Arden, North Carolina (March 31, 2020) — Aaron Burdett’s most recent single “Rockefeller” has been named a finalist in the 2020 MerleFest Chris Austin Songwriting Contest’s bluegrass category. The song from the North Carolina singer and songwriter is part satire, part comedy, peppered with a dash of protest. Above all, it’s a vivid look at the working class mindset of a character staring out at a world they feel both alienated from and at peace with.
“MerleFest has always been a towering giant in the roots music world I am immersed in, and I’ve admired the Chris Austin songwriting contest since long before I was a professional musician or was even really writing songs,” says Burdett. “It’s a true honor to be invited into that community of artists and creators and allowed to provide some of my own work to a scene that’s given me so much over the years. I am grateful.”
The Chris Austin Songwriting Contest allows up and coming songwriters to have their work considered by music industry professionals and serves to give talented songwriters exposure. Typically, finalists perform for a panel at MerleFest, but due to the festival’s cancellation this year, the 2020 finals won’t take place until 2021.
“Rockefeller,” released in the fall, is the first of several singles to come from Burdett, whose music is suffused with the sturdy spirit, sense of place and deep creative traditions of his native Western North Carolina.
Listen to “Rockefeller” HERE, and follow Aaron Burdett on Spotify to get alerts about new music, coming soon.
About Aaron Burdett
Creating music isn’t a means to an end, it is an end with a meaning for Aaron Burdett. Writing and creating songs is rooted somewhere deep in his psyche; it’s something that can’t be denied and must be shared. His lyrics are soul-touching, intelligent, witty, and poetic all at once, while his music style is a seamless blend of Americana, country, blues, bluegrass, and folk-rock that cohesively creates a story. The result is a distinctive, personal approach that’s earned him a growing list of accolades, from winning Our State Magazine’s Carolina Songs competition in 2012 with “Going Home to Carolina” to inclusion on WNC Magazine’s list of the top 10 most important musicians of western North Carolina, alongside such greats as Doc Watson, the Steep Canyon Rangers, and the Avett Brothers.