As the name suggests, Rocket is a band that is truly taking off. The Los Angeles-based quartet only began making music together just under five years ago, but is seeing some seismic waves following the release of their close-to-self-titled debut record. R Is for Rocket represents a natural progression for the band, which first took shape during the pandemic as vocalist Alithea Tuttle sang over demos from guitarist Desi Scaglione, her then-boyfriend and now bandmate. Since its inception, the band has earned opening slots for the likes of Sunny Day Real Estate, Ride, and Smashing Pumpkins, as well as rave reviews in Rolling Stone, Stereogum, NME, Clash, and pretty much every other publication worth its salt.
Rocket’s sound can only be concisely described as shoegaze, but it also incorporates elements of indie rock and grunge. Drawing influence from Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, the sound is sure to scratch the itch of any Brit-rock purists. The band is currently on a headlining run of small club shows across the US and through Europe early next year.
On a cool fall evening, in Nashville’s DRKMTTR, Rocket opened their set with their most-streamed track, “Take Your Aim,” immediately followed by their strongest release to date, “One in A Million,” off the new record. The room was lit with nearly no light at all, bringing even more focus to their music. The crowd was laid back, but entirely engaged. One fan even recorded the whole set on their phone, seemingly with no intention of uploading it to social media, more in a “just for me” manner. The set was almost entirely comprised of material from their new record, closing with the title track. No encore, no frills, all about the music.
For anyone begging for guitar music to make its comeback, here’s your chance to jump on the bandwagon, or better yet, the rocket, before they go nuclear.
GALLERY: Rocket at DRKMTTR in Nashville, Tennessee (November 3, 2025)
