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Aaron Bleiweiss: has guitar, has traveled
Seattle native takes Twists and Turns to assemble local all-stars
Aaron Bleiweiss: still strumming the Strat he scored back in the day.
A certain singer for a certain world-famous group spent his childhood in San Diego before flying 1263.5 miles north to fame and fortune in Seattle. Aaron Bleiweiss, late of the funky group On The One, came the other way, maybe to balance things out. “I’m actually a Seattle native,” admits the singer-songwriter, whose new album Twists and Turns hit in September. “Growing up in Seattle, grunge had a major influence on me, as did classic rock. Bands like Nirvana with Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s Ten, Screaming Trees’ Sweet Oblivion, Alice in Chains’ Facelift, Sweet Water, Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced?, Led Zeppelin’s I-IV, and The Allman Brothers’ Eat a Peach were all on heavy rotation in my early years. Those albums really lit the fire for me and got me excited about picking up a guitar.”
His classical-pianist Mom got him lessons on her instrument; Bleiweiss stuck with that from age four or five up until fifth grade. “At that point, I switched to guitar because I felt a stronger connection to it, especially since it was one of the things that really drew me into the music I was listening to at the time. I still remember going down to a store called American Music with my Mom. She bought me my first guitar, a black-and-white Fender Stratocaster, which I still have and play today. I took weekly lessons throughout high school, but I didn’t play as much during college. It wasn’t until I headed off to music school in LA for a few years that things got really serious for me.”
In San Diego, he took the Strat through On the One, StarShak, and Anthony Smith’s Trunk Fulla Funk. Then came a stretch back East, a sharp contrast to Left Coast life. “I lived in Brooklyn, both in Williamsburg and South Williamsburg, from 2013 to 2021. I used to walk about seven miles a day to and from work, unless there was a crazy storm. During those walks, I’d listen to podcasts or new music, often getting lost in the city. Even though I generally took the same route, I always stumbled upon something new, whether it was a piece of graffiti on a wall or a store I’d never noticed before. There’s always something to do and a new place to explore, which really inspired and energized me during that time. With music all around me, I probably attended three or four shows a month on average.”
In Brooklyn, he took the leap into writing fresh material, and the tunes on Twists and Turns progressed from there. But returning to San Diego, he insists, “brought a different kind of inspiration. The city’s more laid-back pace and fresh perspective have sparked new creative directions. I’ve found that inspiration is still abundant; it’s just a matter of viewing it through a new lens.”
He cut Twists and Turns around town, including Big Fish Recording in Encinitas, his own home, and “a studio that used to be next to San Diego Audio Design.” His old boss Anthony Smith helped produce. He also thanks his players, most of whom are from San Diego, including Anthony Smith, John Staten, Kevin Freeby, Ken Dow, Sean Hurley, Rebecca Jade, Durell Anthony, Leonard Patton, Dan Hochhalter, Derek Cannon, Gerard Nolan, Kevin Esposito, and Alex Vargas.
Asked how he goes about weaving together song genres, he says that’s “just what naturally came out as I started writing. I never set out to specifically create a funk tune or a bluegrass song. Honestly, everything was challenging. I had never done this before, so all the final decisions rested on my shoulders. Like anything new, there was a lot to learn. It felt like putting together a puzzle, searching for different pieces that fit just right. Once I assembled my dream team, everything started to fall into place over time. The songs evolved as I worked on this project for about five years.”
A proud LP nerd, Bleiweiss loves to sort through the stacks, giving shout-outs to local vinyl retailers M-Theory, Folk Arts, Vinyl Junkies, and Cow Records. “To me, there’s something special about the story, the art, and the lyrics. Vinyl allows you to explore those elements. So, when I decided to put my album out, I wanted to include the lyrics and some photos, and vinyl seemed like the perfect way to do that. Nobody buys CDs anymore, so vinyl is also a great way to support an artist.”
