Rocket Loves Blue is an Outlaw Americana band from Josh and Nikki Shapiro. Their latest release — “Big Shot Money” — came to life after spending some time at the Westmoreland County Fair.
Josh and Nikki recently spoke with WYEP's Joey Spehar.
What’s your musical history up to this point?
I grew up in Pittsburgh and was in various bands from metal, to punk, to indie. I used to love playing such venues as Laga, Graffiti, Metropol, The Rex, etc. Nikki and I met in 2014 in Los Angeles, CA. I moved from Pittsburgh in 2005 and she from San Diego in 2009. I was very busy with an indie/dance/punk duo that did quite well in Los Angeles. Nikki received the Golden Ticket on American Idol and shortly after was bouncing around town in various writing and studio sessions.
One random Sunday evening, we jumped on stage with a Honky Tonk band and did a cover of Jolene” by Dolly. We can pinpoint that exact moment when as to when the official lightbulb went off. The reception was wonderful, and we were invited back on a regular basis. Being somewhat inseparable, we spent a lot of time writing and recording demos in that vein. We both loved dark and folky storytelling with a pop sensibility, and just went for it. We hit a great stride almost immediately and we were able to put our own spin on the vibe and sound. Rocket Loves Blue came about very naturally, and we moved to Pittsburgh to launch the project shortly before the pandemic hit.
How do you describe your sound?
Outlaw Americana is a phrase we throw around a lot!
Tell us more about the song "Big Shot Money." What inspired you to write it and what does it mean to you?
We normally start an idea for a song with a story, getting from point A to point B. “Big Shot Money” came about a bit differently. We had friends that wanted to do a photoshoot at the Westmorland County Fair. While sitting at one of those “squirt gun hits a bullseye” games, one of us (we still don’t remember who!) said the phrase “Big Shot Money.” We liked the phrase so much; it was our caption for the photo that was posted on Instagram a day or 2 later. The story is simple and tells of an outlaw on the run. We spent a lot of time working on imagery and were purposely vague and abstract. We kinda wanted each listener to maybe hear a different story than the ones we had in our head. There are certain lines in “Big Shot Money” that we ourselves were questioning if they were about the car, or the person on the run, or situational and referencing certain vices... We decided to leave the story as is and let the listener decide.
What was the first album that really changed your life?
Nikki - Rumors by Fleetwood Mac. The first time I heard “Gold Dust Woman” I knew this was the type of music I wanted to make. It lit something inside of me and there was just no turning back.
Josh - Ok, I’m going to pick ...And Justice for All by Metallica. When I was super young I was taking guitar lessons from a guy that loved 80s hair metal, and I remember him mentioning he was Paul Gilbert’s first guitar teacher. A lot of that genre was thrown at me around that time and I just went with because I was so happy to just be holding a guitar at that point. I had a friend at the time with a pretty hip older brother, he snuck me a yellow Memorex cassette of “Justice” by Metallica and I remember thinking...... WHAT IS THIS!?!?!?! It was so fast, and didn’t sound too good or polished. But, I couldn’t stop listening to it or get the songs out of my head.
Who are some other Pittsburgh artists you think more people should listen to?
We are slowly getting to know everyone here, and it’s been a blast. We enjoy Melinda and the Night Sky, Tiny Wars, Net Force, Language of the Heart, Gene the Werewolf. We think Anne Eliza, Halloway, Clinton Clegg, Caleb Kopta are all crazy talented.
Any other super interesting things about you we should know?
We have 3 new singles on the back burner waiting to turn the corner on the new year. The full band rehearsals are up and running and we couldn’t be happier, the songs are absolutely coming alive with the killer group of guys we’ve been working with (listed below.) Future bookings and shows to be announced soon. We self-record, produce, mix, and master all of our songs at home just Nikki and me.
Rocket Loves Blue are:
Nikki & Josh Shapiro
Jim - guitar
Matt - bass
Mike - drums
Video by Fount Studios
