Aydan

Aydan has burst onto the Australian music scene as a Grand Finalist in the Voice 2018 season. With blistering pop performances and killer choreography this young star can clearly do it all. He has captured a youth pop market and is ready to take his talent to the top! Aydan has spent years honing his show and brings a very special all ages performance to audiences in Adelaide playing The Governor Hindmarsh this Saturday in a matinee show. His tickets have sold out across the country so get yours quick and bring your friends. Aydan’s show is totally off the hook and he is excited to do what he does best. I spoke to Aydan about his experience on The Voice and how work has gone on his debut album.

Congratulations with what you achieved on The Voice, it must have felt like a whirlwind experience?
Yeah, it definitely was!

Did you think you life would have changed as much as it has as a result of being on the show?
I definitely didn’t, I thought it was going to be a chance for me to further my craft but has proved to be more of a milestone in my life. It has changed it entirely to the point where I can gig more and perform more just doing what I love. It is definitely unexpected and I’m really happy with the way it has gone.

Since the show has finished have you had a chance to stop and think about what you’ve done?
Straight after the show it was hit the ground running as soon as you come off. It was work, work, work and to promote these shows. In between I did have some down time to regroup and lay in bed, play video games and just do some teenage guy things which was good as I needed that. I’m back in the swing of hard work now.

Has it taken a bit of adjusting being more recognisable on the street now?
It definitely has! I have been doing music for a long time and I was on TV when I was eleven years old so people recognise me from back then. It probably has become more of normal thing now but on a larger scale now than it ever has been. There’s a lot more people of different ages, it definitely needs to sink in a bit more.

What stood out most for you from The Voice experience?
Singing with Joe was a lot of fun, that was a stand out moment for me because that was the first time I had sung with an international star, that was a huge moment. The last grand final performance that I did a Bruno Mars song, he’s one of my favourite singers, it was a big moment getting up on stage thinking I’m here there’s nothing more I can do but have fun. I let loose and had a good time with that not thinking about the nerves or getting eliminated. The whole Grand Final week was a stand out for me.

How was it being mentored by an international superstar like Joe Jonas?
It was really amazing to work with Joe, he’s such a nice guy and down to Earth, which is really reassuring when you see someone like that and all his accomplishments just being a normal guy at heart. He gave me a lot of tips and a lot of tricks that I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life and singing career. I wouldn’t have it any other way, it was amazing.

What was the biggest lesson learned from Joe Jonas?
The biggest lesson learned from Joe was to have fun on stage and don’t take it to seriously because it doesn’t last forever, enjoy the moments when you can and as much as you can. That was a big thing for me going in to The Voice because I was taking it really seriously and that this could be big for me. The more I worked with Joe the more he told me not to worry about all of that trivial stuff because when you are on stage, do your thing, have fun and let all that stuff happen later. That was a huge thing for me letting go and having some fun.

Have you been able to keep in touch since the show? Maybe tour with him in the US?
That would be huge! We’re still in contact and message each other now and then, we both have our own lives going on, both really busy, but still keep in contact with a hey how are you going? To support on one of his shows would be crazy, we’ll have to see what happens with that. It’s not impossible but I’ll see if I can make it happen.

What was it really like backstage with all the other contestants?
It was a really supportive environment, all of us especially when it got down to the top twelve and the live shows we spent a lot more time together. There was no rivalry or anything like that. It was really supportive as we’re all musicians and we’ve all grown up with music which is cool because that was a new environment for me moving away from school and playing sport. Walking in to a room with eleven other people in there who are all aspiring musicians is whole different vibe. I’ve still got plenty of friends from the show that I have kept and will keep for a very long time.

How’s work going on the album?
I’ve been working on a lot writing with Universal and we’re going to try and put some things together. There is a single in the works right now with a release date to be confirmed. It will be sooner than you would expect.

Did you realise how much work goes in to making an album?
I knew it would be hard work but I had no idea what it would be like, obviously I’m not the biggest song writer more a performing type of guy. It is cool getting in the studio to see what it takes to write these songs with other artists. I didn’t expect it and now that it is here I have so much respect for these artists who go in the studio and write their songs and produce their own albums. It is a lot of work to perfect something that you are creating.

Have you had a chance to write some of your own songs for the album?
I have the chance to write and work with some amazing writers to put some songs together for it. There’s definitely a learning curve to go with that as I haven’t had a lot of experience but I love doing that creative stuff. I’m definitely putting in a lot of hard work to get this thing going. The hard work starts now. Since the show it has been hit the ground running, the show was the warm up before the life long marathon. Now that I’ve started I’m on my way.

Are you looking forward to getting out there and playing these upcoming shows?
Oh yeah! I’ve played my Melbourne show and it was the most fun I’ve ever had, it was crazy, the crowd were so supportive and singing along. It was great fun to see something that we have put together. We’re doing a lot of the songs from The Voice and adding a few new ones. I’ll be singing the single but as for the stuff we’re writing we’re keeping that close to us and release it when it’s totally finished.

Interview by Rob Lyon

Catch Aydan at The Gov on Saturday 8 September…