Oxford’s Aaron Keylock has achieved a lot in his short time on this earth. Aged just 18 years old, Keylock has been herald as a teenage guitar sensation by many, and he’s got the plaudits to back it up. In recent years he’s graced various festivals including Download and Bloodstock and toured with the likes of The Answer and Blackberry Smoke.
Aaron has just released his debut album – ‘Cut Against The Grain’, and despite his age, it firmly harkens back classic rock ‘n’ roll. Tracks like ‘Medicine Man’ and ‘Down’ are carried with swagger. While ‘Falling Again’ and ‘Against The Grain’ ride a wave of Americana.
With ‘Cut Against The Grain’ being partly an homage to various axeman that came before him, we spoke to Aaron about five inspirational albums.
Follow us on Spotify for more playlists.
Led Zeppelin – Physical Graffiti
I’ve always loved Jimmy Page as a guitarist. He’s one of those guys that as soon as he plays a note you know it’s him. But the whole band are all amazing musicians and great songwriters which was a huge thing to me! I always thought ‘Physical Graffiti’ was the album where they started to explore other areas. Jimmy was adding little jazzy chord patterns in with great melodies and every song on the album is awesome!
Aerosmith – Rocks
I love all the early Aerosmith records! They all had such a strong identity and sound of their own. The riffs were all huge and the songs were so brilliantly put together. ‘Rocks’ to me, was their own ‘Exile On Main Street’ (Rolling Stones).
Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction
‘Appetite For Destruction’ was probably the first album that got me into music and I still love it! From the first riff of ‘Welcome To The Jungle’, it’s just non-stop! They were everything that rock n roll should be. Honest, uncompromising and true to what they believed in.
The Black Crowes – Southern Harmony And Musical Companion
The time I knew I wanted to play music professionally and make records was when I saw The Black Crowes at Brixton Academy when I was 10. I’ve always loved the band and this has always been my favourite record of theirs. They really found their own sound and vibe on this album. I’ve always loved Chris Robinson’s lyrics. Rich Robinson and Marc Ford are also one of my favourite guitar teams; they just had such a good connection!
Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath
Early Black Sabbath is a great period of music that I’m really glad I found. It’s raw, real and everything rock and roll should be. They had a sound that was truly their own. This is the first record that got me into them so it’s always been my favourite!
‘Cut Against the Grain’ by Aaron Keylock is out now on Provogue/Mascot Label Group.
