Aaron Fink has recorded a lot of music. His musicianship is on display in tracks from Lifer, Breaking Benjamin and Stardog Champion, but when Fink set out to record his first solo album the guitarist had to wander into uncharted territory: lead vocals. With the recording sessions for 2015’s “Saint Sylvania” behind him, Fink entered the studio to record what would become his second solo release, “Heavy Feathers.”
“This time around I was a little more confident as a singer because that was kind of a new venture for me,” Fink said.
Fink took those years of experience playing guitar and his new found confidence behind the microphone into the studio to do one thing: chase a good rock song.
“I like all kinds of music but at the end of the day I always come back to a good rock song,” Fink said. “That’s kind of what I’m chasing down. There’s a lot of diversity (on “Heavy Feathers”). I don’t like records where 10 songs sound the same so I’m always trying to twist stuff up in some fashion or figure out something. Hopefully that comes across.”
Fink’s recipe for a good rock song has a variety of ingredients that can be split into two categories; the first are the components that make up the song. Mood, the boundaries set by a particular vocalist’s range and the directions that lyrics and guitar chords pull each other in during the songwriting process.
The second? The myriad influences drawn upon from a life spent around music. Fink’s father was a disc jockey at a local radio station and the guitarist described his DJ dad as a big music fan and record collector who always played LPs in the house. Fink inherited music fandom from his father, but his transition from fan to guitar player came after he heard a certain California metal band for the first time.
“The reason I started playing is because I heard Metallica and something clicked in my brain,” Fink said. “That was it. I got a guitar for my 13th birthday and it was off to the races. I liked The Beatles, Neil Young, Pink Floyd, Oasis … my two favorite kinds of music are ’70s classic rock and ’90s alternative. I guess I’m always trying to combine those two things together in some fashion. Twist it up and make something new.”
Fink’s live set reflects that sentiment. Fans who attend an Aaron Fink show — like the one at 9 p.m. on Feb. 20 at McGrath’s Pub & Eatery in Dalton — can expect him to “twist it up and make something new,” even with his just-released “Heavy Feathers” material.
“I always have different musicians kind of jamming with me; we stretch songs out, we do jams, longer guitar solos … it’s fun,” Fink said. “I do a lot of my stuff and I do some cover songs in there for good measure because I know people aren’t too too familiar with what I’m doing yet.”
Dustin Douglas and Death Valley Dreams will join Fink Feb. 20 at McGrath’s, and the three will also play at 10 p.m. Feb. 27 at Route 61 Roadhouse in Sunbury. Fink will play at Breakers inside Moheagan’s first date in March is 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 1 at Breakers inside Mohegan Sun Casino. For more information about upcoming performances or to buy “Heavy Feathers,” visit aaronfink.net.
