Based in Saluda, a small mountain town near Asheville, NC, storyteller and musician Aaron Burdett shares a fresh and compelling perpective on the world around us, connections to places and people, and the simple pleasures of life through his heartfelt songwriting. Burdett released his 4th album, Breathing Underwater, on September 11th, 2012. Building on the traditions of the finest performing songwriters such as John Hiatt, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, and John Prine, Aaron’s original Americana music blends folk-rock, bluegrass, and blues with pop sensibilities. His honest songwriting pours in between hammer-on chord changes and rolling crosspicking rhythms, all the while keeping at the forefront his own unique sound and authentic voice.
After successfully raising $9000 through Kickstarter, Burdett and his band (Will Jernigan on bass and Billy Seawell on drums), took to Hollow Reed Studios to record with producer Chris Rosser. This is the first album where vocalist Burdett performs on his electric guitar as well as acoustic. Guest musicians include Casey Driessen on fiddle, Andy Pond on banjo and cajon, Brian Swenk on banjo and Chris Rosser on keys. Breathing Underwater has been well received by the Americana community, and was voted #10 in the regional releases category and #51 overall on WNCW’s Top 100 list of 2012 releases.
Optimistically themed, Breathing Underwater reflects Aaron’s life experience and the changing perceptions and priorities that come with the passage of time, working towards goals, and finding the peace of mind to allow life to unfold naturally. It features 11 tracks, all penned by Burdett, including the slow, bluesy electric title track. It’s a tonally diverse album, from the upbeat and newgrassy “Copper on the Corner” and “Sneaking up” to the more relaxed pace of “The Simplest Things”, a piece about stepping back from day to day distractions and concerns to remember the more important things we are blessed with. There is a musical release in “3 or 4 minutes”, a song about being taken away on a journey by an artist, and then realizing that it’s only a 3 or 4 minute song even though you feel like you’ve been gone and zoned into the music forever.