Any guitarist who browses TikTok will have probably noticed Fender’s ongoing campaign, in which they highlight players of interest at all levels of career success. One of those is Rory A. Green, who Fender described as “bringing all the good vibes” in January.
“I’ve had so many people ask me about the reverb in this video,” he laughs of his tone in the clip. “I was using the Line 6 HX Stomp for my amp and reverb sounds, specifically the Particle Verb.”
If you know Green’s 2019 single Everything Before, his 2020 EP Isolation and 2023 single Little House: Live, you’ll also know that, while they all feature his good vibes and gorgeous chord progressions, and they lean towards the acoustic. But his recent posts on TikTok and Instagram are decidedly electric-leaning via Strat, though still gentle – if not utterly ear-caressing.
“It all started for me when I was nine,” he says. “A friend just started to play guitar then. His dad was a bass player, and I remember seeing him play around the house one day, and I thought the whole thing was just so cool.
“Naturally, I told my parents and begged them for a guitar! I’d already started playing flute and cornet around, giving them up as quickly as I started. My parents gave in, and I got my first guitar as a Christmas present – a little £50 classical guitar, which I fell in love with, and I still have today.”
In his teen years, the first wave of his trademark vibe washed over, leading him toward the cool underside of the musical pillow. “I was around 14 when I discovered that I loved 12-string guitars,” he says.
“I started writing music that I didn’t necessarily understand until my dad introduced me to John Butler, which absolutely blew my mind. His approach to guitar and his writing really hit me.”
He continues: “Jazz wasn’t something that I resonated with straight away. It was kind of put down as ‘old people music.’ I didn’t actually listen to it until I was 21, when I came across Alpha Mist’s album Antiphon.
@fender ♬ original sound - Fender
“Discovering that album – and consequently jazz – really shone a new light onto music. The amount of freedom, expression and meaning was just so visible to me. I knew my music and my skills had a lot more to say than I originally thought.”
Going back to his Fender-championed TikTok clip – featuring a Fiesta Strat he calls ‘Red Baby’ – it’s obvious that jazz has taken hold. His inversions, shapes and progressions are next-to-none.
“I’m drawn to harmony: how inversions evoke different feelings, and how melodies can flow through my playing,” he explains.
My Laney Lionheart is probably the most honest, open amp I’ve played
“I feel like a lot of that has to do with the geography of the fretboard itself. The notes are fixed in place, but each time I pick up the guitar, I feel like I’m relearning the instrument.”
Feel and knowhow are keys to Green’s game, but the Strat is part of the alchemy. too “I’ve never had a stronger connection to any guitar in my life,” he says. “It’s a 1961 American Vintage II, and I got it the day they were announced.
“I’d just seen a video promoting it, and I was already on my way to my local music shop for a jack lead. I got there just before they closed and asked if they had already had the AVIIs. The guy smiled at me, disappeared, and brought seven cases back, and we tried every single guitar.
“My red Strat was in that mix; I fell in love instantly. It’s the perfect guitar for what I do. I walked out with it that day. The finish is wearing away already!”
Perhaps powered by Green’s evident love for the guitar, a wave of creativity has washed across him recently. “My process changes all the time,” he reports. “But now, improvisation is at the center of everything.
“Having a strong and assured voice and identity within music and guitar is vital, and I believe it can be heard and felt. I’ve really been into a lot of chord melody playing lately. It’s an area of my playing I really want to push further, because it’s an aspect of guitar that is constantly teaching me new things.”
There’s more to Green’s sound than the Strat. “I’ve had a love/hate relationship with effects,” he laughs. “My friends make fun of me because I’ve got a big thing for selling and trading pedals, to the point where every pedal I’ve owned, I’ve had twice!”
He continues: “The same goes for amps. My main amp is my Laney Lionheart L20T-112, which I love. It has its own sound, like Fender or Marshall, but they give you a lot of headroom to carve your sound out. It’s probably the most honest, open amp I’ve played.”
Green says 2023 track Little House represents him best to date, as it’s about a memory from his childhood while growing up in Ghana. It showcases his current philosophy, which is centered around improvisation via musical conversations.
All my writing and even my playing are linked to my lived experiences
Although he “can’t mention much yet,” he’s filmed demos for Laney, and plans to gig around the EU with vocalist Nina Cobham. Then he’ll dig in on new music, with an eye toward a late 2024 release.
Beyond that, what’s integral to Green is that people understand the link between the music and the man. “All my writing and even my playing are linked to my lived experiences," he explains.
“My mixed English and Ghanaian heritage, my relationships with family and friends, and my fondest memories have shaped me – not only as an artist, but also as who I am today. I want my music to reflect that.”
