Conversations with Aaron Chesling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Chesling.

Hi Aaron, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
First off, thank you for chatting with me, love to tell my story. Here is the very brief version of a very long road, definitely plenty of stories But first, my name is Aaron Chesling, I’m happily married with 2 young boys and a dog, we live in west Nashville.

My family has been my biggest supporters, without them Im not sure where I would end up, so I’m very thankful. I grew up in a blue collar family in rural Iowa out on a farm in a town called Muscatine. Growing up I played sports but eventually was drawn to music, guitar specifically, once I started playing I couldn’t put the thing down. A few of my guitar hero’s have always been, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Gary Moore, Brent Mason and Mark Tremonti After getting a grip on playing, I decided to play in some bands which lead to my decision to pursue music as a career. After high school, I attained 2 degrees from Mcnally Smith College of Music (MN) where I studied guitar and business. During those years I studied theory, production and also toured the country with bands during the summers. When we got off the road I chased down work wherever I could find it. I drove tractors, was a welder and mow lawns when I could. One particular summer, I was fortunate enough to tour with the Billy Graham Organization.

Fast forward to a year after graduating I started a country band (The Last Ride, disbanded in 2014) where I started to learn the recording, songwriting and networking process. Once we had a record we started pursuing tours, radio and of course the biggest stages we could land. My band years I learned a lot about working musicians and the sacrifice this business really requires to pursue something big. Some of the bands accolades include song placements on ESPN, Films, Video games and opening for several of Nashville biggest stars which as a young musician was very exciting.

In 2014, I took a leap of faith and move to Nashville to pursue the record business. I always loved and do love performing but I wanted to pursue the business side, I always found it fascinating. While still actively writing and recording, I took every opportunity I could find. I was very lucky to have landed a small role as logistics coordinator with Big Machine Label Group, who needs no introduction. To say the least, I was thankful to have work let alone landing a spot on a winning team. I went from boring days working labor jobs to red carpets and premieres, something I was never used to. The boring labor job I had before was indeed my key, as they need someone who knew shipping, receiving and frankly knew how to drive a forklift, the experience I felt might have been useless was indeed my ticket. This was my initial foot in the door. I learned a lot about the Nashville culture, name dropping hahaha and how hard some of the artists have to work to get to the finish line. It was at this time I was starting to find my ultimate path, paying the bills and raising a family being a record producer.

Moving forward I was fortunate enough to work with Joe Diffie as his A&R, a true memory I will cherish forever. During that time, visits to the Opry and beyond, I met a lot of talented folks I really rely on now. Fellow producers, mentors, managers, artists, publicists and beyond have been very important to navigating Nashville, and I’m still learning after almost 8 years. I have worked in and out of the record label and recording producing business for over 5 years since moving here. In 2020 (current) I launched my very own boutique indie label (Asphalt Music Group), which has been a really exciting passion project in between records. As of now I have a handful of records Im producing and am very excited about the future.

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?
It has been a wild ride but, It has never been smooth, it’s a tough business. Some of the challenges without getting too nitty gritty is this business is a very self centered one. Everyone is climbing, competing for a job, a record deal or comparing this sound to the other, I’ve seen positions stolen, credits excluded due to a funds and sometimes the legal process can be hairy. And finally not to mention world events and pandemics clearly are big monkey wrenches as well, its a fickle business but a business that ultimately brings joy when stars aline. It indeed can take a toll on an even the strongest person. But, we do it because we love the chase, the sacrifice, the wins, the “what if” story.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a producer and songwriter. I track out of my home or will utilize the larger studios as well with full bands. Most of my focus is in the country spectrum, but lately, I have been doing a few one off rock and lo-fi records as well. You can see my credits on my website https://www.aaronchesling.com/discography or AllMusic.com.

How do you think about luck?
While I do believe there are some crazy success stories that may appear to have been impacted by a stroke of luck, I am a believer in prayer, hard work and truly believe that there is power in that. I believe God has a plan for everyone.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.aaronchesling.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaaronchesling/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aaroncheslingmusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AaronChesling1
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/asphaltmusicgroup
• Other: www.asphaltmusicgrp.com

Image Credits
Kayla Schoen