Spider Rockets, takes the common everyday spider to the next level! While they may use the spider in a lot of their art and naming of things, it is so much more than that, it has evolved with them as musicians and when creating their music as well. The band has gone on to write and record for what is their fifth full-length album titled "Along Comes a Spider", with current plans of total promotion, following with shows and who knows what else! The band talks about this release and the spider and how it relates to their content as a whole!
1. If you had to pick a spider based media piece such as TV show, film, comic, toy, etc. which would it be and why?
A toy -- like a teddy bear…but a hairy spider instead. Big enough so you can cuddle with it. Maybe including a talking feature so when you push its head, it says things like "I love you more, now shut up and let me bite you."
2. Why did you go with calling this act Spider Rockets in the first place? Does the name refer to an actual spider rocket that launches spiders or kills them?
We had the word "monkey" in our name when we started but received a "cease and desist" letter from a band in Florida. They were pretty passionate about keeping "monkey" in their name and to themselves, so we moved on. Johnny tweaked our name and came up with Spider Rockets. We like our name better now. So there. Wow, that sounds really juvenile, but I’m cool with that. Ha!
An actual spider rocket is like a super hero -- no launching spiders or killing them. It flies around the world with an epic purpose. Are you tired, hungry, weary or just bored???? Don’t worry, the spider rocket will rescue you! This is where the spider rocket, the super hero, dramatically swoops in and saves the day with its amazing super hero majesty. Then, all the people are happy and say, "yeah, hurray, spider rocket, you saved us! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
3. So your upon your fifth full-length release to date for Spider Rockets, what does that feel like for you? Like, did you think that Spider Rockets would have even gotten to this point and time in the case of their musical careers and releasing content?
It feels really good and a big accomplishment for a few reasons. This is an album that has been in the works for a while. It was supposed to be released in 2016, then in 2017. But we were determined, and it never felt it was quite right, so we kept working on it. As songs came together, we mercilessly picked them apart and put them back together with the end goal of making each song as strong as possible. We didn’t want to look back a year later and think "we should have or could have…." We are glad we saw it through because we feel this is by far the best album we’ve done.
We also had some upheavals to deal, personally and professionally, and had to put back the pieces in both situations to create this album. Deaths in the families and band members falling off. We had to refocus. And it was hard. As we started working on the new material, though, we were tougher on ourselves than we had been in the past. I am not sure what drives us as musicians, but sometimes bad things can make you stronger. It did in this case and we powered through and had people around us that didn’t let up either. Those people know who they are!
I never saw Spider Rockets as a short-term undertaking, so, the fact that we soldier on is not a surprise to me. I expect it, but I am also proud of each step forward that we take. On top of it, I love a good underdog story, probably because this is our story. Maybe nobody expected this of us, but here we are still…and, damn it, we are going to make the most of it!
4. Can you tell me about ‘Along Comes a Spider.’ Does the title take away from the nursery rhyme titled "Little Miss Muffet?” Or, no relation whatsoever?
Yes it does, our album title, "Along Came a Spider," definitely comes from there. We were kicking around a bunch of titles but this one stood out. The phrase is at once known because of the popular nursery rhyme. Also, it has a spider in it, which appealed to us, right away. Finally, it was intriguing. What happens when the spider comes along? It makes you wonder, and that is what clinched it for us.
5. What was it like working alongside producer Dan Malsch, what was it about his line of work, that he brought to the table that caught your eye?
Our manager introduced us to Dan. We liked that he was pushing the envelope in terms of production. That was important to us. In our minds, we needed a producer that was comfortable with current production techniques and styles and strong enough that he could manipulate those to serve our songs. Also, Dan had worked successfully with rock and metal artists (Framing Hanley, Tantric, Doro) before. Having a producer that was proficient and excelled in the rock realm was imperative to us. Finally, he was enthusiastic about working with us. He expressed that he really wanted to work on a rock album (I guess he had been working on other stuff at the time) and we felt the sincerity when we met him. Also, we saw that he was excited about the songs we brought to him. Energy is so important in what we do and working with Dan felt right.
6. How would you say that this newest album ‘Along Comes a Spider’ is different to your very first records?
I don’t think "different" is the right word. I would say "evolution" is a better word. "Along Came a Spider" is truly an evolution from our earlier albums. If you listen to our previous album, "Bitten," you’ll hear the natural progression to "Along Came a Spider" in terms of songwriting and production. And as you go back further you can hear more similarities as well as how things have moved forward. Music technology has made huge leaps and bounds and we have embraced the advancements. For us, a lot of work goes into an album before it gets to the recording stage. Demoing has become easier and better because of the advancement of technology. But, we are also not slaves to technology. We put in the work and know that is really important. But we also exploit current technology to write, rewrite and demo our songs many times before we even get close to recording in earnest. And, when we go into the studio to start recording, we use all the advancements in technology and sound to help us create the best album we can.
7. Give some detailed input about the album's artwork, does it relate to the nursery rhyme mentioned before?
Our album cover tells a different story than the nursery rhyme. Our Miss Muffet is a little girl and is not scared of spiders. She is not running away screaming. Instead she is curious and fascinated by the spider. She watches it in the palm of her hand. And there is no tuffet – I think this would be a bit girly for her. She doesn’t mind getting scraped up - you can see the bandage on her knee as she sits on the stairs outside her home. She is surrounded by things that have been occupying her time like her toy soldiers behind her and an open face-down book that’s right beside her. You can also see a jump rope, doll, teddy bear and ball, all discarded next to her. She appears to have been pretty busy, before getting distracted by the spider! Something that is not in this image at all, though, is curds and whey. I’m guessing she would find such a snack pretty disgusting anyway.
8. If you had to say one thing about this album to draw people to go out and give it a listen or purchase a copy, what would that one thing be and why?
From the first few seconds you hit play, you know you’re in for a ride. Each track has its distinct personality. It’s not all one thing. In fact, it’s the opposite, there’s a little bit of everything in there. But it wasn’t planned that way, it just kind of happened organically. This is an album that you can listen to beginning to end in one sitting. Pretty upbeat, but it weaves and winds, takes you upside down, shakes you around and then comes back for more.
9. "Rip Your Heart Out" as well as "Sick", were both picked out to be made into singles and or videos, why? Will this album see any other tracks receive this same format?
We liked the energy of "Sick" to be our first single. It charged out of the gate and that’s what we wanted as a start. Plus, we had an entertaining lyric video for the song, so it went hand-in-hand that this would be our first one out.
"Rip Your Heart Out" was picked collectively as the second single because of the romantic title. We wanted to reach that sentimental spot in our listeners’ souls and pull at their heartstrings. It makes me emotional just thinking about it.
We have plans under wraps for other songs, but of course this is top secret. The plans have the red stamp on them and are locked in a secure spot. When we are ready, we will make our next reveal….
10. What does the band plan on doing in the mean time?
We are concentrating on promotion right. After all, we want people to hear our new album, right? Which is how we got to meet you. Yeah! So our press campaign is in full swing and the college radio campaign has already started for the new album. We also have live shows coming up and more are in the works. We look forward to touring. Stuff is happening behind the scenes right now and announcements will be made each step of the way. Stay tuned!
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