“I want people to like me for the rest of their life.”
-Rocky Votolato of Waxwing
“...I was into blues, but then I saw bands like Jawbreaker—
bands that just fuckin’ knocked me on my ass. I realized
that there was so much more to life. I realized that that’s
what a lot of people need— a kick in the ass to make them
realize that there IS more to life, that you need to treat those
around you differently, that you need to not take things for
granted, and all the shit that comes to me when I sit down to
write songs...”. Meet Rocky Votolato, a Seattle musician
whose combination of talent and sincerity will give you the
most polite ass kicking you’ve ever had. My
first encounter with this somewhat obscure twenty three year
old was a year and a half ago. One night I had paid five dollars
expecting to watch some band ‘play.’ Instead, I found
myself engulfed in a whirlwind of melodic fervor. I was left
standing there with the feeling one gets when watching bands
like Elliott or Hot Water Music perform. It was the feeling
of an intensity being birthed from a band that seemed to be
embracing their chosen artistic medium. Throughout the set,
Rocky’s ‘I love playing live; I love loud amps and
stickin my head in them and going deaf and jumpin around’
mentality never lost its stamina. In fact, it grew stronger
and stronger. The band’s name is Waxwing, and the four
piece is fueled by singer/guitarist Rocky, second guitarist/little
brother Cody, bassist Andrew Hartley, and drummer Rudy Gajadhar.
My second encounter was only a few months later. This time,
however, Rocky was unaccompanied by his fellow band mates and
was armed only with his voice and acoustic guitar. After his
first song, he unplugged a failing mic, slid to the front of
the stage, and asked the audience to do the same. “It’s
better this way anyways,” he said before going on to play
six or seven of the most beautiful and somber songs ever to
be composed around an instrument that is so often insulted by
others. Rocky’s music is a life saving Heimlich for those
of us choking on the products of an industry that thrives on
false personas, inflated egos, and flat out shitty music. He
provides an outlet for not only himself, but the listener as
well. To play good music is one thing, but to draw the listener
in and make them feel as if they are a part of the artist’s
struggles and passions is something entirely different; It is
something Rocky achieves quite easily. “I wouldn’t
be so obtuse to say that I do it only for myself; I want to
affect peoples’ lives because that’s how it is with
me and the music I listen to— I just have a commitment
to it.”
Rocky harbors an uncanny perseverance that enables him to fulfill
this commitment. During times when most other “artists”
would throw their hands in the air and call it quits, Rocky
continues to find ways to make this magic happen. “I’ve
always had to kill myself to make music because I’ve had
so many other things that have had higher priority.” Now,
this is even more so the situation. Within the past year, Rocky
has graduated college, gotten engaged, then married, and has
become a father. And though he acknowledges that his family
takes precedence over all, he is still able to find the little
bit of time needed to attend to his prior commitment. Waxwing
is currently recording their second full length for Second Nature
which is due out this summer. He is also putting the finishing
touches on his own seven song C.D., “A Brief History,”
which is due out this month on Your Best Guess. Both he says
will benefit from the experience he’s had over the past
year. “It’s completely changed my music. There’s
been a lot of life experience that has really changed the way
I look at everything. I feel I’ve grown up a lot and that
the upcoming records will really reflect that.”
When asked where he wants his music to go under the new circumstances,
Rocky places any ‘little boy/conquer the world’ ideologies
he may have held in the past behind. There are no big tour plans
or “bigger” record deals. Instead, he responds with
a much more complex goal that many musicians fail miserably
at when trying to reach. “I want to be big but in my definition—
well respected and liked by a solid following— one that
isn’t going to like just one record and then forget. I
want people to like me for the rest of their life.”
I think I can safely say for all of those that have had the
opportunity to experience Rocky’s music, be it through
a live performance or recording, that he has achieved this goal.
I think I can speak for the rest us by saying that we hope the
perseverance and commitment continues. For those of you who
haven’t had the opportunity, seek out his music and treat
yourself to a one of a kind kick in the ass.
My
first encounter with this somewhat obscure twenty three year
old was a year and a half ago. One night I had paid five dollars
expecting to watch some band ‘play.’ Instead, I found
myself engulfed in a whirlwind of melodic fervor. I was left
standing there with the feeling one gets when watching bands
like Elliott or Hot Water Music perform. It was the feeling
of an intensity being birthed from a band that seemed to be
embracing their chosen artistic medium. Throughout the set,
Rocky’s ‘I love playing live; I love loud amps and
stickin my head in them and going deaf and jumpin around’
mentality never lost its stamina. In fact, it grew stronger
and stronger. The band’s name is Waxwing, and the four
piece is fueled by singer/guitarist Rocky, second guitarist/little
brother Cody, bassist Andrew Hartley, and drummer Rudy Gajadhar.
Waxwing
is currently recording their second full length for Second Nature
which is due out this summer. He is also putting the finishing
touches on his own seven song C.D., “A Brief History,”
which is due out this month on Your Best Guess. Both he says
will benefit from the experience he’s had over the past
year. “It’s completely changed my music. There’s
been a lot of life experience that has really changed the way
I look at everything. I feel I’ve grown up a lot and that
the upcoming records will really reflect that.”