Every so often, there is a creative, collaborative effort that transcends distance or culture, to bring forth something that captures the best of each artist and locale involved. The recent pairing of British alternative rock wonder Simon Bradshaw of Roja and WeatheredMan with international pop star and former Worlds Apart frontman Aaron Paul bespeaks just such an evocative production. Both vocalists are Englishmen, but Simon makes his home in Leeds, while Aaron is a transplanted Londoner now living in the New York City area. Their duet, which busted the Hot New Songs for 2018 chart on Spotify, is called Hand In My Pocket, and it just touched me in a way few songs have ever done. This deep, sensual melody kicks off Roja and WeatheredMan’s latest album, entitled C-30 Duets, Vol. 1, each track of which has a different artist joining Simon. Hand In My Pocket, however, exemplifies the bridging of literal and figurative oceans, and it called earnestly to my own creative spirit.
I had the privilege of working with Aaron in shooting his side of the song’s accompanying music video, and experiencing his creative process, including the way Aaron paid scrupulous attention to color and detail, working closely with Simon to get everything perfect. Simon is also a world-renowned performer, having played the iconic South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Texas last year, and electrifying viewers on the BBC’s popular UK's Best Part-Time Band series. Together, he and Aaron crafted a song that departs from the usual rock tradition, and evokes an erotic, yet uplifting feeling with its rhythmic, mellow bass line, and eclectic contrasting of Aaron’s highs, and Simon’s basso profundo. Watching the video, or listening to the song, you’d never know the two singers were separated by the North Atlantic.
Aaron is a real crowd-pleaser, nominated for honors in two Glammy Awards categories, for Best Male Performer, and Best Music Video (Every Life Matters, from the Electric Erotic Album. (You can watch, and vote for, that video here). His musical tributes to classics like Chaka Khan’s Ain't Nobody, and, more recently, Carl Douglas’ Kung Fu Fighting at a Bruce Lee tribute in Manhattan, have established Aaron as a diversely-talented entertainer. He’s also one of Us Weekly Magazine’s Fashion Police Top Cops, where he lends his unique perspective to today’s styles. The runway also beckons Aaron to host numerous New York Fashion Week shows each season, making him a fashionista to follow. Beyond Hand In My Pocket, Aaron is working on his next album, DANCE, scheduled for release in early 2018, continuing his self-expression through music, a staple of his long and fascinating career.
Simon and Aaron joined each other in a 3,000-mile musical handshake, and in so doing, taught me once again about the commonality music bestows upon us all. From creativity comes our varied cultures, and from our cultures, our civilization emerges. When I see artists like these two, stirring that magical thing inside us that music inevitably does, I’m reminded that for all the differences the world’s peoples place between each other, music still has the power to unify, to connect, and to knit us together in shared enjoyment of that which moves our hearts, and sets our toes tapping. As I watched this project evolve, I, too, was swept up in the merging of cultures and genres. It lifted me right out of my autumn funk, and had me looking “across the pond” with a smile…and my hands in my pockets!