Rocketship

Using the name Rocketship, singer/guitarist Dustin Reske has been making sweet and super melodic indie pop at a high level since the early '90s. Their 1996 album A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness combines soft melodies and noisy interludes with space age pop organs, layers of jangling guitars, and plaintive vocals to make a definitive statement that captures the wistful, happily adventurous spirit of mid-'90s indie pop. After a series of left turns (1998's ambient album Garden of Delights, numerous membership changes) and a long spell where Reske didn't record, the band returned in the mid-2010s to make music that looked back to their past but also forged a new path forward, as 2019's Thanks to You clearly illustrates.

After being inspired by a spin of <a href="spotify:artist:3BqAAo5E60L15TcFgWI8xH">Felt</a>'s organ-heavy "Song for William S. Harvey," Reske formed Rocketship in Sacramento, California, with bassist Verna Brock, keyboardist Heidi Barney, and drummer Jim Rivas. Following the release of a pair of singles on the influential <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Bus+Stop%22">Bus Stop</a> label -- "Hey, Hey Girl" in 1994, "Honey, I Need You" in 1995 -- the group issued the acclaimed A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Slumberland%22">Slumberland</a> in 1996. The original lineup dissolved soon after, and Reske continued Rocketship essentially as a solo project with a revolving cast of musicians. A handful of singles followed, including a split with Henry's Dress, before the band released the ambient-influenced 12" Garden of Delights on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Drive-In+Records%22">Drive-In Records</a> in 1998.

The group sporadically issued music over the next few years, releasing a split 12" EP with the band Trace on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Omnibus+Records%22">Omnibus Records</a> in 2003 and then the self-released 2006 album Here Comes...Rocketship. After that, Reske turned towards non-musical pursuits that mainly focused around community activism and launching an eco-focused lawn care company in Portland.

In the mid-2010s, Reske began releasing songs again on digital platforms. He recorded a track for a split single with <a href="spotify:artist:15cjYStG6SRmTS9d5wNVxT">Pia Fraus</a>, oversaw the reissue of A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness, and found vocalist Ellen Osborn, who quickly became a vital part of the band's sound. The pair, along with drummer Adam Bayer, bassist Angie Fritz, and the band's original drummer, Jim Rivas, collaborated on a long-overdue third album. Harkening back to the classic Rocketship sound and adding elements of electronic music, disco, and dream pop, Thanks to You was issued by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Darla+Records%22">Darla Records</a> in late 2019. ~ Tim Sendra & Jason Ankeny