RODES ROLLINS
There aren’t too many country singers that wax-poetic
about the larger than life figures of our world. It seems
like the cultural focus of the genre has shifted toward different
stories with different motifs. Yet artists like Rodes
Rollins are trying to change that with songs like “Mystery
Man.” Appearing like a country-pop mirage on the horizon,
Rollins’ vocals are watery and obscure, detailing a
man in a “forsaken land” that cannot be shot dead. The
track is less about a character’s arc and more about this
legendary figure’s reputation, and it plays out over haunting
instrumentals that border on psychedelic with twangy
guitars that become surprisingly soothing. With its soft
sonic palette, Rodes’ 2018 material has the tempo of ballads
and the melodies of lullabies, but a sense of unease
and tension conferred by her vocals and the edgy and
dark production transform these tracks in unmissable noir
psychedelic gems. (TUCKER PENNINGTON)
There’s a very intriguing Spaghetti Western element to many
of your tracks. How did that get in there?
I’m immensely inspired my Morricone. Often, when I’m writing I
Photo: Mark Peaced
Electro-Harmonix Lester K
/ Danelectro Spring King /
Spaceman Orion
Noir Folk Dream Pop Spaghetti Western
think about Western landscapes and sounds. His music always
takes me there.
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to Nirvana, The Beatles, and Cat Stevens.
Mostly stuff my dad would play for my sister and I.
Although sparse, most of your songs feature a subtle but
“intense” production. Is there a team working on your recorded
sound?
I work mostly with producer Alex Goose and engineer Keith
Armstrong. I write and arrange the songs in Brooklyn, and then
I bring them over to LA where we record and work on the production.
Alex is a real tastemaker and has an amazing ear for
references. He collects records and can pull the most obscure
references about that always help with production. Keith, is
an incredible engineer with every guitar pedal imaginable. He
knows how to achieve any sound, and he’s a real analog guy.
Speaking of pedals, what are your favorite ones right now?
Pretty much everything is drenched in verb, we used a lot the
Spaceman Orion Spring Reverb and the Danelectro Spring
King. I’m also a fan of the Electro-Harmonix Lester K, which I
use to achieve a nice leslie rotator effect.
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