Here and there, a few young guitar players are making it to big audience in Europe and America. You might know about Tyler Bryant or Jared James Nichols, but you’ll need to give a try to Aaron Keylock too who released his debut album this year. Here’s our little chat.
Hello Aaron how are you? Is it your first time in Paris?
Aaron Keylock: I’m good thank you. It is!
First can you introduce yourself to French rockers?
Aaron: Sure. My name is Aaron Keylock. I’m a British guitarist/singer/songwriter who playes rock n’roll music, yeah! (laughs)
You just released your first album, feeling alright?
Aaron: Yeah I recorded it early 2016 and it’s finally coming a year after so I’m pretty excited.
“Cut Against The Grain” what’s the meaning of this title? Why isn’t it self-titled?
Aaron: It’s one of the tracks from the album but it made sense just because where I was in my life, it’s kind of the whole thread of the album I guess being that one kid that listen to that kind of music at that age and nobody else did, so I just going against the grain. I think that’s kind of a statement defining the whole album so.
It’s been many years since you began your career even if you’re young. Why did you wait that long to record an album?
Aaron: As I started young, I needed to develop the way you want to be. Plus through the years, I really improved on everything. So it wasn’t until I was happy about what I was doing that I needed to record and put all of this on a record. And with having a record label everything kind of fit so the timing was right.
You signed with Mascot/Provogue and flew to L.A. to record with Fabrizio Grossi. Was it your choice? An idea from the label?
Aaron: It was brought to me the idea and I was talking to a few producers at that time too. I met Fab and it was my decision to work with him in the end. Plus Mascot worked with him as well in the past and were really satisfied about his work. He had a great vision of the songs I brought in. In the end, it just felt right you know. Flying to L.A., that’s just because his studio is there. (laughs)
What’s your album about musically? What are your biggest influences?
Aaron: I think anything based on 70’s rock n’roll. I mean the album shows different influences here and there but I ran accross 70’s classic rock and stuff, my dad listened to David Bowie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the I found blues and that took me on a different path and then I got into different stuff like Bob Dylan to Black Sabbath. Anything around that stuff. Just honest rock n’roll I guess.
How would you describe your album: the vibe, the groove…?
Aaron: It’s relax. We were in the studio with no pressure. It was me, Fab and the session guys. So that’s the kind of vibe you’ll feel I think while listening to the album. It’s basically the songs I wrote on the road, the same ones, I don’t really changed them. It’s basic but real and organic. I demoed all the songs and when I introduced them to Fab, we picked up the best ones.
You’re writing but also singing. What motivate you to also write lyrics? What subjects are you dealing with?
Aaron: It’s funny because it took me a while. It started when I picked up a guitar but the time to find the good sound for my voice etc. All my songs are basically about someone who has a big dream and he’s chasing it, I’m chasing it for about ten years now. Stick in your belief… everything comes from that idea, most of the core of the record is about that.
What’s the thing you’re the most proud of with this album?
Aaron: It’s just the fact that it goes accross my personality rather than, for example other album I listen to where everything is so perfect with no personality or where high tech comes over the music. I think personality comes over when you do little mistakes and with having a real organic sound, that’s what I’m proud of here. I’d love to record on tapes one day.
How are you handling all these positive feedbacks towards you and your music? Are you stressed sometimes?
Aaron: No stressed because the positive stuff is good and the negative too. I don’t really pay attention to what people say but my music or me, because it’s just another opinion. I mean if you’re happy with what you’re doing and who you are, that kind of that. Critics shouldn’t matter. I’ll enjoy playing music and making music, that’s my mind set.
Top 3 tracks?
Aaron: I like “Falling Again”, “Down” and “Sun’s Gonna Shine”. For “Falling Again”, I like the vibe. For example from the demo, it’s so much different and we almost did a completly other song. “Down” I got it a month before we recorded it and it’s just a cool song. And “Sun’s Gonna Shine” because we play it live and it’s a great track live, I like it very much for that.
What’s the craziest thing you ever done? Music related.
Aaron: We did a tour with Blackberry Smoke a couple of years ago and a friend of ours owns a custom bike shop and we slept in the workshop but he keeps snakes in there, machine guns, strip poles, that was a cool night. (laughs) Every cool gig is a nice moment, nothing really crazy I’d say, for now. (laughs)
Where do you see yourself in a few years?
Aaron: I have no idea. (laughs) If you try and look forward I’ve never thought being in Paris right now doing interviews. (laughs) I try to look forward as a musician, trying to write better and be a better player but in terme of career, I have no idea for now.
Finally we are “RockUrLife” so what rock your life Aaron?
Aaron: It’s just music. It’s funny because when you got into something so young, before you find anything else, you got addicted to it.
Did you have other hobbies?
Aaron: No. (laughs) I’m a music freak. All my life memories are music. That’s basically it.
Website: aaronkeylock.com
