Cover photo credit to Jaxon Whittington (@jaxonleft)
LA-based quartet Rocket is a rising act you won’t want to miss. The indie rock group is composed of childhood friends Alithea Tuttle (vocals, bass), Baron Rinzler (guitar), Cooper Ladomade (drums), and Desi Scaglione (guitar). For fans of Smashing Pumpkins, Momma, or ‘90s-esque alt rock, R is for Rocket is their fresh, memorable debut album, released October 3 via Transgressive Records.
I sat down (virtually) with Alithea, Baron, and Cooper (who, unfortunately, was experiencing technical issues) to chat about their new record, first headlining tour, and Euro summer experience while opening for Smashing Pumpkins.
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Interviewed by Dylan Simmons on August 3, 2025. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Dylan Simmons: So you guys are back in LA, you just came off of the Smashing Pumpkins tour, right? How was that?
Alithea Tuttle: It was insane. I think it was the craziest thing we’ve ever done. We didn’t know what to expect. We were just like, “This is insane,” because they’re one of our favorite bands. They’re so incredible.
Baron Rinzler: It was great. I think we all went in it having no expectations, but it exceeded any possible expectation we could’ve had. It was definitely really hot over there, and there was no A/C anywhere in Europe, and no ice. So, other than that, it was a really great time.
Dylan: That’s such a crazy milestone. That’s so insane for you guys.
Alithea: They were the biggest shows we’ve ever played, too. One of them was 25,000 [people], but obviously when we played, there was not that many people there. But the rest were like 6 to 8,000, which is just so many people, and it was just so cool. It was honestly such an honor to be picked to do that, because that’s something we’ve wished we could do for so long. So when it came along, we were like, “This is gonna be so fun.” And it was.
Dylan: That’s such high praise, too, getting picked for that.
Baron: Yeah, and they were all really nice to us, which I didn’t expect. They were all really cool.
Alithea: Like, that’s what’s shocking about it, too, is [Billy Corgan’s] voice is exactly the same. They’re all just so talented. It’s a show worth going to, for sure. They sound amazing.
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Dylan: You’re about to start your first headlining tour ever. How are you guys feeling about that? How does this tour feel different from touring as an opener?
Baron: It’s really nerve-wracking, because we’re responsible for selling tickets, which is something we’ve kind of never had to [do].
Alithea: You open for someone, you’re like, “If no one’s here, that’s not our fault. This is not our show.” So we just do our best and have fun, and it’s always fun, but you don’t have that pressure of [needing] to sell the tickets. So that’s definitely nerve-wracking. But I think also, because our album’s not out yet, there’s a lot of pressure riding on it, but I think it’ll be great.
Baron: I’m really excited.
Alithea: Yeah, it’ll be really fun.
Baron: I’m so excited.
Alithea: I’m so excited. It’s just cool to be able to have each of those shows be our own, and then once we’re finished with the tour, our first headline tour’s out of the way. Like now, whenever we do it again, it won’t be as daunting. But I feel like right now, it’s definitely a little nerve-wracking, but I think it’ll exceed our expectations, ‘cause we are very realistic. So I’m sure it’ll be awesome. And we’re finally getting to pick the bands that open for us and do all of that sort of stuff, which is definitely really, really fun.
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Alithea: We get a ticket count every week, and it’s just crazy to see that anybody’s buying tickets at all. I think we assumed that we would put up these tickets for sale, and it would just be like, “Okay, you sold three tickets.” And, yeah, maybe day-of a bunch of people buy tickets; that would make sense to me. But buying tickets in advance is just like, I never do that for a show. So the minute that people started doing that, I was shocked. I think I’m just shocked that anybody is coming regardless. We’re so used to playing opening slots and being like, “Well, these people aren’t here for us” — even though maybe sometimes they are. But it’s so easy to just kind of write it off and be like, “There’s no way.”
