LONDON, ONT —
A London, Ont. tattoo artist is now Ontario’s “Rising Star” in nation music.
Aaron Allen, 39, received the award on the first ever drive-in music awards present Sunday evening.
There have been 250 automobiles on the occasion on the Western Honest District for the Nation Music Affiliation of Ontario (CMAO) present in Allen’s residence metropolis.
Aaron at his London, Ont. tattoo parlour “The Style of Ink” on Oct. 5, 2020
“It was arduous to sleep,” stated Allen from his tattoo parlour Monday morning. “It was superb. It was very sudden and the present was so good I needed to be within the automobiles watching it as a result of it was so cool.”
He is been performing for twenty years with a number of releases, however after his monitor ‘Freeway Mile’ hit radio in 2019 he is been trending up.
“I’ve all the time been a sluggish learner,” joked Allen. “Generally it takes a few years, or 20. I am glad it did not occur then as a result of I am regular in my life, and I get pleasure from my life which makes it sweeter.”
In late September the Metropolis of London introduced it is going to be the host of the Canadian Nation Music Awards (CCMA) in 2021 after a five-year hiatus. Promoters will now have the ability to the Forest Metropolis as “The house of Ontario’s Rising Star.
“We’re so pleased with Aaron’s win,” says Natalie Wakabayashi, director of tradition & leisure tourism with Tourism London.
“After we hosted the CCMA’s in 2016, he was key function in two occasions we hosted. By internet hosting occasions like this we’re in a position to develop and help our artists and provides extra money to programming like that. So to see him just a few years later taking the stage and hoisting awards, then realizing we’re internet hosting the CCMA’s subsequent yr it is icing on the cake.”
Allen is appreciative his personal metropolis is making an attempt its hardest to domesticate and develop the music scene even throughout a pandemic.
With main occasions taking place yearly, it is shortly changing into ‘Nashville North’, Canada’s music metropolis.
“As musicians when it is arduous to get gigs, and venues are taking place, London continues to attempt to construct it again up.”
Allen has lately signed a publishing deal, and has been writing plenty of songs for different artists as effectively.
He is able to make the soar from the store to the stage full time. “Tattooing is nice however I’m going to step away and transfer into music,” says Allen. “I’ll chase this full time. I believe it is time.”
