PawPaw Rod‘s military family lifestyle meant he wasn’t fixed to a single place in his early formative years. Moving around meant “belonging” was a state of flux. This is reflected in the eclectic nuances of his sound and more overtly in the themes that inform his upcoming debut LP, “Picture Day,” where he explores how those somewhat awkward school snapshots marked the places he’d pass through on his way to the next “home.”
That LP arrives May 15th, and ahead of its release, he’s sharing “Bettin On Me,” a cozy character piece centered on PawPaw and his vintage, orange-tinted world. Though he’s wearing a funny tiger mascot onesie, he looks straight out of the 60s and 70s, rocking a big ol’ afro and a short-cropped Little Richard mustache. His eclectic, atemporal image reflects his sound, where hip-hop vocals and rhymes meet groovy disco guitars, soulful basslines, and funky beats. The profile brings to mind A Tribe Called Quest, Odd Future, and even Chic.
Produced by Billy Lemos, “Bettin On Me” wraps an alt-indie glow around a daily affirmation. Choosing yourself is a practice, not a destination. The song captures the quiet cumulative power of waking up and deciding you’re worth the bet, again and again, until one day you realize you actually believe it. This is the meaning behind the tiger mascot outfit in the video directed by Jesse Boykins III. Sometimes you have to work as your own biggest fan and hype man, day in, day out.
This summer, Rod brings that energy on the road with his sophomore headlining Picture Day Tour, a 28-date run across the U.S. and Canada kicking off in June. The trek includes major stops at Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Chicago, alongside festival appearances at Bonnaroo and Summerfest.
With past performances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and ACL under his belt, and a debut LP that captures a story he could only tell now, this moment reflects a turning point in a journey shaped by constant movement and the search for something to hold onto.
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