As a multi-instrumentalist and co-lead singer of Durand Jones & The Indications, Aaron Frazer has been touring the globe establishing himself as a leader in the Neo-Soul/R&B world through his songwriting and powerful, emotive falsetto. So much so it has attracted the attention of producer and Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach, who then signed Frazer to his Easy Eye Sound label.
“Aaron is so incredibly gifted,” says Auerbach. “It just hit so hard I reach out immediately after I heard ‘Is It Any Wonder.’ I love falsetto singing – there’s something so vulnerable about it.”
What ensued was a very quick, collaborative songwriting session, where in addition to himself and Frazer, Auerbach also brought in some legendary songwriters such as L. Russell Brown (“Knock Three Times,” “Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree”) to further push Frazer, who usually works much more deliberately, to challenge himself.
“Dan likes to have this writing process where you just let go and embrace the kind of pressure cooker environment that comes with extreme time limitation,” expresses Frazer. “So it was definitely scary to do some letting go and try to get in touch with that intuitive process.” That in-the-moment pressure continued into the recording, as Frazer’s solo debut, Introducing…, was knocked out in six-days in Auerbach’s Nashville studio.
The album that came out of those intense writing and recording sessions is nothing short of brilliant, with 12 quality tracks ranging from love songs to tunes reflecting Frazer’s social consciousness, that evoke stark emotion from the listener. Whether it’s the silky ’70s Soul of “You Don’t Wanna Be My Baby,” the Motown-influenced “Lover Girl” or the Pop-inflected “Ride With Me,” the songs on Aaron Frazer’s Introducing… reach inside and force you to feel, even during a casual listen. So much so that over 30 stations as diverse as KEXP, WTTS, Lightning 100, KXT and WNXP have felt compelled to put it on.