Dylan: It’s not like, “I just want to go out and see a show tonight.” It’s like, no, they’re buying tickets in advance. They’re like, “Oh, I love Rocket, I’m signing up. I’m locked in.”
Alithea: Which we feel very grateful that anybody feels that way about us at all.
Baron: For anybody to be like, “I love Rocket” — that is crazy.
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Dylan: I listened to the new record a little bit early, but I’m super excited for it. Hopefully people feel the same, but I’m sure they will. It feels very fleshed out. I’m very excited about it.
Alithea: Thank you. Yeah, we feel the same way. Hopefully people do, and if they don’t, that’s totally fine. It’s nice to make stuff that we’re excited about first and foremost, so that if no one likes it, that’s fine, because we love it, and we love playing it. And I feel like that’s a refreshing feeling. We’ve been lucky enough [that] every time we put something out, we feel that way about it, because we’re making the rules. We record all our own stuff, and up until recently, we would put out all our own stuff, so it’s really easy to keep it genuine. Even now, we just signed to a label, and it’s the same situation; they’re very artist-forward, and very like, “You guys just make the music you want to make. We’ll never tell you to make [something] different.” So that’s refreshing as well.
Dylan: Yeah, totally. It’s authentic. It’s like, if you’re not making your own art, then what’s the point of doing art? You guys were talking about this being your debut album, and how that only happens once, so it’s so important that you feel confident and comfortable in it. This is your debut album; it’s a big deal. So I think it’s great that the number one thing [for you] is just like, it should feel authentic, and it should feel like as big of a deal as it is.
Alithea: Yeah, that was our goal going into it. Also, hopefully we get to a point where we’re still playing these songs in 30 years. So you’ve gotta like it. [Otherwise] you’re gonna be stuck with playing a song you hate, even in ten years, even in five years. You play the same song over and over again, and if you don’t like it, then you’re kind of shit out of luck on that one. But thankfully, we don’t feel that way. So that’s great.
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Dylan: Do you guys have any personal favorites off that album, or anything you’re excited to play for people?
Baron: I think “The Choice” is one of my favorites for sure, even though it’s going to be near impossible to play live. There’s a lot going on. But yeah, if we figure it out in a cool way, I think it would be sick.
Alithea: All the hard ones to play, I feel like, are the ones that we’re excited to play. Like, I want to play them, but I’m not excited to have to rehearse them. “Another Second Chance,” I feel like I’m really excited to play. It’s long, it’s like six minutes, and we have to figure out the ending, but once we dial it in, that’ll be epic.
Baron: Yeah, I’m excited to play live more. It’ll just be fun to make these shows for the headline [tour], like, a show; like, front-to-back, really rehearse it out and make it a full show. Not like we’re just quickly in and out opening. It’s like, no, this is like, a production.
Dylan: Yeah, because you have control now; finally, you can decide that. That’s so awesome.
Alithea: Yeah, rather than being like, “Okay, we have 25 minutes tonight.”
Baron: We’re gonna include a 10 to 15 minute stand-up set in the middle, for an intermission.
Alithea: We literally could do that, and no one could say anything.
Dylan: I would love that.
Alithea: [We’ll] be able to talk way more, just like interacting with the audience way more. When you’re opening and you have 30 minutes to play, you’re like, “We need to fit as many songs into this as possible, and somehow also breathe and drink a little water and say hi to the crowd.” There is no time to waste. Versus playing our own shows, it’s just so much more relaxed.
Baron: [laughing] I saw a Reddit comment yesterday, and it was like, “I saw them live, and their music is awesome, but they have the stage presence of a potato.”
Dylan: About you?! [laughs] Oh my God!
Alithea: That’s so mean!
Baron: But they don’t understand that, like, you can’t waste time.
