Who Are James & Rocco?

photo courtesy of @jamesandrocco Instagram

Quarantine took a toll on the music business. Without touring or access to studio space, the industry suffered a hit both financially and spiritually. However, for one pair of hometown friends, being locked in the house was the spark of inspiration they needed.

Meet James and Rocco. The duo hails from Los Angeles, California and is made up of Aiden Labella (Syracuse class of 2023) and Jack Brown. The two met in confirmation class back in 2017 and named the band after the Saints they chose (Saint James and Saint Rocco).  Together, the two formed James and Rocco in the summer of 2019 and released their first hit single “Tonight (Everything’s gonna be Alright)” that August. 

While most bands struggled to find inspiration during the pandemic, the lockdown was the perfect push for the duo to sit down and create new music. The two have been working since March on their debut album, but the good news is it finally drops this Saturday. 

When we asked Aiden what inspired him to form the band, he replied that his main mission was to “bring rock back”— a genre you won’t always hear from the basement of a college house party. Thankfully, this band does exactly that. With a mix of classic rock (The Beatles, Electric Light Orchestra) and modern rock (Oasis, Red Hot Chili Peppers) influences, James and Rocco has created a pleasant blend of new-meets-old to shake up your usual pregame vibes.  

The band isn’t playing around with their new album either. Just Getting Started is eight tracks full of nostalgia and good energy all around. Some highlights include “Since You’ve Been Home” and “Tennessee Song,” making this is the perfect album for those quarantine days when you need a little extra happiness for your ears. Listening is also a great way to support SU’s local music scene and give a big middle finger to COVID’s valiant attempt to shake student bands. 

Just Getting Started is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify.