Punk Head: Do you remember the first image or line that made "Rocket to The Moon" feel like a story?
Patrick Doval: I believe I was watching “First Men in the Moon” (1964), and there was something about the moon landscape and the imagery in the film that really captivated me. I became fascinated, almost obsessed, with that visual. Shortly afterward, the line "Rocket to the Moon" came to me, and the song gradually began to develop around it.
As I continued writing, I started visualizing an entire story: a rocket being built, taking off, and eventually arriving in a landscape similar to the one I had seen in the film. In a way, I was already seeing the song as a movie in my head before it was even finished.
Punk Head: Take us back to the earliest version of the song. What’s one thing we’d hear in that version that might surprise us after hearing the finished recording?
Patrick Doval: I usually begin writing songs on my acoustic guitar, and this was no different. It was just me singing and playing acoustic guitar. It started with the guitar chords, followed by the chorus melody and the line "Rocket to the Moon." That became the foundation for the entire song. What's interesting is that, even though the finished recording evolved into a much bigger rock production, the heart and identity of the song were already there in those early demos. You could hear it all taking shape with just me and an acoustic guitar.
Punk Head: What did you want to keep strange about this love story, even after the two people find each other?
Patrick Doval: I thought it would be interesting to have a robot alongside the human character. I've always been inspired by the 1927 film “Metropolis”, and that was a big influence behind the robot concept. I liked the idea of bringing together a human, a robot, and a moon goddess. It gives the love story an unusual and almost surreal quality. I didn't want it to feel like a conventional love story. I wanted to keep that strange, otherworldly element even after they find each other, while leaving room for the listener's imagination to fill in the gaps.
Punk Head: With “Crush” set to play over the end credits of Wounds, what interests you about hearing one of your songs tell part of somebody else’s story? Did that change how you thought about the kind of story a song like “Rocket to the Moon” could tell on its own?
Patrick Doval: Having "Crush" featured in the end credits of “Wounds”, directed by Ron Krauss, has been an amazing experience because it gives the song a life beyond my own interpretation of it. When you write a song, you have a particular emotion or story in mind, but once it becomes part of a film, it can take on a completely different meaning for the audience.
After attending the Hollywood premiere, I completely understood why "Crush" was chosen for the movie. The films story, fit perfectly within the song's lyrics and the way it transitions into the end credits fit together naturally, almost like pieces of a puzzle. It was really rewarding to experience that connection firsthand and see how my music could complement someone else's storytelling.
With "Rocket to the Moon," I wanted to create something that people could visualize and interpret in their own way. I like the idea that listeners can take the story somewhere I may not have even imagined. In a way, I think that's one of the most interesting things about songwriting: once you put a song out into the world, it no longer belongs exclusively to your interpretation. Everyone can find their own story within it.
Punk Head: If we could follow the character for one scene after the song ends, where would we find them? What would taking that chance have cost them, and what would they have gained?
Patrick Doval: I'd imagine myself somewhere on the moon, looking back at Earth and realizing that the journey itself has changed me for the better. As the astronaut in the video, I set out on this journey to find something I couldn't find where I started. That kind of decision comes with a cost: leaving behind everything familiar, facing the unknown, and accepting the possibility that things might not work out.
But what I gain is the opportunity to discover something I would never have found by staying where I was. Whether it's love, a new perspective, or simply the knowledge that I had the courage to take that chance, I think that's what makes the journey meaningful.
I would leave the ending open. I like the idea that the audience gets to decide what happens next.
