Music
Atticus Roness says he’s written more than 1,000 songs since he was 15 years old.
“To me, it’s all about the writing. That’s where my heart is,” he says.
As a self-described songsmith, Roness is a descendant of the Beatles ideology that sometimes the best songs are about nothing. He points to the group’s 1967 song “I Am the Walrus.”
“Singing songs that are catchy and melodies that are memorable, that to me is the priority,” he says. “If I happen to say something smart every once in a while, then that’s good.”
Roness says his creative process is melody-first, with lyrics shaping the song afterward.
As a pianist and guitarist, Roness develops melodies by sitting down with an instrument rather than opening a computer.
“I’m never one to start anything on the computer,” he says. “My personal process is just me and an instrument and just seeing what comes out.”
When it comes time to write lyrics, they’ve practically written themselves around the melody, he says. His best work comes when he’s not thinking too much.
The end result is his upcoming album, Rock ‘N’ Roll Hit Parade, which is expected to be released this fall.
“I wrote a lot of those songs in a transition period,” Roness says. The songs were written before he got sober in 2024.
“If I want to have a career in this, I want to protect my voice, I want to protect my mind, I want to protect my body,” he says.
Roness calls singing and recording the album a “cathartic experience.” There’s a self-confidence on the album, Roness says, that comes from being in one of the best places of his life emotionally, mentally and physically.
“I want to be the best version of myself. I want to be the best musician I can be,” he says.
Being the best musician he can be also involves working with trusted collaborators.
The album was recorded at Real 2 Reel Studios, which opened in Atlanta in 1976. The studio is now owned by Will Turpin of Collective Soul.
“I’m honored to be a part of the puzzle,” Roness says, giving a shout out to Turpin, co-owner Brian Collins and producer Caleb Heiple.
He also gives a shoutout to himself on the cover art — or rather, 13 versions of himself. One Roness for each song on the album.
“I wanted the album to feel as if you were watching a parade go by and all these different characters are passing you,” he says.
The cover, designed by creative director Aidan McGehee with photos by Matthew Fain, nods to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Double Fantasy. The font and placement of the 1980 album inspired the typography of Rock ‘N’ Roll Hit Parade.
And while Roness names countless inspirations and references behind the album — Nirvana, the Stone Roses, Oasis, Led Zeppelin and Neil Young — the music is uniquely his.
“I’m really proud of the sound that we’re getting. It’s really professional, and triumphant in every sense of the word.”
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