10 October 2026 – Rocketship Announce Hurt Feelings and Prove Thirty Years Is Not Too Long to Wait for More Indie Pop

Portland indie-pop veterans Rocketship have announced Hurt Feelings, a new ten-track album scheduled for October 30 through Darla Records. The announcement follows the thirtieth-anniversary reissue of their influential 1996 album A Certain Smile, A Certain Sadness and a reunion tour that brought the band back to the stage after eight years away.

Rather than simply celebrating past achievements, Rocketship have decided that another album would be considerably more interesting than spending the rest of the year explaining how wonderful the nineties were. Lead single "New Threats" demonstrates that their distinctive musical identity remains intact. Soft vocals, fuzzy guitar textures and sophisticated arrangements combine into a dreamy composition that recalls the adventurous indie-pop scene surrounding bands such as Stereolab.

The new album includes "Lovers," "Passing Clouds," "The Fresh American," "Hotwired for Love," "Still Illin'" and "More Tearz." Rocketship originally emerged during a period when small independent labels and mail-order record catalogues provided important alternatives to mainstream distribution. Their return arrives in a very different musical economy, but the appeal of carefully constructed guitar pop remains remarkably consistent. Hurt Feelings promises a welcome continuation rather than an exercise in nostalgia.