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Friday, Oct. 16, 2009

Musician Aaron Durr tried backing away, but just couldn't stom making his music

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Aaron Durr knows how to pound a keyboard and write catchy pop tunes.

The 25-year-old already has shared the stage with Vanessa Carlton, Matt Nathanson, Sister Hazel and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. On Monday, he opens for pop singer Priscilla Renea and rocker Carolina Liar for KHOP's Fresh Face Showcase at the State Theatre.

Durr made a name for himself locally a few years ago when he released his first self-produced album, "Another Long Semester," featuring upbeat tunes like "Matt (Matt!) Rescue Ranger" and "The Factory."

"I try to be a glass-is-half-full guy," Durr said. "Even if I'm having a bad day, I try to take a lesson from it and write a song about it."

His wit and sense of humor showed in his piano-driven cover of rapper Ludacris' hit "Rollout (My Business)." The accompanying video has received nearly 23,000 hits and counting on YouTube.

Next month, he'll release his second self-produced album, "This is Ridiculous."

The title has to do with his indecision about whether to continue down the music path. Durr said he always had told himself that if he

hadn't made it by the time he was 25, he would quit music and "get serious about my life." But here he is at that age and he isn't ready to give it up.

He said he tried to back off a year ago and just perform covers or play in other people's bands for money. But he missed playing his own music so much that he had to go back to it.

"The title is a statement of my own confusion and the way that it works," Durr said. "It is pretty ridiculous to not play music."

He is proud of how much more polished his new album is than his first project. He has worked on it on and off for three years.

"This one's a little more epic, a much richer sound," Durr said. "A lot of people who have heard it have called it a more mature sound."

His single "Application" is already in regular rotation on KHOP. He has a new iPhone app that fans can download for free to learn more about him.

"Music is the only thing that I feel I truly do well and that comes naturally to me," Durr said. "This is what I do and what I do best, and I need to keep doing it."