Alithea: That’s what I’m saying, like, you want to interact, but at the same time, we have our set planned out down to the second, almost. And if one of us wastes time, you could now not be able to play an entire song, because you went over talking a little. I think it’s hard to open and make an impact, because those people did not buy tickets for you. So, you want to make an impact, and you want to have them remember you and look you up later. And of course, stage presence is a huge thing. But I think also — because to us, all that has literally ever mattered is the music — it’s like, I’m not gonna waste time talking if I know that we can’t play a song if I talk too long. Now, we have our own show, and we can talk for as long as possible. Like, at our own shows, we have absolutely the stage presence of at least a sweet potato.
Baron: A mashed potato.
Alithea: At least.
Baron: Yeah, you’re gonna be like, “Y’all need to stop talking,” because we’re gonna talk so much.
Dylan: “You’re getting a little bit too mashed.”
Alithea: You’re gonna be like, “They don’t play any songs anymore.” [laughs]
Dylan: “This is just stand up.”
Alithea: Granted, right now, in certain shows, I’m the only one with mic, which is also scary to me. Everyone’s gonna have a mic soon, but it’s that thing of like, I will say something, and people will literally be like… [silence].
Dylan: Crickets.
Alithea: Whatever’s worse than crickets, that’s what happens. I’ll be like, “Thanks for coming early to see us play,” and it’s like… [silence]. I don’t doubt that that person was at one of those shows, where it was like, awkward. Sometimes I can’t tell if anybody’s cheering. Like, when your earplugs are in, you can’t hear that at all. Sometimes I bet I say something, and maybe a couple people giggle, but I would never hear it.
Dylan: That’s so intimidating. Especially in those giant stadiums, too.
Alithea: I’m like, look, if we talked too much, you’d have something to say about that, too. You’re never going to please [everybody]. I’m just glad that they said that we were good. I’d rather have them say, “They were a good band, and their songs are great, and they sounded great, but they have the stage presence of a potato,” than them being like, “The stage presence was amazing, but every time she started singing, and they were playing, it sounded horrible.”
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Dylan: Who does most of the songwriting and lyrics?
Alithea: I do all the lyrics and the melodies. But when it comes to songwriting, especially on this record, we work really well when someone brings in an idea and it’s kind of fleshed out, sort of like a rough draft, and then working off of that all together.
Dylan: That’s awesome. Something I kind of realized recently is like — I work in music, and a lot of my friends work in film and music — and I noticed that the people that I have the best creative chemistry with are the ones that I’m also just very platonically close to, or just compatible with generally. And you guys have been friends since forever, so I’m sure that’s also part of why it’s such a well-oiled machine at [this] point.
Alithea: Yeah, I mean, in order to say whatever idea you’re having, you have to be okay with sounding stupid, or having someone be like, “Oh my God, that’s the worst thing I’ve ever heard.” Once you’re able to accept that, then you can just speak freely. Because I’m sure each one of us has said an idea where everybody else was like, “That is literally horrible.” So it’s nice to have the comfortability.
Baron: Yeah. Also touring, like, [I] can’t imagine going on tour with people I don’t know, or don’t fuck with. You’re so close to each other all the time for like, 24 hours a day.
Alithea: Even if someone smells bad.
Baron: Ugh, thank God none of us smell bad.
Alithea: Just chronically, like, they just don’t wear deodorant. Maybe that’s kind of their swag. But when you’re all four together, like– we sleep in the same room. We are in the same van. We’re in the green room together. We’re on the stage together. Honestly, the only time we’re not all together is in the bathroom. Like, those are the only moments you get. So if you have even the slightest problem with somebody, that just gets exacerbated over and over; it just becomes bigger and bigger. I mean, I understand why so many bands are like, “I’m not touring anymore.” There’s so many things that could go wrong that we’re really lucky that we know each other so well.
Baron: Hygiene is a big thing.
Alithea: We’re lucky that we don’t have to deal with that.
Dylan: Yeah, I’m glad you guys don’t smell.
Alithea: We work really well together.
