Rocket Loves Blue on their songwriting process, live shows, and doing stunts in their music videos
Rocket Loves Blue are coming off a propulsive year. The Pittsburgh rock band played the Three Rivers Arts Fest, performed on Talk Pittsburgh, and won best rock group by the Pittsburgh City Paper. The band was formed by married couple Josh and Nikki Shapiro. Their single “Big Shot Money” is a gritty rock groove blast. The band’s new single is set for release in March.
Over a phone interview, I talked with Josh and Nikki Shapiro about their songwriting approach, live shows, and doing stunts in their music videos.
Band members: Nikki Shapiro (lead vocals), Josh Shapiro (guitar), Jim Graff (guitar), Mike McGrogan (drums), Brad Osborne (bass), and Erika Zabelle (vocals).
The beginning of Rocket Loves Blue
Josh: When did Rocket Loves Blue begin?
Josh Shapiro: We met in March of 2014. All we did was hang out, go to shows, jam on the guitar, and accidentally write a bunch of songs.
Josh: Nikki, when did you start performing on stage?
Nikki Shapiro: Like six or seven. I was doing more of my pop stuff. I was in a little Motown group.
Josh: Is there footage on YouTube?
N: (laughs) I think I have a photo of me up on stage.
J: (laughs) And there’s a picture of me at three years old holding a guitar.
Josh: Josh, when did you start playing in bands?
J: I was probably seven or eight when I started playing guitar. I was in 11th grade when I played my first show ever.
Songwriting at home
Josh: You’re married. What happens when you’re watching TV and someone has a song idea? Is there a time and place for it?
N: I feel like back in the day when we didn’t have stressful jobs, there was more freedom with all of that. I’m not as inclined to just break into a creative mode, but Josh is always wanting to pick up a guitar.
J: I’ll just pick up a guitar because I have an idea and just go nuts. We probably have 20 songs stored up. I probably pick up a guitar 40 times a day. I’m impulsive and Nikki is orchestrated.
Josh: I bet both of your notes apps are filled.
N: Absolutely, I feel like that is really my strength. He’ll lay down a riff and I’ll come up with the melody. We’ll collectively come up with an idea for a song and just throw lyrics out there.
J: Nikki’s really good with coming up with the most important line of the song. She’ll just nail it.
Playing live
Josh: What was it like playing at the Three Rivers Arts Festival?
J: That was awesome. Being from Pittsburgh, it was an absolute honor to be asked.
N: It was probably the most humid day out of the entire summer. It was cool because we had our own little trailer and it was air conditioned. That week was surreal. We were on Talk Pittsburgh and then we played the Three Rivers Arts Festival. And Friday was the opening night with Joe Grushecky at the South Park Amphitheater.
Josh: What a week. How did you come down off of that high?
N: I dipped into one of the deepest, darkest, depressions of my life.
Josh: (laughs)
J: (laughs)
N: (laughs) I’m more affected than Josh is when it comes to that. I feel like I have such a dramatic high on stage and then have to come back down. It’s a better situation having multiple things within a week.
J: The second that we hit the last note of a show, I’m like, ‘Alright, what’s next?’
Josh: I saw you guys play at the WYEP Americana Fest. It looked like everyone on stage was very natural and just doing what they love.
J: Yeah. I agree.
N: I felt like that was just a very good fit for us as far as festivals go.
Differences between the Pittsburgh and LA music scene
Josh: Nikki, being from LA, is there more of a connection to the local Pittsburgh scene than LA where it might be more detached?
N: Absolutely, and I think you phrased it properly. I think the best way to put Los Angeles is a little bit detached. I think in Los Angeles people don’t have the traditional type of job so they’re always out partying. There’s a sense of engagement here. I’ve met really genuine down to earth people; it’s a lot more fulfilling playing shows here than there.
J: I was bringing her back, you know, I gave her a taste of this. I would bring her back like once a year, then it turned into three times a year.
Original Songs
Josh: “Big Shot Money” really took off. What was the inspiration behind that song?
J: We were in a photo shoot for these local photographers, and we went to the Westmoreland Fair. We were playing the game where you squirt water in the hole. The photos came back and we said the caption was ‘big shot money.’ So we started writing “Big Shot Money.”
Josh: Nikki, how’s it feel to sing the high note at the end?
Nikki: (laughs) Those types of notes I really put everything into. I really try to add as much energy and momentum into those notes to make sure that they have the most impact. Those are my favorite types of notes to hit.
Josh: I remember that note at the WYEP show. It got really quiet, and then you sang it.
N: Here comes the storm, yeah.
J: One thing Nikki is good at is drama.
Josh: (laughs)
J: (laughs)
N: (laughs) Yeah, my middle name is drama.
Josh: “Gasoline” has a really great groove to it. Did the lyrics or melody come first?
J: We switch it around for each song. It usually starts with the riff and then Nikki gets humming. I’ll listen to it 100 times in a day and then Nikki will listen to it once a week and come up with the best line ever.
Josh: Any favorites to play live?
N: I love singing “Rosewood Avenue,” especially now that we have Erika doing background vocals. I think it brings it to a whole other level.
J: It’s probably between “Marigold and “Big Shot Money.” They are fun to play. Very memorable.
Doing stunts in their music video
Josh: What was it like making your music video?
N: I’m a very visual person. I like to put thought into my outfits and have everything coordinated. I love telling a visual story. Being able to have some input with the treatment, and have it come to life like a movie, was so fun. I thrive in that department. It’s the drama element. During the video, we were going down this crazy two lane highway pretty fast. I was sitting in the back of a truck. There was a drone above me. If a deer were to jump out, I’d be dead.
Josh: You were like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible!
N: Yeah, actually kind of. I wasn’t held down by anything! I was just kind of hoping that everything would go well.
J: It was super dark. No lights.
N: Then we get out to light the fire that’s at the very end. The fire wouldn’t go out and we had this blazing fire. It was gonna burn down the whole forest.
J: It wouldn’t go out.
N: Also, there was drama with the horse. I was trying to get the horse into a gallop but there were people hunting and firing guns right down the road. I was preparing for the worst case scenario. I’ve ridden horses my entire life, there’s a lot of things where this could have gone south. But I felt like everything really fell into place.
J: What other couple gets to do these fun things?
N: Celebrities.
Josh: (laughs)
J: (laughs)
N: (laughs)
Up next
J: What’s next for the band?
J: We’re aiming to release our new single “Something Blue” in March. We are playing with Joe Grushecky at the Thunderbird Music Hall in February.
Josh: Last summer The All American Rejects played a surprise show at Sheetz. Would Rocket Loves Blue ever do something like that?
N: (laughs) I would love to do a pop-up show like that.
J: I would play anywhere because it’s so fun—I love meeting people and seeing them enjoy it. This is all I really wanna do.
Check out music by Rocket Loves Blue on streaming platforms and keep up with their upcoming shows by following along on Instagram and Facebook.
Check out last month’s band of the month here!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
