Reading indie outfit ROCKET KINGS shares 'The Yellow Bird of Fortune', a pop-rock gem from sophomore album 'Paving The Way'

November 17, 2023

"A true sonic thrill... Positive, clear, inspiring and fun with solid production... brings to mind to some quite celebrated artists - The Wedding Present, the Pixies, Supergrass and The Boo Radleys" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Harmonious, easy going and melodic with a 10/10 feel-good factor, Rocket King delivers a sound that will happily settle in your ears and leave you humming along unconsciously. This song has us looking forward to what delights the entire album may bring" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"A delightful indie pop gem that combines folk influences with a contemporary twist... a sense of whimsy and joy... speaks to the band’s dedication to innovation and uniqueness while maintaining a sense of fun and enjoyment in their craft" ~ Skylight Webzine

Positively-vibed Reading-ased outfit Rocket Kings presents their new single 'The Yellow Bird of Fortune', a highlight track from their uplifting 12-track 'Paving The Way' album, complete with a new video created by Lee Waters.

Formed in 2016, Rocket Kings is made up of Dave Stewart (ukulele, vocals), Bex Crossland (vocals, ukulele), David Heath (drums), Jess Tuthill (ukulele, vocals), and Yoshiko Nakayama (bass). United by their love of music, their positivity is infectious through the upbeat, original pop-rock songs they perform. With three ukuleles in their line-up, along with bass and drums: this is ukepop as you've never heard it before!

"Dave stumbled across the phrase ‘The Yellow Bird of Fortune’ - a yellow bird is commonly believed to be a symbol of positivity and luck – and thought it would make a great song title. The song is written in a way that feels relatable and real. It’s about people and situations you are drawn to that are not good for you or that hurt you. Dave is an eternal optimist (as far as music goes anyway) and so he is always looking to find the best in different situations. He wrote this song about change, grabbing new opportunities and finding happiness," says Bex Crossland.

"David plays some of his most inspired drumming on this track, which is not surprising as it is his favourite song to play”.

Dave Stewart adds, "Bex will tell you that this is all very well for the optimists, but whilst "the optimists will always keep on smiling, time is ticking away for the rest". Recording the song was particularly exciting as it is one of two songs on the album that includes trumpet for the first time in the band’s history."

Earlier, the band shared the singles 'She's Going To Mars' and the title track 'Paving The Way'. With 12 tracks on offer, this sophomore album presents a fab sound reflecting a blend of The Beautiful South, Teenage Fanclub, Belle and Sebastian and The Cranberries, complemented by a healthy dose of ukuleles, melodies and harmonies.

The new' 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.

The band debuted on the music scene with ‘The Spellbound EP' in 2018, influenced by Teenage Fanclub, Lou Reed, The Kinks, The Wedding Present, Status Quo and The La’s. Their most recent album - 'Everyday Adventures' - was released in 2021. 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 & 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
'The Yellow Bird of Fortune' video created by Lee Waters

Reading-based ROCKET KINGS launch 'She's Going To Mars', second single from sophomore album 'Paving The Way'

October 12, 2023

"A true sonic thrill... Positive, clear, inspiring and fun with solid production... brings to mind to some quite celebrated artists - The Wedding Present, the Pixies, Supergrass and The Boo Radleys" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Harmonious, easy going and melodic with a 10/10 feel-good factor, Rocket King delivers a sound that will happily settle in your ears and leave you humming along unconsciously. This song has us looking forward to what delights the entire album may bring" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"A delightful indie pop gem that combines folk influences with a contemporary twist... a sense of whimsy and joy... speaks to the band’s dedication to innovation and uniqueness while maintaining a sense of fun and enjoyment in their craft" ~ Skylight Webzine

Reading-based indie pop outfit Rocket Kings present 'She's Going To Mars', the second single from their new full-length album 'Paving The Way', previewed by a playful video for the title track. With 12 tracks on offer, this is the band's sophomore album, loaded with ukuleles, melodies, harmonies - like a sweet cocktail of The Beautiful South, Teenage Fanclub, Belle and Sebastian and The Cranberries.

