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RODES ROLLINS<br />
<strong>The</strong>re aren’t too many country singers that wax-poetic<br />
about the larger than life figures of our world. It seems<br />
like the cultural focus of the genre has shifted toward different<br />
stories with different motifs. Yet artists like Rodes<br />
Rollins are trying to change that with songs like “Mystery<br />
Man.” Appearing like a country-pop mirage on the horizon,<br />
Rollins’ vocals are watery and obscure, detailing a<br />
man in a “forsaken land” that cannot be shot dead. <strong>The</strong><br />
track is less about a character’s arc and more about this<br />
legendary figure’s reputation, and it plays out <strong>over</strong> haunting<br />
instrumentals that border on psychedelic with twangy<br />
guitars that become surprisingly soothing. With its soft<br />
sonic palette, Rodes’ 2018 material has the tempo of ballads<br />
and the melodies of lullabies, but a sense of unease<br />
and tension conferred by her vocals and the edgy and<br />
dark production transform these tracks in unmissable noir<br />
psychedelic gems. (TUCKER PENNINGTON)<br />
<strong>The</strong>re’s a very intriguing Spaghetti Western element to many<br />
of your tracks. How did that get in there?<br />
I’m immensely inspired my Morricone. Often, when I’m writing I<br />
Photo: Mark Peaced<br />
Electro-Harmonix Lester K<br />
/ Danelectro Spring King /<br />
Spaceman Orion<br />
Noir Folk Dream Pop Spaghetti Western<br />
think about Western landscapes and sounds. His music always<br />
<strong>takes</strong> me there.<br />
What did you grow up listening to?<br />
I grew up listening to Nirvana, <strong>The</strong> Beatles, and Cat Stevens.<br />
Mostly stuff my dad would play for my sister and I.<br />
Although sparse, most of your songs feature a subtle but<br />
“intense” production. Is there a team working on your recorded<br />
sound?<br />
I work mostly with producer Alex Goose and engineer Keith<br />
Armstrong. I write and arrange the songs in <strong>Brooklyn</strong>, and then<br />
I bring them <strong>over</strong> to LA where we record and work on the production.<br />
Alex is a real tastemaker and has an amazing ear for<br />
references. He collects records and can pull the most obscure<br />
references about that always help with production. Keith, is<br />
an incredible engineer with every guitar pedal imaginable. He<br />
knows how to achieve any sound, and he’s a real analog guy.<br />
Speaking of pedals, what are your favorite ones right now?<br />
Pretty much everything is drenched in verb, we used a lot the<br />
Spaceman Orion Spring Reverb and the Danelectro Spring<br />
King. I’m also a fan of the Electro-Harmonix Lester K, which I<br />
use to achieve a nice leslie rotator effect.<br />
the deli Winter <strong>2019</strong> 23