About | Rocco Guarino

Rocco Guarino is a record producer based in Nashville, TN. He’s also a songwriter, video director, and photographer. He received an RIAA 2× Platinum award for his work with Velvet Revolver, the rock supergroup featuring Slash, Duff, and Matt of Guns N’ Roses, and Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots.

Rocco Guarino at the mixing console, Sienna Studios, Nashville — Sienna Studios (Nashville, TN)

In the studio, Rocco has worked with Elton John, Billy Corgan, Juliette Lewis, and members of Weezer, Pearl Jam, The Cult, and many others, including two American Idol finalists.

He has directed videos with legends such as Stevie Wonder, Bono, Brian Wilson, Steven Tyler, and Jane Lynch, and been hired by designer John Varvatos, songwriter Diane Warren, Cherie Currie of The Runaways, and legendary photographer Jim Marshall. Doing sound and video, he’s toured with Velvet Revolver, Stone Temple Pilots, Diane Warren, Billy Bob Thornton, and others.

As a songwriter, Rocco’s songs can be heard on NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Hulu, Netflix, HBO, used for feature films and shows. As a photographer, his work has been featured in Billboard, Rolling Stone, SPIN, Bass Player, Penthouse (the music section ;-), and E! Magazine. His photos have been used for retail packaging, album art, posters, and outdoor billboard campaigns in NY and LA.

Rocco’s journey begins in Hudson Valley, NY, where at fifteen he was recording his band’s demos on a 4-track. These tapes got around, which led to local bands hiring him, and from there the fire for music production was lit. The ’90s found him in Tampa Bay, FL, diving deep into songwriting.

Rocco directing Slash on the set of a Velvet Revolver video — Directing Slash (Los Angeles, CA)

Rocco then made the move to Los Angeles, where he was the official documentarian for Velvet Revolver for the life of the band. Through a Billboard #1 debut, a double-platinum album, world tours, and a Grammy, Rocco was there shooting it all. For their second album, VR hired Rocco to direct his first music video, which reached #9 on VH-1, launching a directing career that led to work with some of the biggest names in entertainment. He was nominated as Best Director for his first short film and wrote two feature-length screenplays, balancing music and film production throughout the ’00s.

Obsessed with recording studios, Rocco has worked at some of the best, from boutique rooms to world-class facilities. Matt Sorum’s studio in West Hollywood was home for a while, as was Gilby Clarke’s place in the Hollywood Hills. Rocco and Scott Weiland had a recording studio in Burbank, and were launching their label when Scott passed away. Rocco then partnered with Rami Jaffee of Foo Fighters to serve as A&R and Chief Engineer of Fonogenic Studios and label.

In 2021, Rocco founded Starlite Records, a label where stale formulas don’t exist. Starlite focuses on rock, americana, indie, and alternative, with a diverse roster including a film composer from LA, a cumbia band from Austin, and a folk act from Spain.

Rocco’s passion for keeping the arts accessible led him to work with the non-profit Adopt The Arts, and his love of animals inspires his work with Animals Asia. He’s obsessed with dogs (over 50 lbs), likes pineapple fried rice, and is a voting member of The Recording Academy (The Grammys).

In his own words

It has to be honest.

I grew up around music. My mom was a singer and songwriter, and she’s the one who bought me my first keyboard and my first guitar. I wrote my first song when I was twelve years old, and I still have the cassette. That’s where all of this started.

The first thing I hear in a song is the melody. Not the production, not the arrangement. The melody. It’s the part that gets stuck in your head and stays with you for years. To me, everything else exists to support that.

Every artist is different. Every song is different. Sometimes I’m helping build a sound from the ground up. Other times, the sound is already there, and the best thing I can do is solidify it, capture it honestly, and stay out of the way.

What matters most to me is creating a space where artists feel comfortable saying exactly what they’re hearing or feeling, without worrying about being judged. The best work happens when people feel safe enough to speak up.

I don’t believe in chasing trends or trying to make music that fits whatever the industry wants. I believe in making records that are true to the artist and true to the song. My job is to help bring their vision to life, not mine.

At the end of the day, I only have one real goal: to serve the song. If we can create something that moves people, stays with them, and means something long after it’s over, then we’ve done what we came to do.

The whole story.

From a 4-track in Hudson Valley.

It has to be honest.