House of Records
...is home of Indie Folk and Blues artist Aaron Chaston, inspired by the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, The Sleepy Jackson and all the Blues greats - from Jimmy Rogers, Elmore James and Muddy Waters.
Gigs, gigs, gigs.
Live gigs aplenty of late. From fun open mikes at Cherry Bar and The Brunswick Ballroom, intimate shows at Some Velvet Morning, to Coastal gigs down Phillip Island performing 3 hour sets at Dimples Bar and The Wooli Tavern.
The feedback and support has been amazing. Vinyl record sales have been consistent, further gig opportunities have been opening up and the general good will has been uplifting. Best of all has been watching old friends and family reconnecting and new relationships blooming, all from behind the lights of the stage.
For bookings email: aaronchastonmusic@gmail.com
2022 - Work in Progress.
New music has been, and is, being recorded and mixed, with the hope for a release later in the year. 8 tracks are in the can, with just a few final touches to finish things up. The album is influenced by The Rolling Stones country and blues veins, Neil Young acoustic vibes and The Sleepy Jackson track - Old Dirt Farmer.
Keep an ear and eye out.
2019 was a great year.
We launched Lost and Free on vinyl via King Moon Records. An achievement that I will forever be proud of. We got together a band to play the record live. We performed a handful of shows at two of the best venues in Melbourne - Some Velvet Morning and The Wesley Anne. The gigs were few but intimate and memorable. www.aaronchastonmusic.com was launched. We appeared on 3MDR radio after being locked out and almost missing our call up. We had the great privilege of playing instore at Captain Stomp Records, where we met some very supportive and special people, who not only support local artists but promote them too. Check out our live clip beside the fireplace at Captain Stomp Records by talented photographer/videographer Darren Clarke.
https://www.facebook.com/captainstomp/videos/2327344267524254/
Regardless of our triumphs, it's the people we connected with throughout the year that have made it so incredible. To each and everyone we met along the way thank you sincerely for your time and support. It means so much to hear your thoughts and share these feelings. A special thanks to Glenn Ford from King Moon Records for all his low key yaka. It's been hard to find the words.
The Writing Of Lost and Free.
As an independent songwriter, I like the idea of a group of songs. An album's worth. Songs that time together, relate, begin, and end something. I’m always thinking of blending them like sand under the tide, a moment of stability before the new change. A record of time in my life. After about the third or fourth likable track, I start to think about how they feel together and take some time to look at what I’m saying and how these songs are helping me survive, heal, and acknowledge my state of mind and state of being at that time. From there I try to hone in on these ideas
in a way of creating a theme or a movement. I say try because new emotional priorities come, or don’t come. But you keep writing, hoping to string something together. It’s a significant timepiece. A record. A recording. Of me, the group, the band, the village of at that time.
The title, Lost and Free has always provided and provoked me with a kaleidoscope of thought. To be free is a good feeling. To be lost can be uncomfortable or for some yields a sense of adventure or opportunity. There is a strong sense of togetherness and unity which can often be seen as a counter
to the youthful ideas of freedom. Looking back from this point in time, it has become something new. Today it is the balancing act. The Ying and The Yang. To be free without responsibility, to be lost and burdened within responsibility. A happiness, a fear. A calm, a storm. To me, it means many things at once. The lyrics and sounds compliment this. Free within a group of friends and family. Lost in love and hate and all the emotions in between. Free with another. Free alone. Lost together. Lost alone. Free and Lost. Lost and Free.
Ultimate, it’s yours now – and it can be whatever you need it to be.
House Of Records
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Over the year's there have been many musical adventures. A variety of bands, styles and players. Always passionate about making music and feeling alive. Here are some works worth mentioning.
Glenn Ford and The Record Machine
NOT TOO FAR
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Not Too Far, the last analogue band became something beyond imagination. A bit of a family jam band, with some out there soundscapes. Late nights at Pony, Duke of Windsor residencies, The Tote support slots - pubs all around Melbourne, loud sounds, big hair - wild times. The music we made brought so many special people into our lives. Producers, fans, musicians. All who became the closest of friends. A pre-social media band. Listen to the tunes below for a trip down memory lane.
The Sundanze Kid
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The Sundanze Kid - blues alias - featuring a distinguishable Z for the tech-savvy searchers and search engines. A step away from my band world, a step closer to being a solo artist.
The Sundanze Kid grew in the soggy landscape of London, gigging regularly and releasing the album "The Light and the Darkness" which received a number of affirming reviews.
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With the album in the review mirror, the blues called louder and clearer. Since then the tunes and sounds I've developed with Sundanze have been, and is, based on traditional and open tunings, slide guitar, Robert Johnson, Albert King, Elmore James, BB King, Robert Cray, Muddy Waters and so on. A lot of it being inspired by a Keb Mo' mudslide. See "How to Make a Grown Man Cry" blog.
http://thesundanzekidii.blogspot.com.au
Upon returning to Australia, Sundanze performed on The Blues Train and at The Echuca Blues Festival.