Rising Stars: Meet Cole Rolland

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Cole Rolland.

Hi Cole, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
2009 was the year I decided to post my first guitar video on YouTube. I was 15 years old, and although I didn’t know it at the time, that decision would change my life.

My guitar cover of Through The Fire and Flames by DragonForce hit YouTube at the perfect time during the height of Guitar Hero III and really got the ball rolling for me. Since then, consistently uploading content, producing original music and covers, and collaborating with other artists have led to opportunities that I never thought were possible.

I’ve had the immense honor of sharing the stage with artists in the electronic music scene, such as ILLENIUM, Adventure Club, and Krewella, as well as joining DragonForce for multiple shows. I’ve had my work recognized by major acts such as The Chainsmokers, Zedd, Disturbed, Alan Walker, Three Days Grace, Excision, and many more.

My YouTube channel has seen many seasons, from metal guitar covers to EDM covers, full production covers, and original music. This has grown to over 1.45M subscribers and 300M+ video views, eventually allowing me to move from Canada to the United States as a permanent resident and launch my own signature guitar line.

My music has been used by major names in media, such as Playstation, Meta, and Discovery+. I’ve released multiple original EPs and singles as a lead producer and frontman, most recently including Only One (feat. Lauren Babic), Disappear, and Echo.

I’m incredibly grateful to be here, and for the many opportunities, life has thrown my way!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh man, there have been some really crazy ones. Some are internal battles, others very much external. There are two very big hurdles that come to mind when I think of my journey.

The first would be leaving my previous day job to pursue music full-time. I worked as an operating engineer at a chemical plant in Canada for nearly 5 years during my early to mid 20’s. It was a huge gamble to leave that to pursue music as a full-time career, but thankfully, it worked out, and this fall will officially be my 5th anniversary of making that decision!

The second major hurdle is recent memory was immigrating from Canada to the United States. The list of to-do’s was staggering, and the stakes were incredibly high. The ultimate leap of faith that ultimately paid off big time. I’m very grateful for our friends, opportunities, and lifestyle here in Nashville. I love this city.

There are so many struggles that I would put in my personal “handbook of how to have a music career” and the sheer number of skills that you will accumulate along the way, but I wouldn’t erase any of those experiences for an easier ride. It sounds cliché, but you can learn more from things that go wrong than from things that go right sometimes.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
I’m most well-known for my work as a guitarist, and I also specialize in music production and songwriting. I’ve written and produced almost all of the works in my catalog with the exception of: “Little Lies”, co-written and produced by Zach Jones and “Echo”, co-written and produced by Jonathan Dolese.

“Ignite” is the first single that I released debuting my lead vocals and that was an incredibly fulfilling project. Not only did I write and produce the entire song during live streams on Twitch, but I got to visually bring it to life with some very talented friends of mine. “Only One” is a great comparison of how far my songwriting and production abilities have come over the past few years. A few other original singles that come to mind are “Start Over” with Brandon Saller of Atreyu and “Circles” with my good friend Andie Case. I’m incredibly proud of both of these songs.

I’m most proud of 3 things: My original music, the live performances I’ve had the pleasure of doing with major artists, and my signature guitar release with Kiesel Custom Guitars. All 3 of these have been on the “childhood dream” board for a very long time, and I’m incredibly excited to continue checking more goals off of the list!

What sets me apart from others is my incredibly diverse skillset. Being a self-made independent artist who started during the early YouTube era, I’ve had to learn so many skills on my own. From music production and video editing to music business, negotiating my own deals, marketing strategy, and much more.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Sometimes, things are just out of your control. This is a lesson that I’m constantly reminded of in both my personal life and my professional life. Ultimately, the approach that makes me feel the most at peace, even if something doesn’t work out, is being able to tell myself I gave it 100%.

I can’t control how a project is received by an audience, I can’t control the behaviors of other people, and I can’t control which way trends in media go. However, I can control the way I respond, I can control my level of effort and dedication, and I can always ensure that I’m doing everything in my power to make something successful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.colerolland.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/colerolland
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/colerolland
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/colerolland
• Other: https://www.colerolland.os.fan