Originally written for & published on Rocket Radio (David Sikorski for reference)

The son of a preacher from Mississippi and raised across the South, country music has never been foreign to Aaron Vance. When he was four he got his first pair of cowboy boots and was singing in church by the time he was six. From his time listening to Hank Williams and George Jones while riding shotgun in his grandfather’s pickup truck, Vance has always had a deep appreciation for traditional country. A love that has stuck with him and carries his music today. Vance isn’t new to the country music scene, having produced four albums since 2012, with My Own Way being his fourth and most recent. What sets him apart though is his sound.

His very first album and the titular 2012 single, Country DNA, says it all. His twang storytelling of cowboy boots and torn jeans draws in listeners to an authentic character they can relate to. That early track was the perfect introduction for Vance’s new listeners and an endearing portrayal challenging the status quo of what it means to be a black country artist. Vance’s early music leans on the classic sound he grew up with, maybe too much.

His album Talk of the Town was one of the first he produced after moving to Nashville in 2014, and the extra polish that comes from Music Row (the heart of Nashville’s country music industry) is present. Relying heavily on classic country themes and timeless sentiments, his early music doesn’t have much of a personal stamp.

True blue country fans would argue that artists like George Strait and Garth Brooks are true pillars of modern country music, that a guitar and a bit of grit and dirt are all you need for that classic sound.

It took some time for Vance to get to this sound though. Not until his third album, Shifting Gears, does Vance start opening up to a more vulnerable, introspective songwriting, while keeping a more traditional country sound. The title track showcased his capability of diving into the challenges of his life and injecting a little bit of grit into sincere storytelling.

The traditional country sound had slowly become a minority in the music world. Now add being of African American descent in a majority white-leaning genre, Aaron was fighting an uphill battle to be heard on the major airwaves. He could have easily folded and followed the footsteps of the more formulaic pop country artists churning out radio hits. But he sticks to his guns and continued to write music that speaks to both artists of the past and fans of the new.

Vance sends this message to listeners by his fourth album, My Own Way. He knows country music and is setting out to make country music. Period. He’s not changing the meaning of country or compromising his sound to get ahead. The album is a promise to continue to make music that is true to him and be himself.

Much like country music, he’s a constant and comforting voice in a constantly changing world. That’s part of what makes country music for everyone. In his song, “We’re in the Same Boat Now” Vance sings, “We all came on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
Vance uses country music as a universal sound for every man and woman. Regardless of where you’re from, country is for you. And Aaron Vance is delivering a timeless country sound and ready to tell his story for the world to hear.