Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Molly Parton

Change can be scary. But if you stay true to yourself and your goals, anything is possible. Just ask Rob “Rez” Resnick. Since forming the electropop duo Timeflies back in 2010, Rez and bandmate Cal Shapiro have seen tremendous success with over 150,000 albums sold and 500 million streams worldwide. So it came as a shock when they announced their hiatus in August of 2019 to pursue solo endeavors.

Luckily, fans haven’t had to wait too long, as Rez has been busy in the studio working on his upcoming project, Welcome to Mollyville, which finds the artist combining his love of country music with his love of dance and features the debut single “California,” which has amassed over 60 million streams on TikTok alone. Pop Culturalist caught up with Rez to chat about the project and his recently released new single, “Redneck.”

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
Rez: I was really bad at sports. My mom put me in piano lessons, and I fell in love with it. I learned guitar, and I started a couple of bands with my friends. In eighth grade, I got Pro Tools and built a little studio in my basement. I like to think my love for music is from some magical place inside, but it was probably just great parenting.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Rez: This is a nerdy answer, but even though I don’t use it anymore, I think Propellerhead’s Reason was a huge influence. Their software emulates real-life studios where there are cables and you plug the different components into one another. It was when I went from a rock/emo guy and being into live instruments only to being an electronic guy. That or Bob Dylan.

PC: You’ve had tremendous success throughout your career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Rez: You can’t help but feel proud of hearing things you wrote and produced on national TV or playing in front of 40K-plus crowds. Most recently, there was an awesome video of a fan listening to one of the songs that I had just put out and freaking out over it. It’s so inspiring to see people react to your music and how powerful their emotions can be. Every time you see that stuff, it makes you want to work harder.

PC: Timeflies is currently on hiatus. What was the biggest lesson you learned being a part of a duo that you’ve been able to apply to your solo project?
Rez: Anything is possible. In this industry, more so than ever, there is no limit to what you can do. Make good music, put it out in the world, and someone somewhere will find it and love it. I know it’s cliché and easy to say from my position, but it’s really true. If you build it, they will come.

PC: Tell us about your new single, “Redneck,” and the inspiration behind the track.
Rez: Last year, I went down to Nashville and wrote a bunch of songs with a bunch of really talented people. This one was written on a day where I think we wrote four or five songs. It was a wild time. I had this idea to repurpose the word “redneck” to be a hickey that someone would give their partner to show they’re mine. So the line “Imma give you redneck tonight” was along those lines. With such incredible writers in the room, the song wrote itself. We left the studio, and we went back to our Airbnb that night and got wild on the production. We took the vocals and started chopping it up and playing with the bass line. By 2 a.m., we were dancing around the house. [laughs]

PC: It’s the second single off of your upcoming EP, Welcome to Mollyville. What can fans expect from the release?
Rez: This project is straight-up fun. I feel like music has gotten really depressing and dark, and while there’s obviously so much that I’m currently listening to and inspired by, I miss a lot of what made me love music in the first place. So with this project, I want to take everything that I love about country music—the emotion, the stories, the melodies—and mix them with what I love about dance—the undeniable pulse.

PC: As you’ve embarked on this new solo project, has anything surprised you about the experience? What’s been the biggest takeaway?
Rez: People are scared of change. Country music has never been electronic, so people are unsure. Dance music has never had banjos, so people are confused. Honestly, I think the majority of people will always doubt things they haven’t seen before, and the trick is to just stay focused on your goals.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Rez: Miranda Lambert. Shouldn’t be a surprise though.

PC: First album you bought?
Rez: Macy Gray’s On How Life Is. I think my mom bought that though. So Marshall Mathers LP—the clean version.

PC: First concert you attended?
Rez: Paul Simon and Bob Dylan with my parents.

PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Rez: Most recently, Left Is Right by TroyBoi. That dude is on another level. Dance music feels like it’s been about sound design, automation, and pushing the limits of synthesis. While his design and stuff is dope, TroyBoi is approaching it from the perspective of f*ck all that, it’s about the groove. His stuff is driven by the rhythms and fills the pocket. It bangs. It’s cool to see someone innovating so widely in dance.

PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Rez: Stagecoach. Does that count as a venue? Who cares, I wanna play it.

PC: A must-have on the road?
Rez: A good book, nonfiction, preferably about tech and the future. And mezcal.

To keep up with Rez, follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Pick up or stream “Redneck” today.