Today we’d like to introduce you to Cabell Rhode

Hi Cabell, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Well my story for condensed purposes will start in my early teens. Prior to that I had listened to music as a young kid and been a poet for a while in my early years. I submitted my poetry to the National Poetry Society, around age 12, but my family could not afford to send me to their conference at the time. Around age 15 or 16, I started in a garage band. We would get together in my basement. We loved Disturbed at the time, as Down With The Sickness was huge. During the same time frame, we were just discovering Nirvana as well. They were a band that would have influence on my sound and writing for years to come. I still wrote poetry on the side, when I had free time. Throughout my teens and twenties, I studied with various college guitar instructors. They helped me to learn the fretboard and smooth guitar skills. I recorded several projects from this period, most of which are released on sound cloud under different artist names. I did not know at that time about distribution or the other elements of the music business. I just released music in its natural raw state with no concern for sonics at the time. People often wondered if I would Do anything with my talents, besides self releasing. I attempted to get into studios, but that is a difficult process for those who are not familiar. I was also in much more rural areas, and my focus was on academics. My family wanted me to have a plan B, while I pursued my dreams. I went to school to learn more about music and ended up with several performance credits. I graduated with the equivalent of a minor in music. At the time I got to learn about notation, reading music, and sight reading as well the foundation principals of performance. After I graduated, I looked for work in DC. Later I moved to Kentucky to be with my family, and eventually got a job in Louisville, KY. Once I moved to that town, then all the pieces feel into place. They just fell into place in a way that I was not expecting. One never wants to be the villain of their own story. Subsequently. I was hated by the majority of the scene. People would respond different when I came around, and try to start confrontations with me for no reason. I made a lot of people jealous of me when I performed. In the beginning I was constantly chasing people around the scene and just wanted to learn as much as I could. Naturally, this rubbed many people the wrong way. I ended up being an outsider there for many years. Louisville had a very clique scene at the time, and still does in many ways to this day. It was not enough to have talent, you had to be on the in crowd to get booked. Most of the bigger venues wanted cover/tribute bands. I went my own path focusing on the venues that would book me. I hosted songwriter rounds and put local/regional talent on. I was there for many years developing in the studio and culminating with the release of Love Left Loss. That was such a milestone as it was recorded from the ground up in a professional studio. I also found and developed a working relationship with Bo Daddy Harris. He was quite odd to be around at times and i was the exact same way. We became two misfits growing together on the outside of a scene that wanted nothing to do with us. We were too real to be accepted, and that was okay for us both. We released Deep Truth in 2020. Since that time we have released several more projects including just recently, with the song Way You Are. After the pandemic, I decided to move back closer to relatives. I have continued to work on music as much as possible. I have found memories of Louisville, and I am so thankful that I was able to really hone my skills there. Without my time there I would not be the talent that I am today. It still is a great town in many ways, except for the traffic. I have been back a few times since I left with no hard feelings. I look back on what I achieved with my time there as nothing short of remarkable.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

Too many to name to be honest. Every step of growth has had its unique challenges and setbacks. From people pulling out of projects, to having the same song get mixed three times, to having people threaten your brand for releasing projects. As a talent you have to be prepared to handle these situations as they arise. What makes those people that thrive in the face of the odds is your ability to Overcome those situations. To be able to find a way around difficulty. I released a song just recently, with Martin Luther King Jr as the cover by the same name of Overcome. He inspired me for years with his speeches and I wanted to pay homage to a great man. I titled the song Overcome to remind us we have that power through perseverance. That is what has made me different than other acts that i have seen come and go through the years. If you want to be a success you have to figure out a way to make it happen. So many people want a team behind them or a producer to come out of the wood works, but that’s not a reality. You have to make the opportunity happen by making the most of the situation. People are going
to fail on you. You have to be able to handle that. You can turn that situation into a success, if you have the right mindset. Otherwise, it’s very easy to just drown in the many quagmires along the way.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

As a creative what I think makes me different is to be able to tell a compelling story from start to finish. You have to be able to do that in order to really stand out and connect with your audience. A lot of other artist need writers to be able to come up with their polished tracks. I have written the majority of my songs and continue to get high reviews on my ability to have continuity. My music and writing is what I am most proud of, in terms of my work. I am also published under amazon and my audio book is available under the pen name of Carter Westgate here https://www.amazon.ca/Deceitful-Lust-Carter-Westgate-ebook/dp/B0CW1CCM2J
https://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/deceitful-lust/770081

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?

Too many to list here. I love fiction in general and a lot of different types of movies/film. I just finished
rewatching Take Shelter, after many years from seeing it last. I was spellbound by the mystery that film represents. I try to stay diverse in my films and reading choices. I am a fan of 1984 because of how grateful it makes to even sleep and breathe fresh air. We take so many things for granted in our own petty disputes about life. We gripe about the bills we have to pay or what’s going down on the job. We forget that we have the freedom of our minds and the ability to declare statements as facts. That is
what defines our freedom in the book, as the most basic human right. The ability to form a belief different from the state, although that has strangely been questioned lately in many circles. I think as an artist you have to constantly expand your horizons to write really good material. You need life experience to help you write compelling stories. You have to find the story in the people and environments around you.

Contact Info:

• Other: https://tools.applemediaservices.com/artist/1457854218?country=us https://music.amazon.com/artists/B07NT2FXB3/cabell-rhode