AARON HEIM
PLAYING FROM THE HEART
“I guess it comes down to my love and passion for music, it’s always been my dream. It consumes me—there is nothing else like it.” And all you have to do is hear Aaron Heim to know it’s true! The 25 year-old is not just an insightful singer/songwriter able to paint life’s landscape with words and music, he is also one of these rare guitarist’s whose artistry has found the mystery to hanging his soul on the fret-board!
Coming from a small town just north of Kansas City, Missouri, Aaron has always known that he was hard-wired to play guitar and perform. “Since I was five years old, I knew this was what I wanted to do,” he reflects, “in fact, for as long as I can remember I’ve had a guitar in my hand.”
With years of experience his creativity has given him both the ability to play with depth and passion, and move in and out of genres with an uncommon level of excellence. His remarkable versatility is critical due to Aaron’s especially eclectic tastes. “I really enjoy all genres of music,” he muses. “To me a good song is a good song no matter the genre, I’m really interested in the lyrics and how the song is arranged.” He attributes his love for so many styles to the countless influences he was brought up with, and feels he was able to distill them into his own unique style. He explains, “Being raised with a variety of genres has helped me create a style of my own. I learned to take a little bit of knowledge from every musician I came across.”
As a guitarist his dominant influences are musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. “From a young age my guitar teachers told me I could learn a lot from these guys,” he says. His songwriting, however, has been shaped by others, “As a songwriter my influences are Ryan Adams, Train, and M. Ward,” he explains. “I love the way they effortlessly paint a picture with their songs and music. It’s amazing. You can listen to a song from start to finish and ride a rollercoaster of emotions and develop your own interpretation.”
His compositions, skill, and resume have brought him to accompany prominent artists such as Lee Brice and Jerrod Niemann, both national country acts who have written hit songs for Garth Brooks. He has also played guitar and opened for Sonny West who penned songs for the legendary Buddy Holly. Additionally, his talent opened the door to have him flown out to Alaska for a ten day gig last summer, where he played and sang.
Aaron remains somewhat philosophical, keeping his perspective and taking it all in stride—it’s all about the music for him. “I think about music all the time and to get out there and perform it’s like I’ve been set free,” he says smiling. “I like to make people happy and it is a joy for me to sing the songs I sing and see that people enjoy what I work so hard to do.” It’s what he’s done for years and what he’ll do for years to come if he has anything to say about it. “Music is something that has always been a part of my life and it will always be a part of my life,” he affirms. “I want to have a lasting career in music, to play and write professionally as long as I possibly can.” And he does that by taking one day at a time and putting his whole heart into everything he does. “I like to think I live in the moment and make the best of it,” he says. “But life is right here, right now and it’s important to take every opportunity that comes your way.”
Bio by Rick Kern
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