Here's the dope

Speedy Gray grew up in rural North Carolina. Raised in an environment of gospel, folk, and R&B. Speedy first hit the road at 12 years old playing guitar in a traveling gospel act, The New Life Gospel Singers. After touring churches in the South during the 70's, Speedy then went in a wildly different direction to rock and punk bands through the 80s most notably with the critically acclaimed but terribly unrecognized post punk band The Dollmakers.

 After the dissolution of The Dollmakers in 1992 Speedy relocated to rural Wyoming and fell in love with cowboy songs and poetry, an influence that shows itself in multiple, diverse, and interesting ways.



Like A Rocket consists of Speedy Gray on vocals, guitar, and keys; Max Klymenko, on drums, vocals, and harp; and Andy Cenarrusa on bass, vocals and lap steel.

Max studied in the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Conservatory of Ukraine and is the son of a renowned folk singer and a famed classical conductor.

Andy is an Idaho native who loves Townes Van Zant as much as The Ramones.

The combination of Max and Andy's talent and Speedy's influences gives Like A Rocket their unique mix of Alt Country and dark psychedelic atmospheres.



Best described as a soundtrack to a Coen Brothers film, LAR searches the dark places of the American experience and then burns it clean with good old  American Rock and Roll.

Along with Speedy's role in LAR he is a respected studio engineer and head of the Live Sound Department for KRBX Radio Boise..

 

Like A Rocket

A bloody mess of American music smashed together by a tanker truck stinking of oil, gasoline and carnival fried dough. Shit sister, it's music, so stop asking so many questions. By the way you look a little over dressed, take off that sweater and let me buy you a beer.

 

Often described as beautiful pairing of Levon Helm and Roger Waters, Like A Rocket mix great Alt-Country and 70s stoner psychedelia to bake a blisteringly funky creamy dreamy cake. A serious love of dreaming in rhythm, the songs all have something to move your body or engage your head. The lyrics are extremely personal, about broken relationships with mates, lovers, and the surrounding world of politics and dissatisfaction. You find yourself grooving along while picking up on choruses that speak to the world around you, particularly if you happen to being pulling twenty to life for a crime your ex actually committed.



Gray is an award wining songwriter getting nods from heavy hitters such as NPR's nationally broadcast Mountain Stage and the Carolina Theater Songwriter of The Year award.