Welcome to a feature where we sit down and talk to bands and artists about their latest albums to find out all about it. Today we speak to Matty from the band Rocketsuit Rogue about the debut album Hello, Apocalypse!

Hello Matty congratulations on the new album! How has the response been? 

Thank you!  The response has been amazing and I know it might sound cliche, but I truly do feel blessed.

Tell us about the new album

So, this album is incredibly special to me. I spent a lot of time alone, rebooting and recharging this side of myself, and it all came out in the songs.  It took a lot of focus, hard work, and rediscovering a part of myself that I didn’t realize how much I’d missed. Reading people’s reactions and hearing that they’ve missed my voice, truly means the world to me. After taking an off-ramp for a couple of years, it’s like I’ve found my way home again, and feels so good to be back.  

Favourite track in new album and why?

It’s always hard to name your favorite track on an album.  If I had to choose, I’d say “I Hate the Way I Love You” because it’s such a fun song to play on the guitar; the riffs and solo.  

Tell us a bit about the recording process, was it fun to do?

The recording process is ALWAYS fun.  Always.  Even if you’re working eight or twelve hours a day.  It’s never not fun for me.  So, for this album, I spent 8 days in California in the studio with my buddy and producer, Cameron Webb (Mötorhead, Pennywise), and it was great because we both like to wake up early and work.  So, he’d pick me up from my hotel and we would just jump right in and work all day.  Chris Barber, who plays drums, lives in Sheffield, UK, would send his drum tracks from his studio there, over to Cameron.  We then put it all together.

What inspired the album name?

The album name is cool to me because it could mean so many things.  For one, in the comic book sense, “Apocalypse” could be the name of the antagonist character.  Or it could be an actual apocalypse, like alien invasion or asteroids etc.  Or it could actually be an internal apocalypse (which the album deals a lot about anxiety and depression) where you’re tackling it head-on.  So, that’s why I chose it.  

Tell us the idea behind the album cover?

I think the album cover is great!  I love 1950’s sci-fi movies and comic books and I had the idea for a comic book type character as the Rocketsuit Rogue and it all came together.  There’s a guy in Toronto named Artie who works at Takeover Studio, who finished it, and I think it’s exactly what I envisioned.

You are also set to tour the UK! What can you tell us about that? 

YES!  I cannot wait to tour the UK!  So, the UK is special to me because it’s the place I’ve actually toured the most.  So, we’re coming over in November for about 2 weeks.  We have more dates to be announced, too. 

So, the last show I played in the UK, we (Zebrahead) were on tour with Sum 41 in February 2020, and we actually had a day off, so we played a show in London at New Cross Inn…which is ironically, the first show I’ll be doing with RSR!  I really cannot wait to come back.  It will be very very special to me, for sure.

What are your favourite things about touring the UK? 

Touring the UK has always been wonderful.  For me, the fans of course, but also I love seeing the historical places.  And it seems there’s always so much to see!  And because we’re so similar (the US and UK), it’s kinda like visiting family!  There’s just so many memories there from my 15 years of touring there.  

What one of your songs on the new album do you think will the most difficult to rehearse for a live audience?

Hmmm good question.  I don’t think any are overly complicated, BUT I will say that the song “Better Off Dead”..I probably recorded a little bit high in register, so I’ll have to work to hit those notes!!

Why should people listen to the album?

People should listen to “Hello, Apocalypse!” if they’re looking for something that has guitar riffs, solos, whoas and singalongs…and if you’re looking for something new but also has a hint of familiarity or nostalgia. 

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