A talented artist who first made her mark with vibrant electro-pop tracks, ARO has returned to the spotlight with a bold foray into the alt-pop and indie-rock scene. Following the release of her first two singles, ARO began working with Kenny Carkeet of AWOLNATION, sculpting her sound into a more personal and evocative style. With nods to 70s rock, grunge, and bright flourishes of dream pop, ARO’s new single is a dizzying example of how her sound has evolved.
A fierce pop-rock release that takes aim at “the outdated, gendered expectations of coming into adulthood as a woman”, ‘Crazy’ delivers plenty of thumping bass, slick riffs, and a sharp guitar solo that will rip you to shreds. The single marks the first track of her upcoming EP ‘Messy’, which will offer listeners a front-row seat to the admittedly messy inner world of ARO.
Speaking openly about the new single and her shift in sound, ARO shared, “This genre pivot for me is really going hand-in-hand with my own personal growth. I’m really starting to find my confidence as an artist and with that, I’m reaching for bigger sounds, more powerful vocals. I think when I was starting out, I was still in my shell and maintained a certain ‘coolness’. As I lean more into myself, I’m feeling my music more, there’s more for me to emote now.” She continued, “I wrote this song in an afternoon and immediately was so excited about it. I could already hear the big guitar moments In my head and feel the piece coming to life. I wanted a really cool guitar solo on this one. I asked Kenny to melt my face off and honestly, I think he more than delivered.”
“I’m someone who grew up in a small environment. And by that I mean my family, the people I was surrounded by in my town, we’re all very similar, it was a really homogenous place. I think in those kinds of environments it’s hard to really find yourself. If you only see a few paths forward in life and none of them look particularly appealing it’s easy to feel like there’s something wrong with you. It’s hard putting yourself out there and doing things differently, but I’ve always found that it’s hard mostly because of the people who used to know a different version of you. I think it’s hard for people to reconcile who they once knew you to be with who you are presently. And the uncomfortable part about growth is dealing with that judgment that inevitably comes up. This song was a fun way for me to process some of that.”
Produced by Kenny Carkeet of AWOLNATION, ‘Crazy’ marks the ARO’ pivot into pop-rock and alternative music. A song for anyone who has outgrown their surroundings, ‘Crazy’ is a brilliant glimpse into ARO’s upcoming EP.
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