Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Bucks.
Hi Aaron, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I grew up on the west coast of Canada, outside of Vancouver, in Langley British Columbia.
I remember loving music as a kid. From a young age I heard my mom as well as my grandfather sing and play guitar, these are not only great memories but looking back very influential in my love for music. I started writing songs around 13 years old, I use “writing songs” very loosely, they were more just thoughts scribbled down not very structured or poetic. When I was in college I picked up guitar and bass, and It wasn’t until I began playing guitar that I would say my songwriting started taking shape.
Shortly after getting my first bass, I began lessons with bassist Peter Davyduck. He introduced me to the local music scene and to some incredible people who were encouraging very positive voices in my development as a writer and musician.
In my early 20s, I spent a lot of time playing and recording with local musicians in the country of Trinidad and Tobago. I became good friends with Producer/Keyboardist Daniel Bishop, his creativity and musicality were captivating, and every session I witnessed was like a master class. An interesting side note is that my first vocal session and radio play happened on the island of Trinidad.
When I moved to Nashville to pursue music I received a crash course in the Business of Music. The indie label I had signed with ran out of funding which led to a Co deal with another label. This led to getting dropped during Covid, weeks after releasing my first album.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Immigrating to a new country has its challenges along with life’s continuous learning curve, but the toughest thing I’ve experienced was in February 2019. My youngest son Toby passed away 3 weeks before his 1st birthday.
I was wrecked and immediately in survival mode, of course, completely blindsided by the loss. My wife, Lindsey, and I were introduced to navigating life overcome with grief while parenting our two other children Titus and Nora through the loss as well.
Thanks to an incredible community surrounding us, lots of counseling, and communication between Lindsey and I, our family was given the tools to survive our tragedy. I have never been the recipient of so much love, it felt as though we were carried by God and the people around us when all strength had been lost.
At the time of Toby’s passing, I was signed with a label. The writes that I already had scheduled became therapy sessions, literally music therapy. Grief can feel incredibly isolating and the songs that came from that season were unapologetic raw and honest.
I started playing open mics and writer rounds to get back into performing, I found myself sharing about the season I was in and then would play one or two of the songs I had written.
The conversations that people started having with me were incredible, It was as though I had given them permission to talk about their grief.
One night in particular, a lady told me of her daughter who had passed 16 years prior, a gentleman excused himself and said I haven’t lost a child but I just lost my dad. We stood in the side room of a bar listening and sharing stories of love and loss. That moment was incredible, it was like a sweet discovery that we weren’t alone, and that our grief was ok to talk about.
From out of our experience, and in honor of Toby, Lindsey and I started a nonprofit called The Toby Project (www.thetobyproject.com)
We provide support to families who have experienced infant loss due to SIDS/SUID.
The Toby Project will also include a musical and written expression. Eight of the songs I wrote after Toby’s passing are going to be recorded along with a Grief Journal. This will be available as a resource for people walking out grief in their live, hoping to remove some of the loneliness and isolation grief causes.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I enjoy singing and performing, but I would say something I’m proud of is the recognition songs I’ve written have received from various organizations. To name a few, The Bluebird Cafe, NSAI, The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Unsigned Only, and most recently TN Songwriters Week, along with a song of mine being placed in rotation on Kenny Chesney’s Sirius XM station, No Shoes Radio.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aaronbucks.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/bucksmusicofficial
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bucksmusicofficial
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bucksmusicoffic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/bucksmusicofficial
Image Credits
Hunter Berry
