In an industry that feels increasingly manufactured, Rodell Duff is the breath of fresh air listeners didn’t know they needed. If there’s one word that feels appropriate to describe this Trinidad & Tobago native who grew up in the Houston area, it’s organic — extending beyond his rootsy, effortless country-rock vibe, organic feels like the right word here when considering that Duff’s burgeoning success has been generated entirely from him sharing his soul through song. 

As a self-taught musician and writer, Duff is able to connect with audiences naturally. After coming to Nashville to cut his first round of songs, he released “Wrecked,” which quickly landed on Spotify’s notorious Hot Country playlist and propelled Duff into the public eye. Millions of streams and hundreds of thousands of loyal monthly listeners later, he’s gearing up for his next chapter. 

With a full-length album on the way, Duff has quite a few major, high visibility accomplishments to his name, including appearances at CMA Fest and Spotify House, where his down-to-earth friendliness and open attitude are known to charm the crowds. 

For insight into Duff’s agreeable melodic style, look no further than the smoothness of 2023’s “Good Days,” which propelled him to the cover of Amazon Music’s Love & Country playlist. His music combines the grit of Chris Stapleton with the warmth of a vocalist like Brett Eldridge, while retaining the laissez-faire attitude of Nickelback or 3 Doors Down. There’s also a John Mayer element at play to his storytelling — he’s here to connect with audiences, whether that be through an onstage performance or through his songwriting. 

Ideally, for an artist who loves the feel-good element of music, he’s tapping into an audience through both of those elements. And after years developing his skill set and maintaining the relationships that matter most to him — primarily his devotion to his son — he knows he’s exactly where he’s supposed to be.