j.aaron Talks About His Love For Performing Live And The Meaning Behind New Single ‘CA$H’

One of the most underrated artists around!

If you’re looking for a music artist whose songs are bound to make you groove, then j.aaron is for you. And his newest single ‘CA$H’ might be his best release yet.

We had the pleasure of speaking with j.aaron about validating moments in his career, the best thing you can do for your music career, and more!

We have got to talk about your amazing new single “CA$H!” Can you tell us about the
meaning of the song and how it came to be?

J: “Thank you so much for having me! And thanks for listening to the music. It’s a fun track that I’ve been sitting on for a while as I discover myself as an artist, but it was too much fun to keep to myself. I wrote, produced, and performed almost everything on the track so I always feel a little hesitant to put music out in the world when I’m not including other people. Big assist from friends who play way better than I do: my man Josh November on the bass and good friends, Matt Blostein on sax and Matt Crawford on percussion/mixing!

I was playing Call of Duty with friends and one of the characters was pinging a pile of cash. It almost sounded like he was singing about money. Which would make sense to me because I was broke, so damn broke at the time! I had lost all my gigs during COVID. Everything’s about money and I hated talking about money but as my mom used to say “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed!” As an artist, there’s so much sh-t you gotta deal with, and that includes being underpaid and undervalued on a regular basis so I wrote it from the perspective of the person that I’d want to be when standing for my worth. “I can’t afford to pay attention if you’re not paying my fee/there’s no discount so make it count tonight” So sh-t, I’m talkin’ CA$H these days!”

If you had to choose, what would be your favorite song you have released so far and why?

J: “Ah, that’s a hard one to answer! I’m going to cheat and say my last release, MOVE!, is my favorite collaboration with really talented producer Iain Harper. My favorite thing I’ve done by myself was a track called “hands.” I really got to flex my muscles as a producer, playing all the instruments you hear on that track. I’m really proud of how that one came out.”

You’ve been able to travel and perform all over the world! What do you enjoy the most about performing live?

J: “I feel like a kid sometimes thinking of all the places I’ve been able to perform and visit, I feel really lucky! My favorite thing about performing is getting to connect with people in a way that is so special and really unique. I love performing more than anything – more than writing, more than producing. It’s like transcending my body and getting to talk to people on a spiritual level. We get to connect through sound and energy, meat suits be damned. I don’t feel any of the insecurities that I struggle with in my daily life when I’m sharing energy with people on stage, audience and musicians alike. I’m spirit talking to other spirits. Performing live is my home. It’s my bread and butter. Anyone who knows me knows I get angsty when I’m not on stage for a while!”

What has been the most validating moment in your career thus far?

J: “For me, I get really excited when I see how others use my music in the world! Whether it’s people dancing to it in the streets, making videos on social media, or in TV and film! It was a shocker to have one of my songs included in a Netflix series recently and then again on a Fox TV show. It’s small things like that really get me excited to keep creating more.”

How do you think you’ve grown both as a person and as a music artist since your debut over a decade ago?

J: “Man, that’s a deep one. It’s hard to measure growth, but I know I’m a completely different person from who I was then. As a musician, I’ve certainly had my share of bumps and bruises. What I’ve really learned to do is take in as much technique and learning as I can and throw it all away so I can let ME come out; it’s true that less is more! I’ve gained and learned so much from being in the industry this long and even more from working with some of the most talented musicians that I know. Sharing the stage with others is like gaining experience on overdrive, in my opinion. I’ve grown into the artist that I want to put out into the world and really had to get comfortable with who that artist is. I used to be afraid of him! As a person, I’ve really, really had to learn one of the hardest lessons in life, which is you cannot take anything personally! Navigating this industry is not easy, I’m sure you’ve heard.

I’ve wanted to quit so many times but I found that working yourself as a person is the best thing that you can do for your music career. It allows you to navigate and explore those pain points that we could use to develop art or maybe heal so we can create the art we want in the world. I’ve grown to allow more nuance and fewer opinions. Music has always come naturally to me, but over the years, it’s the business acumen that is needed to take the forefront. It’s crazy but in 2024, being a musician includes being a fantastic
business person and a super entrepreneur. That was a hard thing to come to terms with, but it literally makes or breaks your career. Life’s crazy.”

Where can we follow your amazing journey?

J: “Absolutely! Please join me in my journey by following me on Instagram @jaaron_hi and all other
social platforms or following me on any streaming platform. I’m always writing and developing
new music so feel free to join me as well to hear unreleased music and demos. You can also
find me chopping it on my podcast That Good Work (@thatgoodwork). I love hearing from
people so feel free to hit me up. Thank you so much for having me!”

Make sure to stream ‘CA$H’, available now on all music platforms!

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene. When not helping her team and working on the monthly issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral Tasty recipe.

Je’Kayla Crawford– Founder and Director– Je’Kayla has been a journalist for years and decided to start a publication of her own, New Scene. When not helping her team and working on the monthly issues, you can find her watching a movie on Netflix or baking using a viral Tasty recipe.