Interview: Asalto’s Jordan Rodriguez Talks Hard Work, Confidence, and ‘Te Traigo en la Mente’

In an exclusive Tejano Nation interview, Asalto frontman Jordan Rodriguez opens up about the sacrifices of growing up in music, finding his confidence as a vocalist, the unexpected story behind the band’s name, and the inspiration behind Asalto’s latest hit, “Te Traigo en la Mente.” It’s a story of hard work, faith and perseverance — and how a young accordion player from Conjunto Mi Gusto found his own path in Tejano music.

It’s hard to be a normal kid when you grow up in an abnormal environment. That’s a struggle Jordan Rodriguez knows all too well.

The Asalto frontman and bandleader started playing accordion at just four years old, joining his father’s band, Conjunto Mi Gusto, on the road not long after. Stepping into professional music at such a young age meant making sacrifices.

“Life was a little bit different for me. Being such a young kid and being in these bars and clubs and playing at these weddings and quinceañeras and anniversaries. I didn’t have your normal childhood. I didn’t get to play outside much. I didn’t get to do all those fun things a bunch of other kids did.”

But Rodriguez also gained something invaluable: time with his father and brothers while learning both sides of the music business — the music and the business.

His father was tough on them, he says, because he wanted them to become the best musicians they could be. Working hard, keeping your word and never taking shortcuts became lessons that would follow Rodriguez throughout his career.

“Nearly 30 years later, I’m still rolling with the punches! I’m very grateful for the spot God has put me at, man, especially with Asalto. I’m a very blessed man and we are very grateful for everything that is going on with us as of now.”

Finding His Own Sound

After years of playing conjunto and norteño standards with his father’s band, Rodriguez was ready to branch out.

The emergence of younger groups such as Siggno and Solido inspired him to write his own music. While still performing with his father, he began recording solo material under his own name.

His first album, 2020, started as a passion project. There was no elaborate studio or big production — just Rodriguez and his determination to create music he enjoyed.

“The first album I put out was recorded in a laundry room with one of my buddies here in Snyder. The quality is not great. Nothing was fantastic about it. But it was just the fact that… this was more of the route of music that I was going with, music that I liked.”

Rodriguez played all the instruments and sang the lead and backup vocals, making it a true solo project. Finishing the album gave him a new sense of accomplishment and confidence.

Taking It to the Next Level

For his follow-up project, Rodriguez reached out to Grammy Award-winning producer and musician Eddie Perez.

“I told him, ‘Hey dude, I want to take this a step further. I want it to sound good.’ He said, ‘Sure, man. Come down to New Braunfels and let’s do this!’”

The result was De Nuevo, released in 2021.

Without a band of his own at the time, Rodriguez again handled accordion and bajo quinto while recruiting Michael Machado and Chato Sanchez of Siggno to play drums.

Then a simple misunderstanding changed everything.

Friend and fellow musician JR Gomez invited Rodriguez to perform at a benefit concert in Lubbock. Rodriguez thought he was simply being added to the lineup. Gomez, however, apparently expected him to bring his own band and perform his own music.

“He puts out a flyer and it has a picture of me, saying I’m performing at 10 o’clock… So I reached out to some people that I knew, including my current drummer, David Vargas. We all got together and practiced a couple of times. On our second or third practice, I said, ‘Well, shoot, we’re gonna need a band name!’”

How Asalto Got Its Name

The name came during a storm. While driving through particularly severe weather, Rodriguez’s cousin and bajo quinto player Joe Garza commented that the hail was “assaulting” their truck.

They looked up the Spanish translation for assault and found Asalto. The name stuck.

“It’s been crazy, man. We’ve had a couple of manager-people that have reached out to us and said, ‘Your name sucks. You gotta change your name!’ Nah, man. God gave us this name for a reason. It’ll hit when it hits you.”

Finding the Words

Although Rodriguez isn’t fluent in Spanish, he has surrounded himself with musicians and friends who help him translate and develop his lyrics.

Two people who have played an important role in that process are Jonathan Espinoza and Edward Garza, bassist for Michael Salgado.

