Aaron Lee Tasjan

Aaron Lee Tasjan

Aaron Lee Tasjan performing at The Saint in Asbury Park, New Jersey on July 8, 2014.
Background information
Born 1988 (age 26–27)
Ohio
Origin New Albany, Ohio
Genres folk rock, indie, acoustic, rock, hard rock, protopunk, punk rock, glam rock, alternative rock, garage rock, hard rock, southern rock, jam rock
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, guitarist, musician, record producer
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 2004–present
Labels Rockwood Music Hall Recordings
Website aaronleetasjan.com

Aaron Lee Tasjan is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer from New Albany, Ohio.[1][2][3] Tasjan has worked and toured with Peter Yarrow, The New York Dolls, BP Fallon, Alberta Cross, Freedy Johnston, Semi Precious Weapons, Drivin' N' Cryin', Everest, and Taurus.[1][2][3][4] Tasjan produced the debut album of Irish DJ, journalist and photographer BP Fallon and worked with The Madison Square Gardeners on their new EP.[2][5] Tasjan is working on a film called "1,000 Miles of Bad Road" with photographer Curtis Willard.[2]

Tasjan is reported to have his own distinct version of "indie folk grit."[1] Garret Woodward of the Smoky Mountain News says, "Tasjan's words are soaked in spilled whiskey, misunderstood tears and dusty memories. Each number seeps into the cracks of your troubled soul."[1] Tasjan describes his style as, "somewhere between a folk singer and the dude with no shirt on as the wind blows through his hair as a ... eagle lands on his guitar neck."[1] Tasjan tells humorous, half true stories between songs, in a style reminiscent of Arlo Guthrie or John Prine.[1]

Biography

Tasjan born in Ohio and grew up in New Albany, Ohio, about 25 minutes northeast of Columbus, Ohio,[3] US.[1][2][5] Both of Tasjan's parents are musicians, but neither played professionally. In an interview with Linda Sickler of Savannah Morning News, Tasjan said, "My dad wanted to be a professional musician."[4] Tasjan's father was a jazz trombone player who enjoyed playing big band music. His father told him that playing music is something that you do for fun, not for a living. His mother wrote poetry and played folk/rock music when she was in college.[4] His father took him to his first concert when he was seven. They went to see James Brown, who was performing in a high school auditorium.[4] Tasjan started playing at 11, when he was waiting to start a new school. He started a dog walking business to earn the money to buy a guitar that came with a month of free lessons.[4] Tasjan believes that playing guitar kept him out of trouble.[4] By high school he was playing small gigs at local establishments like Brewster's Coffee House in Gahanna, Ohio.[3] Tasjan eventually joined a band and played venues around Ohio State University such as Scarlet and Grey Cafe and Little Brother's.[3]

Aaron Lee Tasjan performing at The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ on July 8, 2014

By age 16 Tasjan had performed with Peter Yarrow[5] and been the recipient of the Outstanding Guitarist Award in the Essentially Ellington Competition at Lincoln Center, New York City.[5] Tasjan said he had been playing at local venues for almost 10 years before his career took off.[3] Tasjan was offered a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music following his graduation from New Albany High School, but Tasjan decided to move to Brooklyn, New York in 2006.[2][5][4] Even after leaving Ohio, Tasjan stayed in touch with fellow road warrior Columbus folk-rockers, including Tim Easton and Two Cow Garage.[2]

In New York, Tasjan met Cole and Dan Justin Tranter, Cole Whittle, and Dan Crean and formed the band Semi Precious Weapons.[5] Drivin' N' Cryin's Kevn Kinney was impressed with Tasjan's work with SPW, and invited Tasjan to tour with Drivin' N' Cryin' as a guitarist and opening act.[5] He also mentored Tasjan, advising him that a musician never has to be defined by one sound or genre. This principle shaped Tasjan's work.[5] Tony Visconti produced SPW's debut album, We Love You, and they signed with Razor & Tie Records. Shortly thereafter, Tasjan left SPW and began performing as lead guitarist with the New York Dolls.[5] In 2008, he also formed his own band, The Madison Square Gardeners, which was described by The Village Voice as, "The best NYC has to offer." Tasjan remained with them for three years, during which time they recorded four albums.[5]

Tasjan met up with poet and former Semi Precious Weapons manager BP Fallon again later, and wrote the song I Believe in Elvis Presley, produced by Jack White, and released on the Third Man Records label.[3][5][4] The pair also collaborated with Sean Lennon and Irina Lazareanu and their band, Operation Juliet, as well as Clem Burke, Ian Mclagan, and Nigel Harrison.[5] Texas Country superstar Pat Green recorded Tasjan's "Streets of Galilee," for the album Songs We Wish We'd Written 2, and was so impressed that he asked Tasjan to perform the song with him. The record later reached number 15 on the US Country Billboard Charts.[5]

As of 2014, Tasjan was living in Nashville, Tennessee,[2] when he's not on the road performing his solo material, "in residency" in Portland, or performing at festivals such as the Bunbury Music Festival.[1][2] During his travels he met and was inspired by poet/Joy Division associate John Cooper Clarke, whose musings on Family Guy provided the title for The Thinking Man's Filth, and Jack White, whose career path he has been following.[2] He is currently working with Greg Beshers at 12x12 Management.[1]

Regarding his 2014 release, Tarjan said, "We had two rules. The first rule was every song can only have three chords in it, and only one song out of however many we record for the EP can have a bridge."[2][3] Tasjan's video for Drugs and Junk Food was released March 25, 2014, and premiered at USAToday.com. Tasjan said of the video "The overlying theme of it is maybe something a little darker, but there's a lot of moments of hope in there, too."[6]

Discography

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 "Aaron Lee Tasjan to Play at the Rockwood Music Hall Stage, 7/6". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 Chris Deville (February 21, 2013). "Interview: Aaron Lee Tasjan". ColumbusAlive.com. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Madeline Roth (February 23, 2013). "A good time' promised by Columbus musician Aaron Lee Tasjan". The Lantern. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Sickler, Linda (April 25, 2013). "Its all in the genes.". Savannah Morning News [Savannah, Ga]. p. D16.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 Staff. "Aaron Lee Tasjan". Masquerade Atlanta. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
  6. ↑ David Oliver (March 18, 2014). "Premiere: Aaron Lee Tasjan's 'Drugs and Junk Food'". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 9, 2014.

External links