Aaron Cheney - Guitarist and Songwriter

Recording session, circa 1990.

the truth
I was born in the 1981. Well...I actually came into the world in 1968, but until 1981 I was still just basically incubating. That was the year I started playing guitar. It changed my life. Before then I was a nerd, a geek. Now I was a geek with a chick magnet...and I was ready to rock.

Being a guitarist in Seattle at that time was a fantastic experience. I grew up in the Skyway neighborhood, where the ghost of Jimi Hendrix walked the streets. The metal scene was huge, and guitarists ruled the airwaves. Percolating beneath it all were bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam; the beginnings of a backlash that would lead to grunge. My band practiced in my Mom's basement. I got to wear makeup on stage. Those were the days.

I practiced a lot, and was lucky enough to win a few guitar competitions. Soon I found myself doing session work for local studios. Because a given project could range anywhere from rock to country, I soon developed at least a passing familiarity with most genres and the ability to adapt quickly.

I became a studio rat - a junkie. I started recording at home, by whatever means I could afford. Back in the day that was a four-track cassette recorder, and later a reel-to-reel machine. As technology advanced it bacame a computer. All that recording led to a lot of songwriting, and all that songwriting led to country music - one of the few genres where an independant songwriter had any shot at commercial success. To my surprise I found I had a knack for it.

I started concentrating heavily on country songwriting, visiting Nashville and writing with whoever I could. To my great delight, I also discovered that Nashville was just silly with amazing guitarists. Who would have thought? At last my right brain (the songwriting side) and my left brain (the guitar geek side) were content.

I continue to write guitar-geek songs and play with various rock bands whenever I can. I have come full circle: after all these years I'm still just a nerd with a chick magnet. (Except the "magnet" thing doesn't work anymore.)

Recording session, circa 1990.	the truth I was born in the 1981. Well...I actually came into the world in 1968, but until 1981 I was still just basically incubating. That was the year I started playing guitar. It changed my life. Before then I was a nerd, a geek. Now I was a geek with a chick magnet...and I was ready to rock. Being a guitarist in Seattle at that time was a fantastic experience. I grew up in the Skyway neighborhood, where the ghost of Jimi Hendrix walked the streets. The metal scene was huge, and guitarists ruled the airwaves. Percolating beneath it all were bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam; the beginnings of a backlash that would lead to grunge. My band practiced in my Mom's basement. I got to wear makeup on stage. Those were the days. I practiced a lot, and was lucky enough to win a few guitar competitions. Soon I found myself doing session work for local studios. Because a given project could range anywhere from rock to country, I soon developed at least a passing familiarity with most genres and the ability to adapt quickly. I became a studio rat - a junkie. I started recording at home, by whatever means I could afford. Back in the day that was a four-track cassette recorder, and later a reel-to-reel machine. As technology advanced it bacame a computer. All that recording led to a lot of songwriting, and all that songwriting led to country music - one of the few genres where an independant songwriter had any shot at commercial success. To my surprise I found I had a knack for it. I started concentrating heavily on country songwriting, visiting Nashville and writing with whoever I could. To my great delight, I also discovered that Nashville was just silly with amazing guitarists. Who would have thought? At last my right brain (the songwriting side) and my left brain (the guitar geek side) were content. I continue to write guitar-geek songs and play with various rock bands whenever I can. I have come full circle: after all these years I'm still just a nerd with a chick magnet. (Except the "magnet" thing doesn't work anymore.)