Formula Indie Sessions _ Interview with Kenny K-Rod Rodriguez
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
My earliest memory, unfortunately, is not a pleasant one, lol. It was elementary school and some kids were not behaving and the teacher made us stand in a circle and forced everyone to sing a solo. Very uncomfortable for me. However, on a more positive note, I remember listening to music like the Stylistics as my favorite when I was a bit older.Just loved that sound so much…still do!
How did your passion for creating music begin?
I’ve had a passion for writing and story telling since around high school. Always was into writing poetry. I started writing songs much later as an adult. I realized I could tell a “story” in less than 3 mins as opposed to a novel or short story… from there, I just started writing.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
Right now I’m in a storytelling phase — writing songs with deep emotion and blending Christian, Latin, R&B, and Country influences. My current music explores perseverance and faith through difficult circumstances. My latest song, “Don’t Give Up On Him,” reflects this theme, and continues the message of hope that started with “Right Where You Are.” I’m grateful that listeners are connecting with the storytelling side of my music, as in my song “Go Back In Time.”
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
I would say that my sound is like a diversified portfolio, blending multiple genres but all with similar lyrical content that people can relate with. And since it’s diversified, it can relate to a wider range of listeners.
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
I’m definitely a stronger lyricist than a composer, but I know the direction I want my songs to go.
Learning how to arrange the music to my song brings those words to life and that has been a great blessing. I still have a lot to learn and that is the process every artist must go through.
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Most important are my songwriting notebooks and pens. For me, everything starts with lyrics and storytelling. I’m a songwriter first, so the heart of my creative process is finding the right words and emotions before anything else. From there, I use digital tools to build the sound around the message. GarageBand is where I sketch ideas and arrange demos, and I also work with AI vocal and production technology to bring a song to life in a way that matches the emotion I’m trying to convey. I’m always experimenting with different voices, tones, and styles to create something that feels real and relatable.
What’s essential for me isn’t just the software — it’s having tools that help translate the feeling behind a song. If people connect with the message, then the technology did its job..
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
I’m enjoying listening to Jessie Reyez. I really enjoy her songwriting. She also has 2 books out on poetry which I enjoy reading. She has a way with words. A new Christian artist I’ve been listening to is Jeremy Rosado. He was on American Idol once and finished 13th. I love his sound!
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
My personal experiences influence my music heavily. I’ve lived through things that left deep scars, and songwriting is where those surface. Faith, heartbreak, everyday struggles, and learning how to be a father — all of that finds its way into my lyrics. You can hear that in songs like “Go Back In Time” “Right Where You Are” and “Don’t Give Up On Him,” which deal with faith in the middle of pain, and in “We’re On Borrowed Time,” which reflects what’s happening in the world around us.
Not every song is about my own life — sometimes I write from the experiences of people I know or from what I see people going through. Either way, I try to create music that someone out there feels personally connected to in some way.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I hope listeners feel encouraged when they hear my music. Life will always bring challenges, but there is a way through them, and there is still joy and peace to be found. If my songs can remind someone that they are not alone, that their pain has purpose, and that there is hope even when they can’t see it, then I’ve done my job. I also hope my music inspires people to look beyond themselves and pay attention to what’s happening in the world around us.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
Hmm, that’s a good one. The most important lesson music has taught me is that whatever we go through, it’s not wasted. The pain, doubt, those moments we don’t fully understand-they become something that gives us, or someone else the strength or encouragement they needed. A song I write from my own struggle might be the exact message somebody else needed to hear to help them, and that reminds me that there is a purpose in every experience.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
I’m more of a songwriter than a performer, so my dream moment wouldn’t necessarily be me on stage- it would be hearing other artists perform my songs in front of thousands of people.
If a worship artist performed one of my Christian songs at a major event like Winter Jam or Madison Square Garden, that would be a dream come full circle. If a Latin performer brought one of my Latin tracks to a stage like Premios Lo Nuestro, that would mean just as much. It would still be surreal to hear “Go Back In Time” performed live by a country artist at a place like the Grand Ole Opry or Stagecoach.
For me, the dream isn’t tied to one stage — it’s hearing something I wrote become a moment that people feel together.
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
If I could collaborate with anyone, I’d choose artists who write from the heart. Chris Tomlin inspires me on the Christian side — his music lifts people up and feels honest. Ricardo Arjona inspires me in the Latin world — his storytelling is unmatched. And Jonathan McReynolds inspires me in the R&B/inspirational space with his vulnerability and faith-driven writing. And outside the box, I’d love to work with Jessie Reyes- her raw, fearless approach to songwriting shows how powerful honesty can be in music. Any collaboration that puts emotion and storytelling first would mean the world to me.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
Spotify:
Instagram:
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
My dream is to keep writing music that reaches the right person at the right moment. I want to continue building a catalog of songs that help people feel seen, encouraged, and understood. Whether it’s Christian Pop, Latin, R&B, or another style, my goal is to write music that speaks to the heart and creates connection. If my songs can become a source of strength for people around the world, that would be a blessing.
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I hope listeners discover that my music is a testimony of God’s grace in my life. I don’t write to impress people; I write because I’ve been blessed with a gift, and I want to use it to help someone else get through what they’re facing. There are still many stories left to be told. If my songs can make someone feel understood, less alone, accepted, then that’s who I am as an artist.
