Under the name Godson, Aaron Johnson’s new EP has already been seen in stores online and on radio stations all over the world since its official release on May 13th, 2014. The album ‘Chilled Coffee’ is an all digital, instrumental acid jazz/hip hop EP with 10 original songs. His current work has over 20k plays, 275+ fans in over 40 countries with a strong base primarily in Europe and South America on Soundcloud alone.
Fans got a preview back in May when Johnson debuted the album’s trailer on YouTube: http://youtu.be/2m9H2WLKlus?list=UU6SKNkudhoVsVW3WVSMFadw Following the EP’s success, Johnson has set aside about 20-limited collections of his album on CD for fans or media requests.
Following the release, Johnson is finalizing the production of his EP’s first single, “Higher.” The single has already won the California edition of Coast2Coast’s ‘Hottest in the State 3’ mixtape contest which was announced on August 7th. “Higher” will boast its own music video online featuring Godson himself on his official YouTube page. The single’s pre-order date is set for September 9th and the official release date is September 22nd.
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NoHoartsdistrict.com likes to showcase local artists, so we took a few minutes to interview Aaron.
Tell us about about your training and work
I’m a 21-year-old California-native, illustrator, writer and producer whose passion has been noted as “walking the line between the cutting edge and the nostalgic.” I am not professionally trained but am self-taught. I produce mainly Jazz, Classical, Hip Hop, and R&B. My musical influences range from Quincy Jones to Rob Dougan and Nobuo Uematsu.
(Johnson is regularly collaborating with artists around the world. He has produced remixes of Top 40 tracks, as well as provided compositions for a short film “Friends Anyway” by James Whitley.)
Why do you like living in NoHo?
NoHo has great pads. Whether they’re apartments or townhouses! Seven years later, I can still say honestly, this is the best place we’ve ever lived. It’s smack dab in the middle a hundred incredible restaurants, pharmacies and grocery stores all within walking distance (it seems like we get a flier for a new take-out place every other week.)
Some Advice?
NoHo’s full of pro recording studios tailored for the indie budget, however, I couldn’t find a single one that wasn’t overbooked when I started working on my album over two years ago. (Word to the wise, make sure you reserve your spot in a studio before the summer time and before the holidays! If you’re anything like me, you realize that good music is only half the picture: I’m the kind of guy who works at his best with others, and the Arts District is full of talented artists who like to work outside of the box and experiment with non-mainstream genres. Well, maybe you’re not as reclusive as I am. It was in this city that I started to gain exposure but not necessarily ‘through’ the city itself. My fanbase is made of introspective, passionate and creative (if not alternative!) songwriters and music lovers. But my fan base is almost entirely digital. Up to this point, I never really put myself out there. A lot of it had to do with simply not thinking I was good enough. With opportunities in a city like this, that kind of neglect should be criminal!
For media inquiries regarding ‘Chilled Coffee’ EP, individuals are encouraged to contact Aaron Johnson directly at (818) 519-3822 or via email at aaronjohnsonGS@gmail.com. To learn more about the artist or to buy purchase the album, please visit: https://itunes.apple.com/album/id877652632