That collaboration became especially important for one of Asalto’s most recent releases.

“Te Traigo en la Mente” Finds Its Sound

Released July 31, “Te Traigo en la Mente” quickly generated buzz, appearing on Tejano music charts and becoming a fan favorite.

The song began with a friend giving Rodriguez some words in English and challenging him to turn the idea into a song. Rodriguez contacted Edward Garza for help translating the concept, and the two began writing.

The first draft came together in about 15 minutes.

The result is a heartbreak story about loving someone deeply who no longer loves you — a relatable subject delivered with a modern feel aimed at a younger audience.

The song was originally written as a cumbia. But after Rodriguez decided it needed to be an Asalto song, one of his bandmates suggested turning it into a ranchera.

Rodriguez was initially hesitant. He quickly realized his bandmate was right.

“That whole song was just a blessing, man… If you go watch the music video, I think it’s some of the best work we’ve ever done. The acting, the storyline, the visuals, everything.”

Watch the official music video for Asalto’s “Te Traigo en la Mente.”

A Band Without Boundaries

Asalto takes pride in being a diverse band.

Their music can move from norteño and Tejano to cumbia, country and banda, but Rodriguez says one of the biggest challenges in songwriting is finding the right style for each song.

Sometimes the original idea has to change. The song comes first.

Finding Confidence in His Voice

Asalto has continued working to improve its sound with every release. For Rodriguez, that growth has included overcoming his own doubts as a vocalist. He credits Jesse Turner of Siggno with helping him understand how to use his voice.

“I give a lot of credit to Jesse Turner, bro. Me and Turner spent a lot of time working on my vocals. He told me something that changed everything for me. He told me, ‘You’re not a bad singer, you just don’t know how to use your voice.’”

Turner’s advice was simple: practice.

“If you want to be a better basketball player, you practice basketball every day. If you want to be a good accordion player, you practice the accordion every day. It’s the same thing with singing.”

Rodriguez says the reaction from fans has given him even more confidence. Seeing people smile and enjoy themselves when Asalto performs reminds him why he continues pushing forward.

“That all drives me to be better. It all drives me to keep going and never stop.”

“We Didn’t Cut Corners”

Rodriguez admits Asalto still faces challenges, including finding stronger support in its hometown. But he refuses to let those obstacles define the band’s future. He knows Asalto may not become the biggest band in Tejano music. What matters to him is that they give everything they have.

“I just want people to remember how hard we worked and everything that we did. I want them to remember that we didn’t cut corners and we did everything we could to be on the right side.”

Rodriguez says every band has its own road to success, and he isn’t interested in wishing he were somebody else. His goal is simple: make Asalto the best band it can be.

“Although we may not make it as big as Frontera, or as Siggno, or Solido, or any of those guys, I want people to see us and say, ‘Those guys busted their tail. They did all the right things they needed to do to be somebody.’ At the end of the day, if we don’t make it, at least they’ll know that we tried. We did everything we could to be successful.”

Looking Ahead

That spirit and conviction have helped drive Asalto to new heights in 2026. The band released its latest album, Con Amor O Sin Amor… Seguiremos, in March and continues to gain new fans while performing on bigger stages.

For Rodriguez, the journey remains rooted in gratitude, faith and hard work.

“I just want to say ‘thank you’ to everyone that supports us. We’re just going to continue to do what we do, with God first.”

He also hopes Asalto can be a positive influence on young people and listeners.

“We always want to remain a positive influence to the youth and to everyone who listens to us. I just pray and hope that they share us with the rest of their friends and family, so we can continue to grow as a group.”

And the work isn’t stopping.

“Just know that we’re working hard every day to bring you more and more new music. Hopefully things that they love or that make a difference in their life.”

Listen to Asalto

You can find Asalto’s music on major streaming platforms, including the band’s latest single, “Te Traigo en la Mente.”

Follow Tejano Nation on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with everything Tejano. Listen to new Tejano music first with our Spotify playlists and iHeartRadio podcast.

---

---