The debut EP from 54 Ultra, ‘First Works’ was released in May to much anticipation and critical acclaim. The EP features a culmination of songs crafted from over the years and includes the previously released Spanglish single “No Tengo Valor” and fan favorite “Upside Down.”
The musical project for Johnny Rodriguez, 54 Ultra has been making music since his early teens, creating hip-hop beats inspired by the likes of Fetty Wap. Eventually discovering iconic new wave and modern rock artists like The Cure, The Smiths and others, Rodriguez’s music took on a new wave slant in terms of vocals and sounds. During the quarantine days of 2020-2021, Rodriguez had ample time to hone his sound and got introduced to soul artists from the 70s/80s like Donnie Joe Emerson and artists on Daptone Records and Big Crown Records. The exposure was inspirational to Rodriguez as he shared, “I realized that what those people were making is what I’ve been trying to make in my head, but I didn’t know that they existed already”. Using them as a reference along with modern inspirations from Steve Lacy, Kali Uchis, Mac Demarco and Brent Faiyaz, Rodriguez found his sound by combining his penchant for indie rock with R&B, soul and the Latin music his parents exposed him to.
Rodriguez has been selling out shows during his debut headlining tour this fall amidst a growing and eager fanbase. He’s slated to perform at Coachella 2026 and has more music lined up in the future.
54 Ultra spoke with B-Sides host Pete Mar about his musical journey starting with making hip-hop beats, being inspired by Fetty Wap, Robert Smith and George Michael. He talks about discovering classic R&B influences that he’d eventually combine with his New Wave sensibilities on his debut EP ‘First Works’, the anticipation of playing Coachella and more.
