Influenza with Aaron Booth Part Two

Approach Influenza as a series which serves to help give insight as to where music is born; these are the thoughts, influences and the inspirations directly from the mind of the artists. In this, the second with Aaron Booth, the Calgary-based singer discusses his change from a cognitive musician into that of an artist. After describing the transformation he took through his adolescent years Booth concludes by relating his process to a child who seemingly learns to talk a moment after muttering unintelligible nonsense.

On “Same Thing After All”:

I’ve always struggled to reconcile a dual identity between my scientist brain and artist heart, but somehow they have managed to be friends. Even though I’ve played music since I was seven years old, it took until I was well into my adulthood for me to discover my own voice. I loved playing and listening to music as a kid and teenager but to me, the idea of “making” music was something that other people did and so rather than make music, I approached music like a scientist when I was young. Understanding its structure and rules was my main concern. I felt I wasn’t worthy of making music without developing this knowledge first. Most of my time was spent listening to pop, rock and classical songs to figure out what made them tick.

The epiphany to cross the psychological threshold from music “scientist” to “artist” came one afternoon while working a labour job in my late teens. A switch went off in my head and I heard a voice saying “go and buy a guitar.” I hadn’t played guitar since I was a child, having rather messed around with piano most of my life. At the end of my shift, I bought a guitar, went home and then played without stopping for 18 hours. Then I played it for another 18 hours the next day. And the next… I was possessed (and soon lost my job). I felt a big world opening up through this new instrument: a world of songs. Soon came the 4-track recorder and the ensuing flood of writing and recording that’s carried me to this day. I don’t know what created the moment of realization. Perhaps after a lifetime of absorbing sound and musical information my subconscious was just ready to make sense of it all and start “talking.” Like a child can switch from babbling to speaking full sentences in a single day. It was like that. “Same Thing After All” tells the story of my life long battle of scientist brain and artist heart. Annalea Sordi of Woodpigeon wonderfully sings the harmonies.

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Also: Influenza with Aaron Booth Part One