Aaron Lee Tasjan (born August 24, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Tasjan is reported to have his own distinct version of "indie folk grit." Garret Woodward of the Smoky Mountain News says, "Tasjan's words are soaked in spilled whiskey, misunderstood tears and dusty memories. Each number seeps into the cracks of your troubled soul." Tasjan earned a 2022 Grammy Award Best American Roots Song nomination for the song "Diamond Studded Shoes".

Biography

Tasjan was born in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

. His family moved to

San Juan Capistrano, California San Juan Capistrano (also known colloquially as San Juan or SJC) is a city in southern Orange County, California, United States. The population was 35,253 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census. Named for Saint John of Capistrano, San Ju ...

, when he was ten years old, then later moved to

New Albany, Ohio New Albany is a City (United States), city in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is located northeast of the state capital of Columbus, Ohio, Columbus. Most of the city is located in Franklin County, Ohio, Franklin County and a small portion extends i ...

, about 25 minutes northeast of Columbus. Both of Tasjan's parents are musicians, but neither played professionally. Tasjan taught himself to play guitar at age 11 by learning

Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment Peter Yarrow Peter Yarrow (May 31, 1938 – January 7, 2025) was an American singer and songwriter who found fame as a member of the 1960s folk music, folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary along with Paul Stookey and Mary Travers. Yarrow co-wrote (with Lenny Lipton ...

and been the recipient of the Outstanding Guitarist Award in the

Essentially Ellington Competition The Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival is an annual high school jazz festival and competition that takes place every May at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. The festival is aimed at encouraging young musician ...

Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz at Lincoln Center is an organization based in New York City. Part of Lincoln Center, the organization was founded in 1987 and opened at Time Warner Center (now Deutsche Bank Center) in October 2004. The organization seeks to “represent th ...

, New York City. He was offered a full scholarship to the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

following his graduation from New Albany High School, but decided instead to move to

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York in 2006. In New York, Tasjan met Justin Tranter, Cole Whittle, and Dan Crean and formed the band Semi Precious Weapons. Tasjan's work with SPW caught the eye of Drivin' N' Cryin's

Kevn Kinney Kevin Kinney, known professionally as Kevn Kinney (born March 12, 1961),"The Baseball Project at Wux ...

, who later invited Tasjan to tour with him as an opening act and guitar player. He also mentored Tasjan, advising him that a musician never has to be defined by one sound or genre. This principle has helped shape Tasjan's work.

Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...

produced SPW's debut album, ''We Love You,'' and they signed with Razor & Tie Records. Shortly thereafter, Tasjan left SPW and formed his own band, The Madison Square Gardeners, which was described by ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...

'' as, "The best NYC has to offer." Tasjan remained with them for three years, during which time they recorded one full-length album and 3 EPs. In 2013 Tasjan moved to

Nashville, TN Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

to focus on songwriting and a solo career. He has since released 2 EPs, "Crooked River Burning" and "Telling Stories to the Wall". Tasjan's debut full-length effort, ''In the Blazes'', was released on October 6, 2015, and his follow-up, ''Silver Tears'', was released October 28, 2016. Tasjan earned a 2022 Grammy Award Best American Roots Song nomination for the song "Diamond Studded Shoes".

Collaborations

Tasjan linked up with rock poet—and former Semi Precious Weapons manager—BP Fallon to write the song ''I Believe in Elvis Presley,'' produced by

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975) is an American musician who achieved international fame as the guitarist and lead singer of the rock duo the White Stripes. As the White Stripes disbanded, he sought success with his solo career, subse ...

, and released on the

Third Man Records Third Man Records is an eclectic, vinyl-focused independent record label founded and owned by Jack White, Ben Blackwell, and Ben Swank. The company operates out of three locations—Nashville, Detroit, and Soho in London—with multiple entitie ...

label. The pair also collaborated with

Sean Lennon is a British-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tige ...

and Irina Lazareanu in their art-rock band, Operation Juliet. In 2013 Fallon and Tasjan formed another project, BP Fallon & The Bandits, which included

Clem Burke Clement Anthony Burke (né Bozewski; November 24, 1954 – April 6, 2025) was an American musician best known as the drummer for the band Blondie. He joined the band shortly after its formation in 1975 and remained with Blondie throughout the b ...

, Ian McLagan, and

Nigel Harrison Nigel Harrison (born 24 April 1951) is an English musician. Harrison spent several years as the bassist of the American rock band Blondie during the 1970s and 1980s. Life and career Harrison grew up in Princes Risborough, a small town in the ...

. Texas Country superstar

Pat Green Patrick Craven Green (born April 5, 1972) is an American country artist. Active since 1995, he has recorded a total of seven studio albums, including three for Republic Records and two for BNA Records, BNA. Fifteen of his singles have charted on ...

recorded Tasjan's "Streets of Galilee," for the album ''Songs We Wish We'd Written 2,'' and was so impressed by the songwriter that he asked Tasjan to record the song with him. The record later reached number 15 on the US Country Billboard Charts. ''Highway Prayer: A Tribute to Adam Carroll'', released in late fall 2016 on Austin-based Eight 30 Records, features Tasjan and fellow East Nashvillian Tim Easton collaborating on Carroll's "Black Flag Blues." Tasjan also released a 7” with Lilly Hiatt on

. Tasjan and Hiatt later collaborated on

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

's Walls, released the week of Petty's passing.

Discography

* ''Hard Love and Free Luck'' (2008) * ''August Moon'' EP (2011) * ''The Thinking Man's Filth'' EP (2012) * ''Crooked River Burning'' EP (2014) * ''Telling Stories to the Wall'' EP (2015) * ''In the Blazes'' (2015) * ''Silver Tears'' (2016) * ''Karma for Cheap'' (2018) * ''Karma for Cheap: Reincarnated'' (2019) * ''Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan!'' (2021) * ‘’Stellar Evolution’’ (2024)

Singles

* Luck Mansion Sessions (2017)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tasjan, Aaron Lee Living people American rock songwriters American acoustic guitarists American male guitarists American folk guitarists American rock guitarists American rock singers American folk singers Singer-songwriters from Ohio People from New Albany, Ohio 21st-century American singer-songwriters American male singer-songwriters 21st-century American guitarists Guitarists from Ohio 21st-century American male singers Semi Precious Weapons members 1986 births