With increased interest in the music from local, national, and international magazines and the EP selling in 5 continents, in 2003 Bryce produced and released his debut album Calendar Days. The album title comes from a line in the song "TV Family". Using a $15,000 budget, the album was recorded in Kansas on the label The Militia Group. The album was critically praised as being extremely uplifting, and included varied music (for example, the track "What We Hate, We Make" which includes the 6th grade choir that his younger sister was in from Texas). The album sold well throughout the United States and Japan.
In November 2004, Bryce began working with producer Tim O'Heir in Brooklyn to co-produce his second album Hello, Good Friend - the album title coming from the song "Never Knew". This album included more piano central songs than his previous album. The Rocket Summer has toured the US and Japan extensively and has gained a large fan base. The album was subsequently released by a Christian music label to Christian retail outlets. Although The Rocket Summer is not a "Christian band", and it is not immediately obvious in his lyrics, Avary is a Christian and lets his faith influence his lyrics and his music. Avary says that his faith is the most important thing in his life.
He signed with Island Def Jam Records for his third record, Do You Feel, which was released on July 17th, 2007. The first single from the album is So Much Love. The Rocket Summer has released the music video for So Much Love. On September 5th, 2008, the music video for Do You Feel was released. The music video for Do You Feel was co-directed by Bryce Avary with director Nate Weaver. The video was funded by Avary. The video for Do You Feel featured stories of real people with "real issues" such as homelessness, addiction, disease and abuse. The video also featured cameos from artists Andrew McMahon of Jack's Mannequin, Matt Theissen of Relient K, Josh Farro and Jeremy Davis of Paramore, Mike Herrera of MxPx, Forrest Kline of Hellogoodbye, Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low and Jonathan Cook of Forever The Sickest Kids.
While Avary writes and produces his albums while playing every instrument, he is also known for his hard work ethic on the road. The Rocket Summer has toured the US, Canada, The UK, and Japan numerous times and have been responsible for taking now popular bands such as Paramore, The Plain White T's, The Format and Phantom Planet as support acts.
The Rocket Summer has headlined many sold out tours in the US, Canada, The Uk, and Japan. The Rocket Summer has also played many worldwide festivals such as Glastonbury Festival in England, T in the Park Festival in Scotland, Summer Sonic Festival in Japan, Oxygen Festival in Ireland, Austin City Limits, SxSw, Bamboozle and Cornerstone.
The Rocket Summer toured with the Vans Warped Tour in the summer of 2007 for two months. Although Bryce records all of his own instruments for his records, he tours with a band mostly made up of high school friends. His band currently consists of Seth Brewton on guitar, Matt Bergeland on bass, and Tommy Quinn on drums. His wife, Tara[1], tours with him as his business manager and sells merchandise at his shows.
In January 27, 2008, The Rocket Summer played a series of dates in the UK including major cities such as London, Manchester, Newcastle and Cardiff, with The Secret Handshake and Between the Trees supporting. Before The Rocket Summer's set every night, Jamie Tworkowski spoke briefly about To Write Love On Her Arms. Without even having an album released in the UK, these dates sold out weeks before the tour began.
Beginning March 14, 2008, The Rocket Summer co-headlined the Alternative Press tour. It started in Houston, Texas and ended in May in Cleveland, Ohio. Also co-headlining was All Time Low, with The Matches, Sonny, and Forever The Sickest Kids supporting - Live Photos from AP Tour.
The Rocket Summer returned to the UK with a headlining show beginning on June 28, 2008 in Yeovil and ending on July 16, 2008 in Birmingham.
The Rocket Summer returned to the United States for a headlining fall tour with support from The Secret Handshake, Phantom Planet and The Morning Light. After conclusion of the tour, Bryce Avary took some time off to write a new record. He recorded the new album at Ocean Studios in Burbank, CA from February-April. He produced the record with CJ Eiriksson, who also engineered the album. Some of the tracks were mixed by Neal Avron. The album, titled "Of Men and Angels" is expected to be released in 2009 by Island Def Jam.
