For all the good things that have come Aaron Pritchett’s way the past few years, for all the accolades and awards, the airplay, the video play and the fans showing up everywhere he goes; for all that and the mere fact he can make a living at this music thing, he takes none of it for granted.
And it’s for all that he decided to call his new, fourth album Thankful. It’s the best thing he’s ever done, he thinks, and he’s right. It is. But there’s more than a touch of angel-dust serendipity that gives it life.
The exponential growth of Pritchett’s career is the result of a lot of solid planning and arduous work. He’s tenacious as a pit bull, is Aaron. But there was a time, and not so long ago, when he’d actually quit the business. Kaput. Outta here.
“Believe me, I was done,” he says. “We were still playing clubs but I couldn’t make any money and that’s not where I saw my future; my future was touring as a major act through Canada and hopefully into the States. I said in October 2003, if it’s still like this by December I’m quitting as of the first of January. So we were done.
“And the next day, January 2nd 2004, the video for “New Frontier” went to number one and I got all these bookings coming in literally that week. From that moment everything changed.”
And like spring follows winter, the nominations and awards started coming in too. He and the band were knocking audiences out from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island, slamming it every night, and by now it was a question of maintaining the momentum.
Big Wheel, the third album after Somethin’ Goin’ On – home of “New Frontier” – and the debut Consider This, managed that superlatively. From the title “Big Wheel” and “Done You Wrong” to the rabble-rousing, suds-spilling, barroom anthem and the Canadian Country Music Association’s SOCAN Song Of The Year, “Hold My Beer”, Pritchett and Big Wheel had kicked down the barn door.
Now with Thankful he’s taking the time to pause and take stock a bit, smell the roses. “Yeah, it’s reflective,” he says, “a little more introspective. Instead of worrying about writing another “Big Wheel” I needed to write something more reflective on my life and me as a person. And I didn’t put the pressure on myself, I wanted to write because I wanted to, not because I needed to.”
There’s the lush, panoramic testament to the power of love in “After The Rain”, the anthemic, exhilarating “How Do I Get There” with a put-the-top-down rhythm like a set of all season radials rolling fast and hard down a ribbon of blacktop while the declarative “Unravelling” is the heartland tune Bob Seger or Mellencamp would have pounded their chests and thanked the Song Gods for.
Then there’s “Hell Bent For Buffalo”, the hard rolling tale of the guy driving his rig through a winter squall to get to his lover. “Hard To Miss” is about the head turning beauty the protagonist can’t get over. “Nothing But Us” is the paean to shutting the front door on the world and unplugging for a while. On the flip side, we all know “Let’s Get Rowdy”, the call to party arms for all the college girls and cowboys.
The sound on Thankful is rich and driving, immediately infectious, thanks to the collective production efforts of The Franchise: Aaron himself, his guitarist/sidekick/strategist Mitch Merrett, multi-instrumentalist Mike Norman and studio wiz Dean Maher who has shared control rooms with everybody from Bryan Adams and Michael Buble to AC/DC. Now there’s a team to make a great record.
But none of it would matter without the fans to embrace it, to make it part of their lives. That’s the point that has been driven home continually for Aaron Pritchett one electrifying performance after another ever since that pivotal January 2nd just a few years ago. And he hasn’t forgotten.
“It sounds so corny sometimes but it’s honestly true,” he says quietly. “The help of fans wanting us to play and coming to see the shows is what’s kept me in the industry. This album really is a tribute to them. If I didn’t have them I wouldn’t have anything. I really am extremely thankful.”
Hey Aaron, when you coming back to Ontario I would love to see you again. Parry Sound was awsome when you were there. Let me know I hope some time in 2010. Keep me in mind for you next tour. Love you and your work. Keep it up. xoxo
Hey Aaron Hope you are feeling a whole lot better now, the flu can knock the stuffing out of you. Congrats on the Album of the Year, it is definately is the best. Just like all of your music. Patricia
Howdy AP! Hope you're doing well. I finally found a copy of Consider This available at Amazon.ca - ordered it Wed, had it by Thurs! I've been listening to it ever since. My favorite song is Perfectly Blue, and my second fave is What Some People Throw Away. Thanks for the music - it helps me get thru my day. Take care! ~Gini in CT~
HI Aaron, we have the results of the charity auction you participated in - you can read about the results at our blog here on myspace for more info - we raised enough donation money through the auction to outfit a school classroom in a developing country.
thank you so much for participating in this with us, and thanks to to your mgmt team who really got behind this too! it was a pleasure working with you.
To All Aaron Fans. I have a fan group on Facebook. I need all Aaron fans to come in and Join. The group is called Aaron Pritchett is the best country singer from BC. Right know I have 33 memebers.
I need more people in the group. The picture of Aaron so you know it is the right group is the CD cover for Thankful. I want this group to be the best Aaron Pritchett group with all his fan in it.
Aaron Thank you for approving my Aaron page on My Space. That ment alot to me. I hope all your friends and fans will come into mine and join. It was nice seeing you all at the commodore on Sept 10th. Got some good pictures. Hope the tour is going well.
Hope to chat with you next weekend during the BCCMAs. Congrats on all the nominations and good luck!!
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