Rocky Votolato
Rocky Votolato | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | March 8, 1977 |
| Origin | Seattle, Washington, United States |
| Genres | Folk, alt-country, indie rock, Alternative rock |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | No Sleep Records Barsuk Second Nature Status Recordings |
| Member of | Waxwing (band) Lying on Loot Suzzallo |
| Website | http://www.rockyvotolato.com |
Rocky Votolato (born March 8, 1977, in Dallas, Texas, United States) is an American indie and folk singer-songwriter.[1] He was also a member of the rock group Waxwing.[2] in 2025, he started a new band called Suzzallo with bandmate Rudy Gajadhar on drums and former Schoolyard Heroes guitarist Steve Bonnell playing bass.[3] Votolato currently lives in Seattle, Washington.[4]
Biography
[edit]Rocky Votolato was formerly the singer of a punk quartet Waxwing in the 90s before leaving in 1999 to pursue a solo career.[5] He released several albums between 1999 and 2008. In 2015, he released the record Hospital Handshakes with Death Cab For Cutie member Chris Walla.[6][7] After 2015, he went on a hiatus until 2022 when he released the album Wild Roots.[8] Every song on Wild Roots is based on one of his family members.[9]
He has been married to his wife, April Votolato, for over 10 years, and they live in Seattle. Their child Kienan died at age 22 in a car accident in December 2021.[10]
In 2022, Rocky Votolato played two sold-out shows in Denver, Colorado.[11]
in 2025, his new band Suzzallo released a debut album “The Quiet Year” as a means of coping with the death of his child.[12]
Discography
[edit]Solo
[edit]- Rocky Votolato (1999) (Status Recordings)
- Rocky V/Seth Warren 7" (1999) (Redwood Records)
- A Brief History (2000) (Your Best Guess)
- Rocky V/Suffering & The Thieves 7" (2002) (Velvet Blue Music)
- Burning My Travels Clean (LP) (2002) (Second Nature Recordings)
- The Light and the Sound (EP) (2003) (Second Nature Recordings)
- Suicide Medicine (2003) (Second Nature Recordings)
- Makers (2006) (Second Nature Recordings) (Barsuk)
- End Like This (EP) (2007) (Second Nature Recordings)
- The Brag and Cuss (2007) (Barsuk)
- True Devotion (2010) (Barsuk)
- Television of Saints (2012) (Undertow Music Collective)
- Hospital Handshakes (2015) (No Sleep Records)
- Live at Black Belt (2017) (Rocket Heart Records)
- Wild Roots (2022) (Spartan Records)
Waxwing
[edit]- Waxwing 7" (1999) (Henry's Finest Recordings)
- For Madmen Only (1999) (Second Nature Recordings)
- One for the Ride (2000) (Second Nature Recordings)
- Intervention:Collection+Remix (2001) (Second Nature Recordings)
- Nobody Can Take What Everybody Owns (2002) (Second Nature Recordings)
Lying On Loot
[edit]- Split 7" with State Route 522 (1996) (Henry's Finest Recordings)
Suzzallo
[edit]- The Quiet Year (2025)
References
[edit]- ↑ "Seattle-Based Indie-Folk Hero Rocky Votolato Releases A Posthumous Love Letter To His Departed Child On Stunning New Track "Becoming Human"". NewJerseyStage.com. 2022-09-04. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ Lopez, T (2004-01-21). "Rocky Votolato – Suicide Medicine and The Light and Sound | Glorious Noise". gloriousnoise.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ Hay, Travis (2025-04-27). "Beauty in pain: Suzzallo's 'The Quiet Year'". Guerrilla Candy. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
- ↑ Pedro, Joseph (2021-06-28). "What musician Rocky Votolato wants to do this summer". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ Baumgarten, Mark (2013-08-20). "A few years ago, Rocky Votolato found himself in a frustrating, and". Seattle Weekly. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ Sommerfield, Seth (2015-04-21). "Rocky Votolato's Road to Redemption with 'Hospital Handshakes' | Seattle Music". Seattle Met. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ Kane, James (2015-09-05). "Fifteen Years Into His Career, Rocky Votolato Refuses to be Knocked Down". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ Sacher, Andrew (2022-06-29). "Rocky Votolato preps first album in 7 years (stream "Evergreen")". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ Martin, Erin Lyndal (2022-11-02). "Rocky Votolato's Roots Run Deep". The Stranger. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ "Rocky Votolato on Crafting 'Wild Roots' After the Death of Child Kienan: 'For and About My Family'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- ↑ Bear, John (2022-10-03). "Rocky Votolato Lost a Child. His Latest Record Helped Him Heal". Westword. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ↑ Hay, Travis (2025-04-27). "Beauty in pain: Suzzallo's 'The Quiet Year'". Guerrilla Candy. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
External links
[edit]| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
- American rock songwriters
- American rock guitarists
- American folk guitarists
- American male guitarists
- Singers from Seattle
- 1977 births
- Living people
- People from Navarro County, Texas
- American indie rock musicians
- Songwriters from Texas
- Songwriters from Washington (state)
- Barsuk Records artists
- Guitarists from Washington (state)
- Guitarists from Texas
- 21st-century American singers
- 21st-century American guitarists
- 21st-century American male singers
- No Sleep Records artists
- American male songwriters
- Defiance Records artists