Dylan: I know touring is just very like– just traveling for that long, too, is just so stressful, on top of the close quarters, and playing every single day, and basically working 24/7.
Alithea: Yeah. I was thinking about this the other day, because when we were playing with Smashing Pumpkins, there was one moment we were all talking to Billy Corgan and just kind of picking his brain — and he was so kind, he was just giving advice and just being exactly what I think we wanted him to be. And at one point he was like, “I realized I have to take three or four hours before playing to get in the headspace of playing.” And honestly, hearing him say that [was] so nice to hear, because a lot of times we get to the venue, and then we immediately soundcheck, and then 15 minutes later we’ll play. You want to give a really good performance, you want to be in the zone, but how do I get in the zone if I haven’t even thought about the fact that we’re playing in five minutes? So I think hearing him say that was really refreshing, because I was like, that’s true. You do need a couple of hours to just sit, and then I feel like you’re able to give it your all. I feel like it sounds dramatic, but it really is true. I think that having time before is so great, which is what makes me so excited for this headline tour. We soundcheck first and then play last, which is just so nice, because then you get time to walk down the street and get a coffee. Heck, I’ll walk into a bookstore. Maybe I’ll buy a new shirt and wear it tonight. Maybe I’ll sit in the green room and just take a nap. Like, these are things that we have never, I feel like, been able to do. And obviously, that also changes completely when you get a bus — which we are not there. We’re in a van still. But there’s ways to make it more plausible, for longevity purposes. But, yeah, I think we’re really excited. It already feels like we’re taking kind of a step up, and now it’s really exciting. Especially because we tour just the four of us; there’s literally no one else there. So it’s like, we need to load in gear — you’re looking at the crew. You’re looking at the merch booth. You’re looking at the driver. So, yeah, I think it can be definitely tiring, which is also why it’s so nice that we all understand each other. Because it’s so easy to get to a point where you’re like, I’m so fucking tired and I’m so hungry. Someone could look at me wrong, and I would just freak out. So it’s nice that we know each other that well, to be like, “Okay, she’s hungry.”
Baron: Hunger. That’s the silent killer.
Alithea: That honestly is the silent killer.
Baron: When we get to that point, where like, we need food.
Alithea: “Bro, you’re hungry, I love you–”
Baron: “Have a Snickers, bro.” [all laugh]
Dylan: Yeah, it feels like a family vacation at that point, where it’s just like, you’re rushing everywhere, everybody’s hungry, everybody’s tired.
Alithea: Your mom has lost it for the third time.
Dylan: I didn’t sleep last night because my dad was snoring, like– [all laugh]
Alithea: Thank God we all sleep the same. We all like it cold, white noise. If one of us was like, “I have to sleep in the heat,” this would never work.
Dylan: No, that’s crazy.
Alithea: People in Europe be like, “I’ll sleep in the heat.”
Baron: Literally, no fan.
Alithea: Oh, 90 degrees is good for you to sleep in, for sure. Here’s your comforter.
Dylan: I’m just getting parched at the idea of that. Maybe I’m just thirsty.
Baron: That’s the other thing, nobody fucking drinks water out there. Their piss is brown. [all laugh]
Alithea: Literally.
Dylan: Yeah, I’m glad you guys are back in [the] U.S.
Alithea: I’ve never felt so patriotic in my life. Like, I’m not patriotic, literally in the slightest. [But] you touch down here, and you’re like, “Oh my God.”
Baron: Freedom.
Alithea: You’re like, “Fuck yeah, ice! Air conditioning!” Like, everything is so exciting. And then it shortly dissipates. [all laugh]
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Dylan: Is there anything else you guys want to add, or anything you want to shout out?
Baron: The record, and the shows.
Alithea: We’ll play in LA; if you’re around, you should come.
Baron: November 22.
Dylan: I’ll definitely be there!
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Listen to Rocket’s debut record, R is for Rocket, below!
