“Against The Grain”

Photo by Austin Hargrave

Teenage guitar sensation AARON KEYLOCK has teamed up with Metal Shock Finland to premiere for Finland his official lyric video “Against The Grain”, taken from the debut album “Cut Against The Grain”, which will be released on January 20, 2017 on Mascot Label Group/Provogue.

Comments Tarja Virmakari, Metal Shock Finland‘s CEO/Founder/President:

“Metal Shock Finland is thrilled to premiere for Finland this absolutely great song and lyric video! Right from the first seconds “Against The Grain” talks about a very special talent! The guitar sensation, Aaron Keylock! To consider him today as “The new Bonamassa”, is not far from the reality, despite his young age. “Against The Grain” is a real pleasure for the ear!”

Watch the video “Against The Grain” here:

Before releasing an official single he has already been highly touted as one of the UKs hottest acts to watch out for; Kerrang! declared him the “New Solo Superstar” in the 2015 Fresh Blood List (Alongside PVRIS, Slaves, SHVPES, Qween Kwong & Knucklepuck); at Bloodstock 2014 Metal Hammer wrote “It’s ludicrous that someone as talented as Aaron Keylock is a mere 16 years old but if anyone can shred like Gary Moore, this young buck can.” Total Guitar called him one of 2016s ‘Ones to Watch’ after seeing him at Dot to Dot saying “TG caught his set and we walked away with our brain thoroughly melted”, Classic Rock included him in the Sounds of and Class of 2015 and have called him “blistering” and a “precocious talent”.

He picked up the guitar aged 8 and by the age of 11 he was rocking the clubs in his hometown, Oxford. Already a young road rock warrior with hundreds of shows under his belt; at age 12 he was arguing with club doormen who wouldn’t let him into venues he was booked to play, he performed at the historic Jazz Café and Alexandra Palace in London as well as the Ace Café. He’s played Biker rallies across the UK where Harley Davidsons would screech on the stage around him, filling the room with smoke during the gigs.

By the time he was 13 years old he was playing every night of the week and met modern guitar icon Joe Bonamassa who gave the young Aaron advice from his time as a young guitar hero; aged 14 he was bundled out of the backdoor of the Camden Blues Kitchen as the London Riots raged across the city; at 16 he supported US rockers Blackberry Smoke on their ‘Leave A Scar’ UK tour, bedding down in shops after each show with one night sleeping in a workshop surrounded by motorbikes, rifles, snakes and a 9 foot python.

The Bloodstock Festival crowd head-banged to Against The Grain in 2014 and at Download 2015 he played to a squeezed to capacity tent. Since then, he has gone back on tour with Blackberry Smoke for the 2016 ’Like An Arrow’ tour, been on the road with The Answer, The Cadillac Three, The Graveltones, Wilko Johnson, Joanne Shaw-Taylor and Dan Patlansky as well as blistering sets on the 2015 festival circuit at Dot to Dot and Ramblin’ Man.

The young gunslinger headed to LA to record Cut Against The Grain in 2016 with producer Fabrizio Grossi who has previously worked with Alice Cooper, Dave Navarro, Slash, Ice-T, George Clinton and Zakk Wylde. The album highlights a prodigious young British rock talent completely at one with his guitar, blasting out his first songs with a raw and powerful attitude. He showcases Americana tinged slide rock guitar in tracks such as Against The Grain, Down and Sun’s Gonna Shine whilst flashes of Gary Moore haunt the epic Just One Question and All The Right Moves.

Talking about the album Aaron reflects; “Just One Question was probably the first song I ever wrote when I was 13. Musically and lyrically it was just a blues song and it’s funny to think it’s still with me and that I’ve been playing it for almost 5 years!” Continuing he adds “Against the Grain was penned about 3 years ago now and has grown on the road; I had a Led Zeppelin style riff, mixed it with some Johnny Winter vibe and stamped my own style on it.”

Crowd favourite Medicine Man was the first song he ever demo-ed whilst the hints of Rory Gallagher on All The Right Moves is a lightning rocker that’s fast becoming a live favourite.

Down has 3 different time signatures and oozes positivity about keeping strong and believing in yourself, That’s Not Me was inspired by The Faces and No Matter What The Cost is an expressive nod towards the Allman Brothers . “I guess what I’ve always loved about Rock n’ Roll is that you’re free to express yourself in many ways and to use many guitar techniques to convey different emotions…My influences really vary!” he adds.

“Falling Again was a song I wrote about trying to find my way through rock n roll as a 16 year old kid and Try is about feeling lost and trying to find somewhere that felt like home. I guess growing up in a small village in Oxfordshire and being the one 70’s inspired long haired hippie kid kind of influenced me as songwriter trying to find something to say.”

Things have been building momentum and in Cut Against The Grain, Aaron Keylock is set to launch himself on the world full throttle.

“Cut Against The Grain” tracklist:
All The Right Moves
Down
Medicine Man
Falling Again
Just One Question
Against The Grain
That’s Not Me
Try
Spin The Bottle
Sun’s Gonna Shine
No Matter What The Cost

AARON KEYLOCK UK TOUR DATES

6th Oct – Warrington, Parr Hall w/Wilko Johnson
7th Oct – Sheffield, City Hall w/Wilko Johnson
8th Oct – Edinburgh, The Queens Hall w/Wilko Johnson
13th Oct – Salisbury, City Hall w/Wilko Johnson
14th Oct – Cambridge, Corn Exchange w/Wilko Johnson
15th Oct – Birmingham, Town Hall w/Wilko Johnson
16th Oct – Bristol, The Fleece w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
17th Oct – Worcester, Huntingdon Hall w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
20th Oct – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
21st Oct – Chester, Live Rooms w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
22nd Oct – Southport, The Atkinson w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
23rd Oct – Shrewsbury, Theatre Severn w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
26th Oct – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
27th Oct – Stockton-On-Tees, ARC, w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
28th Oct – Dunfermline, Carnegie Hall w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
29th Oct – Aberdeen, The Lemon Tree w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
31st Oct – Bury, The Met w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
2nd Nov – Southampton, The Brook w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
3rd Nov – Brighton, Komedia w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
4th Nov – Harpenden, Public Halls w/Joanne Shaw Taylor
5th Nov – Budry St Edmunds, The Apex w/Joanne Shaw Taylor

Planet Rock Roadstars Tour, w/SIMO & Federal Charm:
16th Nov – Southampton, Talking Heads
17th Nov – Brighton, The Haunt
18th Nov – Cardiff, The Globe
19th Nov – Leek, Foxlowe Arts Centre
21st Nov – Nottingham, The Bodega Social Club
22nd Nov – Wolverhampton, The Robin
23rd Nov – Bristol, The Tunnels
25th Nov – York, Fibbers w/SIMO
26 Nov – Crewe, The Box w/SIMO
27th Nov – Norwich, Waterfront
28th Nov – Sheffield, The Greystones
30th Nov – Newcastle, The Cluny
1st Dec – Glasgow, O2 ABC
2nd Dec – Edinburgh, The Mash House
3rd Dec – Manchester, The Deaf Institute
7th Dec – London, O2 Academy Islington