Pop, Electronic, Acoustic | Lebanon, Missouri
Romance on a Rocketship conjures up a love that soars into outer space, trailing sweet, lilting pop melodies that aim straight for the heart. R.O.A.R. is Kasey Smith, who hails from the small town of Lebanon, MO, population 15,000, an old-fashioned success story with its roots in today’s Internet driven social network culture. Discovered on MySpace by noted producer J. R. Rotem, the man behind such number 1 smashes as Rihanna’s “S.O.S.,” Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls,” Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say” and Iyaz’s “Replay,” Smith’s Beluga Heights/Island debut is chock full of lilting melodies and pop hooks that hit the sweet spot every time.
The album’s first single, “Skin & Bones” is a self-deprecating love song about an underdog winning over the heart of the most beautiful girl in school. “Underneath everything, we’re all the same, with similar needs and desires,” says Kasey. “It’s all about putting your feelings out there.” With its distinctive treated vocals, “Skin & Bones” has already received more than 1 million plays on MySpace, a fact Smith finds “definitely a trip.” “A Million Kisses” could be a wedding anthem, with its earnest proposal: “If you say I do/I’ll marry you/And lay a million kisses on you …” Other songs on the album, culled from more than 30 demos, include “Miss Magazine,” about a “beauty queen…the cutest thing I’ve ever seen,” and “Be My Baby Again.” “I try to write songs that everyone can relate to,” he explains. “We’ve all experienced love and heartbreak. I just try to make it as catchy as possible. That’s my goal for each song.” It’s an approach he developed as a teenager after being turned on to the music of the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s by his mom and older brother, with those eclectic influences eventually turning up in his own songs. “I take stuff from everywhere,” he says of his approach, which combines his love of ‘60s and “70s pop, ‘80s new wave and ‘90s grunge and techno. “I love all kinds of music.”
His first musical endeavors were a pair of Christian metal bands, including Here I Come Falling and Agraceful, which both had national followings. During the latter of the two bands, he decided to do his own, very different, style of music to satisfy a wish of his grandmother. “I’ve always wanted to pursue pop music,” he says. “For awhile, fear held me back. I was afraid to put myself out there without the support of a band. It was a dream of mine for years and years.” Feverishly recording and putting the results on his MySpace page, Kasey’s music attracted the interest of Rotem’s brother Tommy, when he noticed the tunesmith’s songs were at the top of the website’s U.K. chart. Kasey and J.R. went into Chalice Studios in L.A. and began working together, improving the songs Smith had already written. “We take one of my demos and then he’ll dissect it by creating a blueprint for something that’s even stronger,” says Smith, explaining the process. “It’s a very collaborative thing, a big mash-up of both our ideas, and this is what comes out at the other end. I love the recording process. That’s my favorite part of music.”
Emerging full-blown, Kasey creates an instantly recognizable style with his massive head of curls, sunglasses and torn T-shirts. “I’ve always been into fashion,” he says. “I’m fascinated with style as much as music. Appearance is a big thing for me. It’s an art form.” With the word “Grace” tattooed on his chest, Kasey’s credo is “It is good to be alive.” “Grace means a lot to me,” he explains. “It goes along with my faith and beliefs as well as my everyday life. In theology, it means the freely given love of God. It reminds me to forgive others, to be gracious to the people around me and not take things too personally.” That comes across in his desire to be a role model to his younger fans. “I try to keep everything as pure and positive as possible,” says Kasey.
That expression of a higher form of love is behind the choice of Romance on a Rocketship as a name. “I don’t date a lot,” he admits. “I’ve always been into the fairy tale idea of love. I want a love that’s out of this world…or nothing. And when I realized the acronym was ‘R.O.A.R.,’ it was set in stone.” With elements of admitted musical favorites ranging from Tupac Shakur and The-Dream to Nirvana and Coldplay (he has a cover of “The Scientist” on YouTube), Kasey Smith is ready to launch Romance on a Rocketship on tour. “I’m completely different on- and off-stage,” he admits. “The stage is a place where you can become whoever you want.” It appears, after being in two bands, the third time’s the charm for the young singer-songwriter as he sets out on his solo career.
At this point, the sky is the limit for Romance on a Rocketship.
*RELEASES*
Album: The Double Trouble EP
Year: 2009
Quality: iTunes
Tracks:
01. Up, Up, and Away
02. Dancing on Your Grave
Album: Skin & Bones - Single
Year: 2009
Quality: iTunes
Tracks:
01. Skin & Bones
Album: Miss Magazine - Single
Year: 2009
Quality: 320kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. Miss Magazine
Album: A Million Kisses - Single
Year: 2009
Quality: 320kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. A Million Kisses (feat. Mikellah)
Album: I'll Be Your Holiday - EP
Year: 2009
Quality: iTunes
Tracks:
01. In Case Those Lips Get Cold
02. Room for 2
Album: Be My Baby Again - Single
Year: 2010
Quality: 320kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. Be My Baby Again
Album: Spaceship - Single
Year: 2010
Quality: 128kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. Spaceship
Album: Skin & Bones - Single
Year: 2010
Quality: (still available HERE) Tracks:
01. Skin & Bones
Album: Skin & Bones (Breathe Electric Remix) - Single
Year: 2011
Quality: 128kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. Skin & Bones (Breathe Electric Remix)
Album: Creatures of the Night - EP
Year: 2012
Quality: 320kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. Till the Break of Dawn
02. The Way She Movin' (Blows My Mind)
03. What You Do to Me
04. Let's Have Fun Tonight
05. Miss Magazine
Album: Acoustic EP
Year: 2012
Quality: 320kbps MP3
Tracks:
01.Chin Up Buttercup
02. A Million Kisses (feat. Vivian Fabry)
03. She Likes It
04. Hello Baby
Album: Creatures of the Night: Acoustic - EP
Year: 2013
Quality: 320kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. The Way She Movin' (Blows My Mind) [Acoustic]
02. Let's Have Fun Tonight (Acoustic)
03. Miss Magazine (Acoustic)
Album: Celebrate (1 More Time) - Single
Year: 2013
Quality: 320kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. Celebrate (1 More Time)
Album: Stranger - Single
Year: 2013
Quality: 320kbps MP3
Tracks:
01. Stranger
*OTHER SONGS*
As Long As You Love Me (Halloween Remix) [Justin Bieber Cover] [192kbps MP3]
Dangerous (feat. Brad from CB2J) [Kardinal Offishall Cover] [256kbps AAC]
Semi-Charmed Life (Third Eye Blind Cover) [320kbps MP3]
The Scientist (Coldplay Cover) [192kbps MP3]
If you have any other lost music, artwork, or information about this band not preserved here or in better quality (we count iTunes m4a files as better quality than mp3 in most cases) send us an email: themyspacedumpster@gmail.com
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