the drums.
Dave Stewart sang, played the ukulele, shaker and tambourine.
Jess Tuthill sang and played the ukulele.
Richard Vanryne played trumpet on “The Yellow Bird of Fortune” and “Say it with a Smile”.
The choir on “The Time of Our Lives”: Ben Ash, Nicola Blair, Jude Brindley, Dawn Challis, Chris Clements, Anna Freshwater, James Gildersleve, Jason Helmore, Ruth Horbury, Alison Hull, Jane Jones, Stella Murphy, Barbara O’Donovan, Frances Osang, Zoe Robinson, Helen Savidge, Chris Taylor, Jayne Tricker, Alan Turner.
Front cover photo by Liz Pearmain

Please also enjoy more music from Rocket Kings:

Rocket Kings
[Single]
(Independent)
Release Date: October 11, 2023

Artist Links

Background Photo Credit: Dave Stewart