Bemidji State University marketing major Aaron Clafton released his debut album Running Wild this week. The disc is a country album with all of the tracks written by Clafton.
Clafton started recording the album in September of 2014 at Bemidji’s Supple Studios.
“It was fun because I was able to record the songs as I wrote them,” Clafton says.
Fan and close friend, Kari Cooper is looking forward to the record’s impact.
“I know that it’s all his own songs, it’s fun, and it’s cool because this is the first time his friends and fans will hear his music with a full band as he usually sings and performs acoustically.”
Cooper has known Clafton since middle school when they were both living in Sauk Rapids, Minn.
“He writes all [of] his own music, and it’s inspired by his family and friends.”
One thing Clafton hears from other musicians is how CDs represent chapters of their lives — and he understands that better now at the end of his undergraduate career.
“I tell people this CD is like my BSU Chapter, I’ve done a lot of growing up these last four years and its gonna be cool to have this CD to look back on.”
Clafton is hoping to pursue a career in country music in Nashville. This is a long-term plan and if a career as a musician doesn’t work, Clafton wants to pursue some career within the country music industry.
“I think it’s going to be a great way for him to kickstart a professional music career,” says Cooper. “Hopefully this will give him a lot more exposure and an opportunity to reach more fans.”
Cara Mielke, another close friend of Clafton and a graduate student at Thomas Jefferson University thinks “Aaron is a little taste of all of your favorite classic country artists mixed in with what is big in country music today. Knowing how much time Aaron has spent working on this album I have high expectations,” she continues. “He puts his heart and soul into everything he does and I don’t expect anything less than his best work.”
Two launch parties for Running Wild and Clafton is planning on selling copies of the album at both for $10. He’s also looking into selling copies through his website.
One of the key songs on the album is My American Dream , for which an official music video was created.
Aaron Clafton – My American Dream (Official Music Video)
The video won third place in the 2015 Headwaters Film Festival and was directed by Bemidji State student Sam Moore.
Joe Vito Moubry is a business student at Vermilion Community College. He attended Bemidji State University for a writing degree and a liberal studies degree. Follow him on Twitter @ByJoeVito.