My name is Marty Rod and I was born and raised out of the Valley in Los Angeles, California.

I was born in 1986, back in time when Huey Lewis owned the streets, and Marty McFly was a household name. I also happened to be raised in the porn capital of the world, the San Fernando Valley. Put those pieces together and my name suddenly seems to make a bit more sense...or maybe very little sense. Well, my parents thought it did. Anyway, I've been stuck with a stage name ever since. I guess I've really got no choice but to do it justice, cuz otherwise it just don't sound right, does it?

I was born into a house of theater actors, and I've been surrounded by "the arts" my entire life. I grew up listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Otis Redding, and my father, a classically trained Persian singer and actor. I can't really remember when singing first happened, though I started playing guitar at age 12, and I've picked up countless other instruments along the way. From 2005-2007, I worked as a recording engineer at both the Silliman Sound Studio and Sprague Hall in New Haven, and in 2006, managed to travel to Ghana for several months to study the djembe and West African polyrhythmic musical styles. In 2007, I helped form the Mad Mad Prophets, a 4-piece band with a wild mix of classic funk and modern rock. We eventually took up monthly residency at Toad's Place in New Haven, and built a strong local/school presence there. The band is looking to reform in 2010, based out of Los Angeles.

I consider myself a songwriter and producer, but by no means a solo artist. I think collaboration is where it's at, and I love meshing talents and energies to create something entirely new. I'm currently releasing my personal EP on January 8th, 2010, and am currently working on composing music for a documentary to be released on Feb. 14, 2010.

Thanks for all your support and I hope you'll stay tuned for future projects!