Twenty five years ago, Rocket Science formed out of the ashes of several fledgling Melbourne bands to create something new, weird and decidedly different.
Theirs is a surviving legacy of triumph and tragedy, now six albums deep and still enjoying one another's company the same way they did at the turn of the century.Roman Tucker, the band's lead vocalist and keyboardist, says there's a distinct difference between the band's original run from 1998 to 2008 and their reunion, which has been ongoing now since 2014.
It's all to do with pressure – or, as far as their latter-day period is concerned, lack thereof. "In the first period of Rocket Science's lifespan, I guess we were trying to put ourselves out there and really see where we fit within the world," Tucker says.
"There's a real anxiety that comes with that, because you have no idea how you'll be perceived and if people will get what you're trying to do.
"This time around, we're a lot more settled in – we're less anxious, and more able to be ourselves without worry. As you get older, I think you can accept yourself in a way that young people can't. It's confronting to put yourself on the line, but that will change over time as well."
Last month saw the band release 'Push Play', their second LP since reuniting in 2014, which follows on from 2019's 'Shark'.
A blend of driving, acidic art-punk and washy psych-rock, the album at times recalls pandemic-era stir-craziness – which Tucker and co. intended, given that's the fire within which it was initially forged. "When we couldn't see each other, music was our way of communicating," the frontman says.
"Every day, I'd go to my computer and there'd be new verses or middle-8s or some kind of new idea waiting for me in my inbox. We kept bouncing them around between the four of us until we had something that worked.
"It felt like a new beginning, in a lot of ways. This band has always been a creative endeavour, and having this album to work on through that time period was really fulfilling. It's fitting that it's come out in our 25th year as a band, because it really does feel like a new chapter."
Roman goes on to compare the band's latest effort to their 2001 breakthrough 'Contact High', which featured the Hottest 100-placing 'Being Followed' and remains the band's most successful album – both critically and commercially.
Chances are if you've heard a Rocket Science song, it's on 'Contact High' – and if you've heard a Rocket Science album? You guessed it. Tucker is asked what he thinks it was about 'Contact High' that made people revere it as one of the great Australian indie records of the decade.
After some thought, he posits an interesting theory. "It's an album that plays the fine line between extremities," he says.
"There's a balancing act taking place where it's really out there in how creative and interesting it is, but it's also accessible enough that it can be really warmly received by people. "It's a really good mix of rock, garage, no-wave, punk and arty pop. It's an album only we could have made."
So, in what ways does 'Push Play' parallel 'Contact High'? "It's in the collaborative elements," Tucker responds. "It's an album that's equal parts all four of us, inspired by everything from pop art to thematic prose. It explodes in all the right places, and we come at each song from a different angle."
In fact, Roman is so excited by 'Push Play' that he genuinely can't decide which songs not to play when the band embark on a national tour in support of it later this month.
In the thick of rehearsals with the band, Tucker's enthusiasm is palpable. "Every time we practice a song, we just love how it feels live," he says. "At the moment, we're toying with the idea of playing the whole thing at the shows.
"Of course, we'll sprinkle in the obligatory Rocket Science tracks from over the years. We couldn't get away with not playing those. That said, everything from 'Push Play' is just sounding great – we're really looking forward to exploring the album more. It's made me really hopeful for the future."
Rocket Science 2023 Tour Dates
Fri 20 Oct - Northcote Social Club (Melbourne)Fri 27 Oct - Heritage Hotel (Wollongong)
Sat 28 Oct - Factory Floor (Sydney)
Sun 29 Oct - Link & Pin (Central Coast)
Fri 3 Nov - Volta (Ballarat)
Sat 4 Nov - Barwon Club (Geelong)
Sat 11 Nov - The Bridge (Castlemaine)
Fri 17 Nov - The Bearded Lady (Brisbane)
Sat 18 Nov - Mo's Desert Clubhouse (Gold Coast)
