Bradley Rhodes has always been an explorer. From his years fronting the critically-acclaimed band Melodime to his ongoing work with the duo Elevado, he's spent most of his adulthood on the move. Letters From Virginia, a collection of sharply-written folk music that doubles as Rhodes' first solo album, finds him taking a moment to reflect on the long road that's taken him from past to present.  

"This record feels like my homecoming," says the singer/songwriter, who recorded the album in several home studios across Virginia. "It feels like I'm coming back to my roots."

Raised in a musical household in Virginia, Rhodes grew up listening to a unique blend of music: the gospel hymns his mom played on the family piano; the classic rock songs that his dad loved; the jam-band bootlegs that his brothers collected. Even before he received his first guitar at 10 years old, he was already writing original songs of his own, humming melodies to himself when no one else was looking. "The pure joy of bringing new things into the world was always such a passion," he remembers. "That's what lit me up. I just threw myself into the writing process."

Letters From Virginia finds those songwriting skills in sharp shape. With "Sweet Chariot" Rhodes delivers an acoustic love song to music itself, celebrating the art form that's been a lifelong source of help and healing. On "Jesus & Jerry," he casts a look back to his childhood days, when the discovery of a new song could be a religious experience. The album's arrangements are uncluttered, driven forward by acoustic guitar and punctuated with upright piano, light percussion, and the soulful voice that's become Rhodes' calling card. Together, they form an appropriate backdrop for his most personal storytelling to date. "Some of these songs were inspired by a new relationship that’s become a real heart-opener for me," he explains, "but there's a lot of spiritual unpacking that happens on this record, too. I'm giving myself permission to hold onto the things have worked in beautiful ways, and let go of what hasn't."

To capture those new songs, Rhodes packed up his recording gear and took a road trip, making pit stops at various places across Virginia. At his mother's home in Virginia Beach, he tracked the album's piano parts on a baby grand. In Fredericksburg, he visited former bandmate Jon Tyler Wiley, who added mandolin to several tracks. Another Melodime member, Sammy Duis, pitched in on bass. Brent Shuttleworth, Rhodes' musical partner in Elevado, added drums. Back home in northern Virginia, Rhodes finished the album on his own, adding the final touches from a makeshift recording studio that occupied his dining room. "It's funny; this is a solo record, but I'm working with multiple people who have been teachers and personal influences over the years," he notes. "There's a strong Virginia vibe throughout."

Rhodes has already built a diverse career, a national audience, and a unique sound. With Letters From Virginia, he doesn't just start a new chapter; he makes a full-circle return to the place where it all began, too. Like he did at 10 years old, Rhodes began writing Letters From Virginia without a guitar or piano, allowing melody to lead the way instead. "Melody will always be something I'm drawn to," he says. "A lot of these songs started when I was taking walks or driving, without an instrument, and I'd hear a melody and follow it wherever it took me. Writing music has always been a way of navigating whatever season I'm in. There's a necessity to create — a need to wrap my head around whatever's happening to me — and that thread has brought me here. Listening to everything I've created over the years, I can always hear the part of me that's searching, longing, and finding his way."

With Letters from Virginia, Bradley Rhodes has found his way back home.