Interviews

Meet Aaron Parnell Brown : The Tin Man

Meet Aaron Parnell Brown, a dynamic soul singer based out of the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia

Published

10 years ago

April 6, 2015

Chenelle R. Covin

Aaron Parnell Brown, is a dynamic soul singer based out of the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia.

Through a partnership with Reverbnation, Unheard Voices has the chance to find upcoming artists who are not only cultivating their way through the music industry but making a difference while doing it.

In an industry that is so rough to get a foot hold our goal is to find talented artists that often go under represented in an industry that praises mainstream success.

Table of Contents

About Aaron Parnell Brown

Aaron Parnell Brown’s bold sensitivity as a vocalist and performer has garnered him favorable comparisons to Donny, Stevie Wonder, and John Legend.

The Philadelphia-based artist draws from his hometown’s distinguished heritage of Philly Soul, while at the same time incorporating influences from great songwriters such as John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and James Taylor.

His captivating solo acoustic performances and incendiary full band outings have helped him build an impressive profile among audiences and critics alike.

Within the past few year’s Brown has seen some accolades winning the 2014 Soul Artist of the Year Award in Philadelphia, an Independent Music Award for his song “A Beating He art,” kickoff WXPN’s acclaimed XPoNential Festival (featuring artists such as Wilco, Bob Dylan, Beck, Lake Street Dive, and Jose James), and be named as one of NPR Music’s 10 Artists You Should Have Known in 2012.

The Tin Man

Aaron Parnell Brown currently has an album out entitled The Tin Man.

The Tin Man, Brown’s sophomore project, is filled with soulful and sophisticated songs such as “Just Leave,” “I Believe in You,” and “Changes” that show the growth and maturity he’s experienced since his first album Sing (released under the name Aaron & The Spell) came out in 2012. Brown says The Tin Man refers to all the changes that have come to his life over the last several years such as falling in love, pursuing a full time music career, and conquering personal challenges. Brown explains it, saying “As in the Wizard of Oz, the Tin Man found that he always had a heart, but it was just rusty…through the success of my last album, I’ve found where I need to be. I was lost in many ways, but now I’ve found the love and purpose in my life to give my music greater meaning.”

Interview

We’ve had a chance to interview Aaron Parnell Brown. Read below to get a feel on the who the singer is, his passions, his drive, and listen to the single “Just Leave”, off The Tin Man.

UV: When did you fall in love with music?
APB: I think I fell in love with music in elementary school when I started playing the flute in the third grade. I can distinctly remember the melody of a piece called “Simple Gifts” event today. Eventually, in the seventh grade I moved to the trumpet and after that it was over and I was completely hooked. I just loved all the classical pieces we played.

UV: How long have you been creating and performing music?
APB: I guess I started creating and performing music about 15 years ago. At that time I just started playing guitar so all the songs I wrote were horrible. However, the second song I ever wrote by myself called “Leave The Light On” (which is on my new album The Tin Man) was the one song I could always go back to and think that maybe I have a future in music. I figured if I wrote one good song, there is no reason why I won’t be able to write another one someday.

UV: Tell the Unheard Voices readers what your passions are and who or what motivates you to continue to strive in a cut throat industry?
APB: My passions are my family. They are also what helps me to continue strive for greatness in the music business. I realized awhile ago that creating music is just a part of who I am and what I must do to be happy in life. It’s not really a passion, but just who I am as a person. Recognizing this, the reason I strive for success in the difficult music business is because I want to be a happy person everyday in my life for my family and the more I’m able to make music, the happier I am in the rest of my life.

Aaron Parnell Brown

UV: How would you describe your music?
APB: I would describe my music as full of feeling and full of colors. I love wonderful chord changes that elicit emotional responses from the listener. I also love to utilize tension and release in my music. I guess that’s a central theme in my music.

UV: Do you compose and write your own music/lyrics?
APB: Yes, I compose and write most of my music and lyrics. I usually compose on guitar. While I really enjoy writing by myself, I also like bringing in collaborators to help me finish songs when I may hit a writers block.

UV: What` current projects do you have out or forthcoming projects in progress?
APB: Well the project I have scheduled to come out this spring is my new album called The Tin Man. The Tin Man is my sophomore album filled with soulful and sophisticated songs such as “Just Leave,” “I Believe in You,” and “Changes” that show the growth and maturity I’ve experienced since my first album Sing (released under the name Aaron & The Spell) came out in 2012.

UV: What artists have the greatest musical influences on you and your music?
APB: This is easy and hard at the same time. I’ve been heavily influenced by many many artists over the years. Some include Stevie Wonder, Prince, Nina Simone, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Gabriel Faure, Claude Debussy, Gil Evans, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Donny Hathaway, Amos Lee, and the list goes on and on…

UV: What or who influenced you to begin your music career?
APB: I think what influenced me to begin a music career was the feeling I had when I first wrote “Leave The Light On” and thought it could stand up on its own in the world as a good song whether or not I was singing it. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since.

UV: What advice do you have for other indie artists trying to succeed?
APB: Perseverance and be a little crazy… (but not too much)

UV: What is the hardest challenge you have encountered with building your fan base?
APB: Learning the changing landscape of social media and how to use it as a tool to engage fans.

UV: How in tune are you with your fans?
APB: I think that over the past year especially, I’ve become pretty adept at engaging with fans over social media which has brought me much closer to folks who appreciate my music and where my musical journey is headed.

UV: Has anyone ever given you negative feedback on your music, if so how did you react to it?
APB: All the time! If I get negative feedback I just determine whether there is a lesson there that might help me get better. However, if there is no lesson to be learned I just brush it off.

UV: How important and how difficult is it to support your career with your own funding?
APB: I really don’t know how important it is, but I can definitely tell you it has been and continues to be very difficult for me to support my career just with my own funding. I’m trying to build a team around me of experts, funders, supporters, etc. to help me take my career to the next level. For me, that is what is important to me – sharing my success with my team and helping them to find successes of their own in the context of my music career.

UV:To date, what has been your best performance? When was it, where was it and why is it your best performance?
APB: My best performance is always the next one coming up. I always feel I’m getting better and that my band is getting better so it’s always the next one.
UV: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
APB: I see myself touring the world, specifically the UK, France, Germany, USA, and Japan. I also see myself working on my fourth record at that point.

UV: In closing, I would like you to leave the Unheard Voices readers words of encouragement and inspiration, especially for those pursuing a career in music and entertainment.
APB: If you love making music, then keep on doing it. The “business” part isn’t everything. If you are doing it for the business then please just stop because it’ll save you from having a headache and it’ll save the world from having bad music. Simply… If you love it, then do it.

Listen to Aaron Parnell Brown

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