And yes, he’s still spinning Eat A Peach.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Aaron Bleiweiss: has guitar, has traveled
Seattle native takes Twists and Turns to assemble local all-stars
Aaron Bleiweiss: has guitar, has traveled
Seattle native takes Twists and Turns to assemble local all-stars
Aaron Bleiweiss: still strumming the Strat he scored back in the day.
A certain singer for a certain world-famous group spent his childhood in San Diego before flying 1263.5 miles north to fame and fortune in Seattle. Aaron Bleiweiss, late of the funky group On The One, came the other way, maybe to balance things out. “I’m actually a Seattle native,” admits the singer-songwriter, whose new album Twists and Turns hit in September. “Growing up in Seattle, grunge had a major influence on me, as did classic rock. Bands like Nirvana with Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s Ten, Screaming Trees’ Sweet Oblivion, Alice in Chains’ Facelift, Sweet Water, Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced?, Led Zeppelin’s I-IV, and The Allman Brothers’ Eat a Peach were all on heavy rotation in my early years. Those albums really lit the fire for me and got me excited about picking up a guitar.”
His classical-pianist Mom got him lessons on her instrument; Bleiweiss stuck with that from age four or five up until fifth grade. “At that point, I switched to guitar because I felt a stronger connection to it, especially since it was one of the things that really drew me into the music I was listening to at the time. I still remember going down to a store called American Music with my Mom. She bought me my first guitar, a black-and-white Fender Stratocaster, which I still have and play today. I took weekly lessons throughout high school, but I didn’t play as much during college. It wasn’t until I headed off to music school in LA for a few years that things got really serious for me.”
In San Diego, he took the Strat through On the One, StarShak, and Anthony Smith’s Trunk Fulla Funk. Then came a stretch back East, a sharp contrast to Left Coast life. “I lived in Brooklyn, both in Williamsburg and South Williamsburg, from 2013 to 2021. I used to walk about seven miles a day to and from work, unless there was a crazy storm. During those walks, I’d listen to podcasts or new music, often getting lost in the city. Even though I generally took the same route, I always stumbled upon something new, whether it was a piece of graffiti on a wall or a store I’d never noticed before. There’s always something to do and a new place to explore, which really inspired and energized me during that time. With music all around me, I probably attended three or four shows a month on average.”
In Brooklyn, he took the leap into writing fresh material, and the tunes on Twists and Turns progressed from there. But returning to San Diego, he insists, “brought a different kind of inspiration. The city’s more laid-back pace and fresh perspective have sparked new creative directions. I’ve found that inspiration is still abundant; it’s just a matter of viewing it through a new lens.”
He cut Twists and Turns around town, including Big Fish Recording in Encinitas, his own home, and “a studio that used to be next to San Diego Audio Design.” His old boss Anthony Smith helped produce. He also thanks his players, most of whom are from San Diego, including Anthony Smith, John Staten, Kevin Freeby, Ken Dow, Sean Hurley, Rebecca Jade, Durell Anthony, Leonard Patton, Dan Hochhalter, Derek Cannon, Gerard Nolan, Kevin Esposito, and Alex Vargas.
Asked how he goes about weaving together song genres, he says that’s “just what naturally came out as I started writing. I never set out to specifically create a funk tune or a bluegrass song. Honestly, everything was challenging. I had never done this before, so all the final decisions rested on my shoulders. Like anything new, there was a lot to learn. It felt like putting together a puzzle, searching for different pieces that fit just right. Once I assembled my dream team, everything started to fall into place over time. The songs evolved as I worked on this project for about five years.”
A proud LP nerd, Bleiweiss loves to sort through the stacks, giving shout-outs to local vinyl retailers M-Theory, Folk Arts, Vinyl Junkies, and Cow Records. “To me, there’s something special about the story, the art, and the lyrics. Vinyl allows you to explore those elements. So, when I decided to put my album out, I wanted to include the lyrics and some photos, and vinyl seemed like the perfect way to do that. Nobody buys CDs anymore, so vinyl is also a great way to support an artist.”
And yes, he’s still spinning Eat A Peach.
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