Rodell Duff has turned heads after releasing his debut single "Wrecked", which is sitting at over 800,000 streams on Spotify. He followed it with his second single "Bad Things”, which is keeping the artist on track to have a successful career in Country Music. A diamond in the rough, Rodell is going to get fans on board in 2022 and take the genre by storm. I sat down with Rodell and talked about his single "Bad Things", how he was inspired by Chris Stapleton and how he puts that influence into his music. He also talks of his grandma seeing a career in music for him before he saw it himself.
Get To Know Rodell
"I was born in the islands of Trinidad and Tobago and moved here when I was 3 years old. I've been into music ever since and sang in church choirs and things like that. My grandma kind of forced me to do that and it just stuck. As far as what I'm doing now, I stepped away from music for 5 or 6 years, and got my heart broken just like in a country song. I picked up my guitar and taught myself how to play at 27 years old. Within 6 months I did my first open mic, which was terrible, but after that I kept getting better with time. Eventually, everything fell into place. I got lucky and things happened when they were supposed to happen. I got in contact with Josh Abbott, and he let me open for him during a span when Covid was happening. That was a month before I flew to Nashville to cut my first single."
Time To Get In Your Feels...
In his second single, Rodell Duff takes a very genuine approach, with a relatable story line and a smooth vibe that gets listeners’ attention. He portrays a situation that everyone has been in a time or two before. You find yourself addicted to someone and want to take it to the next level, the other person doesn't see things the same way, you find yourself chasing someone you never even had in the first place and can't let go of. The production brings this song to life and it really puts it into perspective. The song hits you with the lonely, confused and frustrating feeling you get when you're dealing with a "situationship" or heartbreak. Rodell really gets you in your feels with an exceptional song top to bottom and his voice really shines.
Inspiration Behind "Bad Things"
Written By: Dylan Maloney & Haley Ganis, Produced By: Dylan Maloney
"My song "Wrecked" took off a little and I really wanted to get some more music out. Nashville is a lot different than Texas. In Texas, you just put music out and run and do shows the whole time, Nashville can be a little harder, so we wanted to get another song out before the year ended. Dylan pitched me a song that he wrote with his girlfriend Haley and I really liked the song. It was vibey with more of a R&B feel and I wanted something slower. I got out to Nashville and cut it. I really felt a connection to “Wrecked” and "Bad Things". I feel like everyone has been through something similar where there's a girl you want and can't have, but she strings you along. When I was younger I was in similar predicaments and it felt like this song was my life at one point. This song was perfect for me to cut."
Q & A With Rodell Duff
Q: What was that "lightbulb" moment when you knew you wanted to pursue music?
A: "Down here in Texas, we have rivers and like to "float the river". It's like tubing and we go out and hang and drink alcohol all day. I was down there with some buddies. I was 25 years old and we were on our way home from the river and next thing you know my buddy Garrett had his iPod playing and Chris Stapleton's "What Are You Listening To?" came on. His voice is a little bit heavier and deeper than the normal country singer and I thought, if a guy like this who has a different sound could fit into Country Music, maybe I could too. I fell in love with that song and Chris Stapleton's music. I went down a rabbit hole and that's the reason I stuck with Country Music."
Q: Who is someone who significantly influenced your love for music growing up?
A: "I would have to say my grandma. My grandma was always pushing me, and she saw music in me before I could see it. I always took it for granted, but she would tell me "you have a gift from God, you need to show it off!". Honestly, I never really wanted to sing. I thought I was too cool for it and was busy playing sports and focusing on school. But it always stuck with me."
Q: What artists/songwriters influence your music?
A: "So first off, I would say Chris Stapleton once again. It is his vibe, the bluesy feel and his voice that I find myself fitting more in there. Going back to my song "Wrecked", because that's where it all started, I would say I usually write songs more like Chris Stapleton, but
"Wrecked" was different. It was more commercial so that's what we went with. But in the sense of how Chris Stapleton's songs are smooth and the sexiness about it, that really fits my sound. Another influence, I would say John Mayer. I wish I could play the guitar like him and his lyrics are so in depth. He's a singer-songwriter who does it in a cool Rock way. And of course there are my other influences like Garth Brooks, Drake, Future and other Rap/Hip-Hop that I grew up with. With my new stuff coming out I think you can really hear all my influences in these songs."
Q: What is some of the best advice you've been given?
A: "I would say, don't share your goals with everybody, because you don't want people putting a bad vibe into what you want to accomplish and have it negatively impact you. Also, manifest what you want to happen, believe in what you want to see happen. I started doing a vision board where I wrote down all the things I want to accomplish. I'm not a very structured person. I'm more organized chaos, but have your goals written out and think about them daily and then go out and execute. Make sure you're always working toward your goals. You don't want to be the guy that is all talk and can't show up when you have to."
If you are just discovering Rodell Duff follow him on Apple Music, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tik Tok