Andrew M Rodriguez

Andrew Rodriguez’s (b. 1989) interest in music began with stints as the guitarist for various metal/hardcore bands as a teenager. This path culminated with three full-length albums as one of the main songwriters for the hardcore/punk band Close Your Eyes on Chicago-based label, Victory Records. Rodriguez’s history as a performer sculpts the core of his musical identity. Having spent over three years touring the country, Andrew’s passion for the DIY scene continues to guide his creativity. The embedded experiences of performing intense and passionate music night after night have led to a musical language that is both raw and dramatically expressive. His music combines a personal history and love of indie rock with a traditional education in composition, and is often expanded upon with the use of live electronics. 

Andrew also regularly works collaboratively on projects as a music producer. Having been familiar with the techniques and processes of a studio production during his time in Close Your Eyes, he began offering collaborative guidance to other artists as they prepared to record their own studio projects. As a producer, Andrew’s primary goal is to help the artist achieve their ideal vision for their project. Andrew’s inspirations vary widely, ranging from jazz, hip hop, and rock to contemporary and traditional classical genres. This wide spectrum of influences pushes him to explore truly unique and engaging approaches to songwriting and production. 

Having built his career on writing and performing music with close friends and collaborators, Andrew intends to continue this practice by developing long-lasting relationships with artists and musicians that share the same vision of collaboration. He is an alum of the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music and a former Bouman Fellow for Kinds of Kings’ 2019-20 residency at National Sawdust. Andrew holds degrees from Hardin-Simmons University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Free hi-res headshots can be found here (these photos were shot on film, so the grainy quality is natural).