Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Rockwell.
Doug, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started playing guitar when I was eight years old. I grew up in a family of musicians, so it was only a matter of time. I remember seeing “Basket Case” by Green Day on MTV and I was glued to the screen. I knew in that moment that that’s what I wanted to do with my life. I played in a number of bands throughout my school years, and right out of high school, I started touring with a band called Someday Never. We were signed to a small indie label, but we did pretty well in the pop punk scene. As time went on, I realized life on the road wasn’t right for me. I knew I wanted to pursue music but was curious about other avenues. I stumbled into producing and was recording local bands out of my mom’s basement for a few years. Then a very close friend of mine named Bill Grainer took me under his wing and introduced me to writing for other artists. That became my main focus. It led me to my first management deal in NYC where I had the opportunity to write for some big EDM acts, and as time went on and I honed my craft, I eventually ended up in LA working for a fairly big producer named John Feldmann, where I had the opportunity to work with bands like 5 Seconds Of Summer, Sleeping With Sirens, and All Time Low.
That ran its course (as those jobs tend to do), but in 2015 I signed my first major publishing deal with Disney Music Publishing. And that’s the extremely short version of it. I left out the part where I left everything behind, including a four year relationship to move out to LA, lost my job after I got out here about a month in, had a huge falling out with my management and had to buy them out of my contract leaving me with barely $100 left in my bank account, didn’t have a place to live and was sleeping on a pull out bed, my girlfriend who was still living in NJ didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, so she broke up with me nine months into doing long distance… All that fun stuff. So yes, LA definitely made me earn my stripes. So where were we? That’s right. Here we are, Doug has a publishing deal after living through one of the toughest years of his life. After spending countless hours doing writing sessions with other artists and writers, I started feeling a little, well, numb. And I couldn’t figure out why.
Then I realized, I had stopped writing for myself. The one thing I used as an escape, I now needed an escape from. I needed to go back to my roots and take a breath from mainstream politics. I needed to start playing in a band again. Mike Diggs and I knew each other from back home (in NJ). We had played in a band called Lovelectric for a few years, and he had just moved out to LA. We already knew we loved playing together, so we started this band, and after an introduction to Miles, we were set. Originally The Gutter Daisies were formed for basement ears only, meaning we didn’t have any intentions to be the next big thing, let alone to have anyone even hear us. We just wanted this for us. Our own escape. But the more we wrote, the more antsy we got to start playing out live. Which then led us to record an EP. Which then led us to diving headfirst into this, giving it real go. And it couldn’t have happened in a better way. We don’t put pressure on this band to be anything other than what it is. Three guys doing what they love. When something good happens because of that, it’s a gift rather than a sigh of relief. I think that’s one of the things people always take note of — our genuineness. They can tell our music comes from an honest place, and that’s so important to us.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
So much sacrifice. I think smooth roads only exist after someone paves through the rugged mountain. And chiseling away at that rough terrain is so important, since it shapes who you are, and in turn, you shape who you’re going to become. I’m grateful for all of the challenges that have come my way on this journey because I know how necessary they were for making me who I need to be to continue down this path. I think the hardest part about being in the music biz is being heard. There are so many talented people out there, sometimes it’s hard to wait your turn. It’s also a 24/7 ’round the clock job. We’re all our own boss, and even though we don’t have to report to anyone, we have to work 10x harder to keep our heads above water and to be seen. But to shine light on the other side for a moment, it’s something that is totally possible to do. You just have to be willing to struggle for a little while and work your butt off, like, harder than you’ve ever worked at any job or at any college. It’s the real deal, and I think that’s why some people walk away. Not because they aren’t talented enough. But because their emotional stamina gives out.
Please tell us about The Gutter Daisies.
We’re a three piece rock band from LA, singing songs about real problems. We also really like pretzels. In fact, I’m going to get one right now. Brb. Pretzels.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
What I think is luck is the fact that we get to do this. For that, we’re lucky. But everything else has been earned from countless hours of hard work. I know it sounds cliche, but it’s true!
Contact Info:
- Website: soundcloud.com/thegutterdaisies
- Instagram: instagram.com/thegutterdaisies
- Facebook: facebook.com/wearegutterdaisies
- Twitter: twitter.com/gutterdaisies
Image Credit:
Ashly Nicole, Megan Thompson
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