Formed in 2016, Rocket Kings is made up of Dave Stewart (ukulele, vocals), Bex Crossland (vocals, ukulele), David Heath (drums), Jess Tuthill (ukulele, vocals), and Yoshiko Nakayama (bass). United by their love of music, their positivity is infectious through the upbeat, original pop-rock songs they perform. With three ukuleles in their line-up, along with bass and drums: this is ukepop as you've never heard it before!

Stewart says, “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.”

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/3uv5wzbrc8oqE8qBUEO5J6
'Paving The Way' album https://rocketkings.hearnow.com
Bandcamp https://rocketkings.bandcamp.com/album/paving-the-way
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/35m4jKC6nM3LIrEpz2GoL6

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."

The band debuted on the music scene with ‘The Spellbound EP' in 2018, influenced by Teenage Fanclub, Lou Reed, The Kinks, The Wedding Present, Status Quo and The La’s.

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. The band also recently shared a series of demos (from 2016), called 'Intense Whirlwind'.

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

Keep up with Rocket Kings
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UK-based collective ROCKET KINGS reel in indie pop delight on sophomore album 'Paving The Way'

September 29, 2023

"Harmonious, easy going and melodic with a 10/10 feel-good factor, Rocket King delivers a sound that will happily settle in your ears and leave you humming along unconsciously. This song has us looking forward to what delights the entire album may bring" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

"A delightful indie pop gem that combines folk influences with a contemporary twist... a sense of whimsy and joy... speaks to the band’s dedication to innovation and uniqueness while maintaining a sense of fun and enjoyment in their craft" ~ Skylight Webzine

Reading-based indie pop outfit Rocket Kings present their full-length album 'Paving The Way', previewed by a playful video for the title track. With 12 tracks on offer, this is the band's sophomore album, loaded with original material. Expect top tunes, ukuleles, melodies, harmonies - like a sweet cocktail of The Beautiful South, Belle and Sebastian and The Cranberries.

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). United by their love of music, their positivity is infectious through the upbeat, original pop-rock songs they perform. With three ukuleles in their line-up, along with bass and drums: this is ukepop as you've never heard it before!

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

"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.

'Paving The Way' album order / Bandcamp https://rocketkings.bandcamp.com/album/paving-the-way
Pre-save link https://rocketkings.hearnow.com
Album Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/35m4jKC6nM3LIrEpz2GoL6

"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.

UK indie pop band Rocket Kings present 'Paving The Way', heralding new album

September 17, 2023

"Harmonious, easy going and melodic with a 10/10 feel-good factor, Rocket King delivers a sound that will happily settle in your ears and leave you humming along unconsciously. This song has us looking forward to what delights the entire album may bring" ~ Amplify Music Magazine

Reading-based indie pop outfit Rocket Kings presents the single 'Paving The Way', previewing their forthcoming album by the same name. With 12 tracks on offer, this is the band's sophomore album, chalked full of original songs. Expect top tunes, ukuleles, melodies, harmonies - like a sweet cocktail of The Beautiful South, Belle and Sebastian and The Cranberries.

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). United by their love of music, their positivity is infectious through the upbeat, original pop-rock songs they perform. With three ukuleles in their line-up, along with bass and drums: this is ukepop as you've never heard it before!

"The idea for the album's title track ‘Paving the Way’ originally came while doing a lot of walking during lockdown, but then the song evolved into the bigger picture of the band’s journey. It evokes a feeling of what we do, trying to do something innovative and unique and challenging perceptions, whilst ultimately just enjoying playing our songs," says Dave Stewart.

"The video contains contributions from our friends and family from all around the world. We have been playing this song live for a while now and it has already become a firm favourite with audiences. It is a great feeling when a group of friends can be immensely proud of the culmination of a year’s worth of creativity in the studio."

'Paving The Way' album order / Bandcamp https://rocketkings.bandcamp.com/album/paving-the-way