Rocco is a bassist, singer, producer and world champion beatboxer, moving between technical precision and instinct-led creativity.
After a year touring internationally with Grammy-nominated artist NAO, they step into their solo project with “Surely” — a debut that didn’t follow a traditional rollout, but grew out of a moment. A 15-second jam — layering voice, beatboxing and double bass — unexpectedly took off online, building a level of demand that shifted the direction of the release.
Rather than rushing to meet it, Rocco took their time. The track was developed slowly, in a DIY way, across a year shaped by recovery, reflection and a return to performing. Along the way, the process was shared openly, with a growing audience following in real time. What emerges is a track that feels both intimate and expansive — somewhere between indie, trip-hop and experimental soul.
Drawing on influences ranging from Radiohead and Massive Attack to Nina Simone and Charles Mingus, Rocco’s work resists easy categorisation. It’s shaped by improvisation, multi-instrumentalism and a willingness to let things unfold — even within an industry that often pushes for clarity and consistency.
Your debut single “Surely” grew out of a viral 15-second jam. What is the story behind how the track evolved from that spontaneous moment into the final release?
I actually wasn’t planning to embark on a solo project at this point - I had just come out the other side of a debilitating experience with long covid and was returning to work again. At the time I was on tour playing bass for NAO, savouring every moment of my first big job since my health collapsed.
Going viral almost felt like a spanner in my plan, because I knew I had to respond to it (I’m semi joking here - I was also excited and grateful!).
The process was very DIY - everything was home recorded, and my priority was to keep it fun, easy and stress free. I did what I could with the resources available, and galvanised my audience for moral support. I learned a tonne, with the biggest lesson probably being that I can actually do it. It was really empowering and I’m pleased with how it all went!
You are a multi-instrumentalist who sings, produces, beatboxes, and performs live arrangements. How does working across multiple instruments shape the way you write and produce songs?
I think the personality of the different instruments gives a different flavour to whatever idea is coming through. It means I have a broad palette to work from and when left to my own devices I will make some pretty wildly varied sounding pieces of music.
I know this could potentially be a challenge for me in a world that likes putting people in boxes and an industry that expects a consistent sound from artists. I’m still figuring out how much I care about these types of rules because I understand their function. I guess I’ll figure it out as I go along and maybe I’ll end up with 10 different pseudonyms
Many artists experience sudden viral attention but struggle to convert it into a sustainable release strategy. What did that experience teach you about timing, audience demand, and momentum?
I really experienced this struggle myself - it took me a year to make the song because I was so overwhelmed by the pressure of living up to the expectations of all the people who loved my viral clip.
When I finally started making the song, I brought them into my process, sharing the highs and the lows with a lot of BTS. In the end it was the relentless encouragement of my following that carried me - it genuinely felt like this song belonged to all of us, and I think they feel ownership over it too. I think the lesson for myself was that this is about the relationship I share with my community. When we’re plugged in, the ship sails and everyone seems delighted to be on board!
What is your favourite part of making music, and what is the most challenging part that listeners rarely see? I love just playing.
Exploring, improvising, trying things out. Flow state is induced for me when I’m making for no reason. The inner critic is asleep because it doesn’t matter what comes out. Then there’s a point when the ideas have spilled themselves out and need to be refined. This requires more discipline for me, and is where my inner critic starts to get involved. Sometimes when I’m trying to achieve something specific, I can hit a wall and go round in circles getting very frustrated.
As opposed to when I trust the process and allow the work to create itself through me. Another challenge listeners rarely see is resources reality. Unless we have significant f inancial backing (which I don’t), we are finding time to make our music in amongst working our paid jobs, then spending our earned cash to record and release, which we’re expected to do constantly to keep up momentum. It’s not just our creative energy that goes into our music it’s our literal life blood.
For emerging artists trying to build real connections in the industry, what is your best networking or collaboration tip?
I used to get really stressed out about networking - other than the fact that I am (surprisingly) an introvert, the idea of talking to someone because I wanted something from them felt uncomfortable. At some point I realised that isn’t what networking actually is.
You’re just making friends and connecting with other people in your orbit. When you see it through that lens then it’s just about connecting with other humans, and maybe some of those will lead to collaborations.
You have performed as part of other artists’ bands as well as your own project. What have those different roles taught you about musicianship and stage presence?
I’ve spent a lot of time on stage over the years, working as a session musician or a collaborating artist across different projects. I’m so grateful for this because it’s where I really cut my teeth. I feel very comfortable on stage now. There are certain somatic aspects of performance you simply can’t replicate in a rehearsal room.
My body recognises adrenaline and knows how to stay present within that heightened state. I’m accustomed to how live sound shifts from space to space, and sometimes not being able to hear yourself properly at all, but still staying anchored in the energy of the music and performance.
What are you listening to most at the moment?
My listening habits are quite chaotic TBH I’m not sure what the thread is! I really love so much music that is wildly different from the next thing I’ll listen to.
The last 4 artists I listened to were Radiohead, Nina Simone, Aphex Twin and Alabama Shakes. I actually have a monthly radio show on Soho Radio where I play a genre fluid selection of tunes that I enjoy - old and new. So if you fancy it, come and have a listen!