Q&A: Aidan Bissett On Going from Varsity Football Player to Signed Musician
☆ BY MARLEY SCHELD ☆
ACCOMPLISHING A WILD DREAM AT ONLY 18 YEARS OLD - Aidan Bissett went from playing varsity football at his high school in Tampa, Florida to signing with Capitol Records, and he’s just getting started. Using the time of quarantine to write and produce his own music, Bissett quickly gained a following on social media, landing him the ever-so-admired record deal.
His track “More Than Friends” depicts the dreamy way teenagers feel about their crushes and it’s the kind of music you’d expect an 18-year-old in 2021 to make, which is no wonder why the song went viral on TikTok and kickstarted his career. With his established musical style and voice, Bissett recently released two singles, “Communication” and “So High,” which are summery and SoCal at heart.
As Bissett continues making music under the label, his sound is bound to flourish alongside the many iconic names in the Capitol Records family. Read below to learn what’s next for the rising artist and check out the new video for “So High” below.
LUNA: Hi! How are you? I heard you’re in L.A. now.
BISSETT: I’m good! Yeah, I currently am. I’m actually in the hot spot. I’m in a studio right now recording a ton of new music, banking up songs so we can pick the best new stuff to release. I’m excited because the stuff we’re working on now is a bit more advanced production-wise. All my other stuff, including “So High” was done in my room and now I’m working in studios which is crazy. I have all this cool new equipment to work with, so there’s definitely a growth in style and stylistic choices.
LUNA: Could you describe your music style to someone who hasn’t heard it before?
BISSETT: I’m just trying to capture the teenage youth and make it as relatable as possible in 3-and-a-half minutes or less. For anybody who’s looking for a good time or a sad time, I got you. I have a lot of sadder stuff I haven’t released yet, but everything out right now is definitely beachy and fun, which I really love.
LUNA: What was the process of writing your latest single “So High”?
BISSETT: I actually wrote that song five or six months ago, so it’s been a while since that song was finished. When I was writing it, I was finishing up high school, and that was the only song I wrote during that time. I took three months off of songwriting to finish up school and get everything done. When I was writing that song, it was 3 am, so it started out as more of a low-fi, chill-type song, and it eventually turned into what it is now, which is way more upbeat and fun.
LUNA: Do you often write songs at 3 am?
BISSETT: Sometimes I get that spurt of inspiration very late at night and I’m like “Alright, here we go, guess we’re not sleeping tonight.” It definitely happens a lot, more than it probably should.
LUNA: You also released a new song “Communication” recently. What was that process like?
BISSETT: In writing that song, production-wise, I had a friend Zach Farache (Verzache) work on that one and he put his own spin onto it, which was really cool. He threw on some crazy synth basses and I fell in love with it. I remember getting that first demo back and thinking “Okay, this is something really cool.”
LUNA: Do you mostly produce your music on your own?
BISSETT: Originally, all my stuff was on my own, and then I had a friend help me with mixing. I recorded everything in my room, including “Communication.” That’s where Zach came in to co-produce that song with me, which was a first. “So High” was also recorded in my room and my friend Anton Khabbaz came in and took his own spin on it and made it that upbeat vibe, which is really cool. Now, I love collaborating with people because I love hearing other people’s spin on things. It’s always really refreshing.
LUNA: Does songwriting help you work out things in your life, like communication issues?
BISSETT: Yeah, it helps me a lot. It’s my outlet, you know. Some people write, some people draw. For me, it’s music. Sometimes there are very real topics for me, there are experiences in my life. Sometimes I’m telling a story that isn’t always connected to me. It depends. Sometimes I write stories not about me and sometimes I write really close to me.
LUNA: You have a pretty good social media presence, specifically on Instagram and TikTok. Do you think it’s important for artists to actively use social media?
BISSETT: I feel like social media is so prominent that it’s almost impossible not to have one as an artist. It’s a way to connect with people listening to your music and keep people updated, so I’m definitely for it. It helped me really turn this into a career outside of just a hobby. It can be annoying and tedious and a lot of work, but it can pay off well.
LUNA: Have you been able to connect with fans outside of social media like in live shows?
BISSETT: Not yet, but my dream is to perform live soon. Friends back home and friends I haven’t seen for a while will text me and say, “I heard your music” which is always the coolest feeling because never would I thought I’d be releasing music and people thinking “Oh, this is actually pretty good!”
LUNA: How did you get into music in the first place?
BISSETT: I started playing guitar when I was really young, like second grade. But it was always a hobby because football was my main thing. I loved football. I wanted to go to college for football. I lived in Oregon during that time and played for a team for six years but moved my sophomore year of high school to Florida. I played on that team and I was doing fine but I just didn’t gel with it like I did back in Oregon. I just lost the drive and I wanted to put my passion into something else, which ended up being music because it was my only other hobby. Music became the transfer and I’m very glad it did because it showed me something I never even knew I liked so much.
LUNA: Who are your biggest music inspirations?
BISSETT: I’m a big fan of Wallows. I love COIN. I’m absolutely in love with ROLE MODEL’s music right now. He’s crazy and his new album is gonna be amazing. I love Tame Impala. I’m a huge Tyler, The Creator fan. I love his musical process and his production style is crazy.
LUNA: Lastly, if you could only listen to three albums for the rest of your life, what would they be?
BISSETT: Oh, that is so hard. First would be Nothing Happens by Wallows. And then maybe Currents by Tame Impala, which is another classic. And then maybe IGOR (Tyler, The Creator) or maybe a Red Hot Chili Peppers album - the one with Californication, that one’s really good.
