Ever dreamed of forming a band with your five best friends? Well, while most of us were playing "Rock Band" and wondering what if?, the six southerners from The Rocketboys actually made it happen. Their secret to success? Drive, determination and the kinda can't-fake-it closeness you only get from sharing too-small tour buses (and playing packed venues) with kids you've known since junior high. 'Course, their talent didn't hurt either.
Last night, you heard several of The Rocketboys' relationship-themed singles on "Teen Mom," including "Endings" (an ode to lovers not quite left behind) and "As People Often Do" (a song about not trusting the one you love). So where exactly did these sensitive types come from? Well, the college buds-turned-indie rockers all hail from the small town of Abilene, Texas, but they didn't start making music together until late 2005. Soon after, they started playing local music festivals (under the name Homer Hiccolm & the Rocketboys) and quickly established themselves as rising stars. Within a few years, the guys had shortened their name, put out two EPs (and two live DVDs) and burst out of the local scene with their Radiohead-like rhythms and killer sets at Austin City Limits, SXSW and CMJ.
Since then, The Rocketboys have left Abilene for Austin, where they've proved they're anything but small town. In 2009, the guys hit the mainstream with their full-length debut, 20,000 Guests, and saw their lilting, drum-based melodies pop up on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," "The Real World" and the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Hear more about the group by going to The Rocketboys' MySpace page, reading their MTV artist bio and fanning them on Facebook.