Mitch Rocket is like a magic trick you can’t quite explain. It sounds good, looks good, but you want to know how they did it. Well, it turns out many times even they don’t know. That’s what it takes to be musicians that are sorcerers too. With their singles catching on and their style so uniquely theirs, they’re back with a single to mingle with. This is their latest single, Worry Less.
Exploring a variety of genres with veteran musicians must be an exciting experience. How does this fluid exploration come about?
I’m very lucky to have the bandmates that I do. Typically I’ll bring the skeleton of a song to them – just a guitar part and lyrics – then they’ll flesh out the song with all the other touches that make it special. Alan (drums) usually plays metal, so I can count on him to infuse the song with an explosive energy. Geoff (keys/sax) brings a jazz/funk sensibility that always spices up the songs and adds rhythmic and harmonic interest. Oscar (guitar) is a real-life guitar god in the classic rock n roll mold – he comes up with tasty lead lines that I couldn’t pull off if I tried. Iwami (bass), our newest member, has a rhythmic grounding in jazz/funk/soul/pop that makes him the perfect missing piece to glue us all together and get the groove just right.
Rock or jazz, which will it be?
From the blended indie rock sounds & jazzy undertones of Petting Zoo, what was the intention for the next project? Or was it just impromptu jamming?
I think going forward we’ll be going deeper into the jazzy side of things and making music that’s more danceable. Petting Zoo was recorded mostly in my bedroom during COVID, so the tempos tend to be slower and the lyrics are more contemplative. Now that we’re a 5-piece rock band going in front of audiences, we’re aiming to make music that gets people moving and having a good time.
We’ve also all improved as musicians from playing out so much, and can handle more complex chords and song structures. You can’t really tell from Worry Less, which is a really simple pop-rock tune, but the other new songs we’re working on are incorporating a lot more jazz harmony and moving towards something reminiscent of Steely Dan or Mild High Club.
Mitch Rocket tell it like it is
In some ways, and I mean some-this song sounds like New Wave mumbo-jumbo. The bassline, quick tempo drum beat, Joy Division could very well be playing this. Mitch Rocket gets the synth play in the background as well, a magical fairy dust element. The incredibly catchy execution of the lyrics and vocals make it an instantly memorable single. Simple chord changes make it easy to follow, while still having that edge and style that we have come to love from this band. They might be unpredictable, but I promise myself to find out their secret. The bridge towards the chorus makes you want to groove, whether in the seat or on your feet. It is an addictive groove they have in the verse intro, something I have been humming to myself regularly.
That Dave Matthews kind of sax break brings quite the stylistic fusion to your songs. For quicker tracks, have you felt the challenge in using the brass section?
Not at all! Saxophone is the instrument I feel most comfortable on, and the one I’ve had the most formal training in, so it’s one of the easier parts of the process to add saxophone. And I’m blessed to have a really talented saxophonist in Geoff, so I’m always confident that the sax parts will be a hit on stage.
Finding flow with music
The theme of Worry Less, is it as simple as the title? Some layered messages maybe? What is the story behind the track itself?
The main message is definitely to let go of anxiety. Specifically, the kind of anxiety that comes from ego, getting too invested in success. I had been noticing some people in the local music scene worrying about social status and being “bigger” than other bands, which rubbed me the wrong way. Worse, I was starting to get caught up in that myself, which was taking all the joy out of music for me. If I was always worrying how many people came to the show or how many people were listening on Spotify, I couldn’t enjoy performing or creating for its own sake.
The song was me reminding myself that music should be about connection, joy, and art, not status. In a way, the song is a manifesto for how I want to approach music. We’re just looking for connection. The line “worry less about your name” is a reference to the ethical concept of the veil of ignorance – if you didn’t know what position you personally occupied in a community, would you approve of the way it’s organized? If you worry less about your status in the community, you can become a more positive member of the community and contribute more.
Finding the magnet elements
Being a live band primarily, what is the way you have found to capture the attention of the listener during recordings?
Live performance and recordings are two very different animals. Things that sound incredible live might not come across on record, and vice versa. Worry Less is a case of deliberately simplifying the song and focusing on hooks and danceability, which are elements that work great both live and on record. There are some little pieces of ear candy in the studio recording of Worry Less that make it sparkle just a little extra – see if you can catch the Edge-inspired ping-ponging echoes on the guitar solo for example.
Do we see a new album on the way? Any themes particularly that you’d like to explore?
The plan for now is to release singles, maybe an EP. If we do an EP I’m planning to call it “The Moon is Flat.” I’m getting married in a little over a year so planning for that will be taking up a lot of my attention, and any album would probably come in 2025 at the earliest. That said, one thing I’d love to do is make a concept album with an overarching story.
Some of my favorite records, like good kid, m.A.A.d city, the Electric Lady, or Dark Side of the Moon, take on a whole other aspect when listened to as a whole, and I’d love to explore a narrative like the ones that animate those records. We’ll see if that happens on the next record, or maybe the one after that.
To where the movie is
The incredible 2016 film 20th Century Women would host this song beautifully. With its fun sequences and apt storytelling, Mitch Rocket has something interesting for us with his singles. You can catch more of Mitch Rocket with singles like The Farallones and their 2023 EP, Live at the Art Boutiki. These are bona fide musicians with some great talent to share, so make sure you follow them for more like this!
Links | Quality | Language | Player | Date Added |
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Play Now | SoundCloud |