Destiny
Rocket Summer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Walking down the street
Yes I did, and I started thinking
'Bout my destiny,
And how maybe, maybe just someday
I could repay all the times you sang
All of your warm colors
And all of the tragic tears
You took off of my face
'Cause I've fallen off of these train tracks
And nearly seen my death
And I stand here with a song
About to live
This will be my destiny
You will be my song and I will sing
So don't cover up your ears at me
And what I have to tell
I will bet these words, they find you well
I know, I know, when I see it
I will know, it's home
That I'll go, when it's my turn to clock out
It's almost like dreaming,
It's something I can't explain
That it's almost hard to think the same
To try to be a different way
This will be my destiny
You will be my song and I will sing
So don't cover up your ears at me
And what I have to tell
So you, do you know what it is you do?
I assume that you're thinking,
"Why yes, I do."
Oh I just hope, and I pray
That you change that soon,
And I would hope and pray
If I were you.
Ooh oh oh.
Ooh oh oh oh,
If I were you
If I were you
If I were you
If I were you
I'd be asking every single person I knew
To gently say a pray for me,
'Cause I will most assuredly die this century
And in this opportune-filled life that I will leave
I hope to God that I'll live for you and not for me
Whoa oh oh oh, whoa, no no no no no
Oh,
(Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?
Is this thing on? Can you hear me?)
'Cause I am speaking loud and clear!
Whoa! Yeah!
The Rocket Summer's song "Destiny" is an ode to the people who have touched the singer's life and helped him along the way to his destiny. The song starts with the singer walking down the street, thinking about his destiny and how he could someday repay the people who have helped him. The warm colors and the tragic tears of these people have made him who he is today, and he stands there with a song ready to live. He believes that his destiny is to sing, and the people who have supported him will be his song. He implores his listeners not to cover up their ears to the message he has to tell them, and to let his words find them well.
In the second verse, the singer muses about how he will know when he has found his true home, and how the thought of it is almost like a dream. He believes that he must try to be different and hope that others will pray for him when he passes on this lifetime. The song ends with the singer speaking loud and clear, hoping that his message will be heard.
The song is a powerful and emotive piece that explores themes of destiny and the impact that others can have on our lives. It is a testament to the power of music to inspire and uplift, and the lyrics are delivered with genuine passion and sincerity.
Line by Line Meaning
I started to feel while I was walking down the street
While walking down the street, I began to feel something.
Yes I did, and I started thinking, 'Bout my destiny, And how maybe, maybe just someday I could repay all the times you sang
I started thinking about my destiny, and how maybe one day, I could return the favor to the person who sang for me.
All of your warm colors Have painted all my days
Your warm personality brightened up all of my days.
And all of the tragic tears You took off of my face
You were there for me when times were tough, and you helped me wipe away my tears.
'Cause I've fallen off of these train tracks And nearly seen my death And I stand here with a song About to live
I've had my fair share of close calls with death, but I'm still standing strong, ready to live my life to the fullest.
This will be my destiny You will be my song and I will sing So don't cover up your ears at me And what I have to tell I will bet these words, they find you well
My destiny is to sing, and you will be the inspiration behind the song. Don't ignore what I have to say, because it will benefit you in the end.
I know, I know, when I see it I will know, it's home That I'll go, when it's my turn to clock out It's almost like dreaming, It's something I can't explain That it's almost hard to think the same To try to be a different way
I know that when I find it, I'll know that I'm home. It's like a dream, and it's almost impossible to describe. It's hard to change your ways when you're used to thinking a certain way.
So you, do you know what it is you do? I assume that you're thinking, 'Why yes, I do.' Oh I just hope, and I pray That you change that soon, And I would hope and pray If I were you.
Do you know what you're doing? I assume you do, but I hope you change soon. If I were you, I would hope and pray for change too.
Ooh oh oh. Ooh oh oh oh, If I were you If I were you If I were you
If I were you, I would do things differently.
I'd be asking every single person I knew To gently say a prayer for me, 'Cause I will most assuredly die this century And in this opportune-filled life that I will leave I hope to God that I'll live for you and not for me
If I knew I was going to die this century, I would ask everyone I knew to pray for me. I hope that when I die, I'm remembered for the good I did for others, not for myself.
Oh, (Can you hear me? Can you hear me now? Is this thing on? Can you hear me?) 'Cause I am speaking loud and clear! Whoa! Yeah!
I'm speaking loud and clear, hoping that others hear me and take my words to heart.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRYCE AVARY, STEPHEN BRYCE AVARY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind