Album Notes

Imagine if Simon had left Garfunkel for McLachlan, and they gave birth to a Southern folk-rock lovechild. That child would be Jody Aaron, whose second full-length CD est.1980 is now available through CDBaby, iTunes Music Store, Amazon.com, Target.com, and other digital retailers.

The nine original tracks on est. 1980 showcase a soulful, southern-bred, singer-songwriter who does justice to Dave Matthews’ guitar work and The Beatles’ songwriting — both of whom he cites as strong influences. Est.1980 features several single-bound cuts including the kick-off track “Orange Soda,” a quirky Jack Johnson-esque number with jazzy syncopation and impressive acoustic lead guitar. The harmonica-accented “Reflections” captures a solidly acoustic Dylan vibe while the charmingly infectious “Living a Lie” would sound right at home in the final act of a WB drama. “It’s about finding that one person who inspires you to become a better person yourself, “ explains Jody. “If you’re not giving all of yourself to everyone and everything you come across, you’re living a lie."

est.1980 was recorded in New York City and produced by Matthew Chiaravalle (Josh Joplin Group, Jeffery Gaines, Warren Zevon) who also contributes percussion, guitar, and bass. Other players include Tarrah Reynolds (Lauryn Hill) on violin and Brian McInnis on harmonica.

25 year-old Jody Aaron hails from the Coastal town of Clearwater, Florida. Raised on the music of classic singer-songwriters like Harry Chapin, Simon and Garfunkel, and CSNY, Jody was just a kid when he taught himself to play an old nylon string guitar that had belonged to his grandmother, listening to CDs endlessly and picking out chords and melodies. He played open mics and coffeehouses throughout high school and college, emulating the roots sounds of the Led Zeppelin, Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins, and Sarah McLachlan. Jody released a self-titled CD in 2002, but his first big break came a year later when a song he wrote about his daytime production job, “Prompter,” won first place in CNN’s International Talent Search, landing him a live performance on Aaron Brown’s Newsnight. Jody relocated to New York City shortly afterwards, and in 2004, VH-1’s Song of the Year Competition selected his song “World is Fallin’” as a finalist. In addition to his recent release est.1980, Jody has expanded into new territory and recently composed the theme song for CNN’s Nancy Grace Legal Show. Further compositions are also being considered for use on CMT.

“The singing, musicianship, and production on est. 1980 are very good. Jody’s writing style reminds me of David Lowery from Cracker, and also of Ben Folds…I am enjoying it a lot!”
— Shawn Mullins
Recording Artist/Grammy Nominee

Contact information and media downloads are available at www.jodyaaron.com