Q&A: Rocket Pop Built Something Real Out of Downtime and Late Nights
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
SOME BANDS HAVE A PLAN - Rocket Pop had a movie theater with too much downtime and a group chat that eventually turned into a recording session. Gabriel, Jame, and Jackson — an LA trio with Argentine, Mexican, Dominican, Irish, and California roots between them — didn't set out to start a band. They set out to hang out, and the music followed. What began as DIY videos and inside jokes on the clock became demos that started getting attention, which became late nights at Jame's house writing songs over wine and whatever was in the fridge, which became Rocket Pop: self-described purveyors of "blue-collar indie punk for working-class people."
Their new double single "Cruise" / "Colt 45" is the clearest picture yet of what that sounds like. "Cruise" is punchy and gritty, built around a bass line their friends keep calling spooky, painting a portrait of the restless lover who can never quite stay put. "Colt 45" goes darker - drum machine-driven and shimmering, a moody reckoning with the consequences of your own choices. Both were recorded at Jame's house during late nights and deep conversations, which is exactly how Rocket Pop works best. We caught up with all three to talk process, influences, and what it means to make music that's honest about where you come from.
LUNA: You three met working at an independent movie theater. What was it about that environment — and each other — that made you want to start making music together?
JAME: We had so much downtime at the theatre. We would make funny videos and play stupid pranks. I think it ended up being a creative space in an organic way. Eventually, we'd hang outside of work and start making music just for fun. Even through all of that, Jackson and I have worked so many jobs together — security, ice cream, venue stuff.
JACKSON: Adding to what Jame said, we had way TOO much downtime at that theater. It was basically our little clubhouse, so it was inevitable that we would end up doing something creative together.
GABRIEL: I didn't actually work at the theatre. I've known Jackson since we were 11 or so and we've been friends since then. I remember hearing about Jame working with him at the theater, and then them two starting to make music together. I heard some songs and really loved them — I never heard anything like it. One day Jackson invited me to join in on writing the music and the rest is history.
LUNA: "Cruise" and "Colt 45" are two pretty different moods. Can you share more about the creative process for both?
JAME: These two songs were actually written a year apart! "Cruise" was originally a spooky themed track with pretty goofy lyrics — kind of a Scooby-Doo vibe. We revisited it a year later and turned it into a real song. For "Colt 45," Gabriel brought us a bunch of lyrics and we wanted to make something that felt moodier than the other tracks.
GABRIEL: "Cruise" came about very naturally — we didn't have any intention on making what it became, just wrote what sounded funny or fitting for the mood. "Colt 45" was more of a process. I would write its lyrics on my drive to work, stuck in traffic. I didn't know what the whole song would sound like, but had a melody and intention for the lyrics. In it I describe a passionate and uniquely unhealthy romance that requires intense gestures of commitment. Both songs touch on feelings we got from their similar sound.
LUNA: You describe your sound as "blue-collar indie punk for working-class people." What does that mean to you in practice?
JAME: We're honestly just normal guys with jobs. We pay bills and we've had no shortcuts or any industry help with this project. I like shouting out the working class!
JACKSON: It started as a joke Jame would say because we were all always working. I've got six jobs at the moment, which makes it super hard to meet and make the music in general — but that's what also makes it all the more rewarding when we do get the chance.
GABRIEL: This was Jame's description of our music that at first felt silly, but as we let it sit I saw it to be pretty true. We are all working class, with no help to make ends meet, and it seeps into our music in one way or another. I see it as us all accepting that we do this honestly. We all want to make music that, after a hard day or week at work, helps ease some of the stress.
LUNA: Both tracks were recorded at Jame's house during late nights and deep conversations. How much does that environment — DIY, intimate, no studio pressure — shape the music itself?
JAME: It ends up being super laid back. It's more like we're hanging out and the music is a bonus thing we get to do. We take breaks, eat food, party, watch stuff. Somehow, we always end the night with a new song or two. We're also not trying to make a specific kind of song — whatever comes out comes out.
JACKSON: It's amazing. Jame and his fiancée have a beautiful home. Me and Gabriel will usually pull up in the evening with a bottle of wine or two and we'll all catch up for a few hours before we even get to any of the music. When we finally do get around to it, we've all come to the agreement to try to get at least one new song in each night we meet. I don't think we've ever left without coming up with at least something between the three of us. So it's not rare that we stay the night working through ideas — somehow haven't worn out our welcome there yet!
GABRIEL: It's amazing how we come together and can usually come up with one or two songs. My best guess at how we do that is our friendship — it smooths the process into being genuine and truly creative. I enjoy it very much and don't see the atmosphere shifting as we continue writing and playing together.
LUNA: The three of you come from pretty different backgrounds — Argentine and Mexican roots, Dominican and Irish heritage, California native. How do those different influences show up in what you make together?
JAME: I think I eventually want to add some Spanish to the music. But right now, I feel like we've got this West Coast sound with a Latin identity. I think a lot of people can relate to that. With me also being from the East Coast, I'd be stoked to play out there. I have a feeling we can speak to both coasts and be understood.
GABRIEL: My family has been the soil for all of my musical interests since I was a child — there's no question. My family comes from Mexico City and Sinaloa, with a bit of Argentine from my father's side. One through line I see in both cultures and their history is that they have no choice but to speak for themselves. The people could never rely on their government or officials to take basic care of them, and so music became the avenue for representing themselves and their interests. I find much of that to be true today. I admire the heart in that era of music and look for it in myself when I write.
LUNA: Who have you been listening to lately?
JAME: Radiohead, Remi Wolf, Fontaines DC, beabadoobee, Geese, Love Spells.
JACKSON: Lala Lala, Ian Sweet, Freak Slug, Hunx & His Punx.
GABRIEL: Caifanes, León Larregui, La Obsesión Factory, Rooster, John Lennon, DJ Blackpower.
LUNA: What does the rest of this year look like for Rocket Pop?
JAME: I'm down to focus on music videos and building out our world more. We will also be announcing two new members of the band!
JACKSON: Everything Jame said, plus we've got a ton of songs we've been sitting on — so loads of new music to come in the near future!
GABRIEL: More music, more time to practice and share it. Also more collaboration with friends of the band and local projects that we enjoy and admire.
