Post Daniel Aaron’s new track Ocean in You, Daniel shares a beautifully unbiased and unapologetic reflection about how his relationship with the ocean came to be.
Coaxed in the heavy rhythmic riffs and delicate sounds of various strings, Daniel brings his inspiration of the ocean into the swirling melody of Ocean in You.
With strong, authentic and intimate singer-songwriter vulnerability, Daniel explores how interacting with the ocean sparked the feelings heard in his crunchy finger-picking and spine-tingling tender vocals.
Daniel Aaron’s journey with the ocean
I was raised in the small, rural Victorian town of Pyramid Hill. Shaped and nurtured by the granite hills, river red gums, burning sunsets, and endless horizon. Pyramid is an insular town – centered around farming, the pub, and the football and netball club. It’s also a 4-hour drive from the ocean. I was lucky if I visited the beach more than a few times a year growing up. However, in the same way there was never any musicality in my family, I was always heavily drawn towards the ocean and envious of the sun-bleached, coastal lifestyle.
Like any displaced adolescent, I lamented my hometown and was eager to move away after my schooling, to pursue a life by the sea. However, it didn’t come without conflict, analogous to the fear I had to buy a van for my first car, because I didn’t feel worthy of the lifestyle that I had associated with owning a van. I had placed this lifestyle I so desperately desired on a pedestal and had become so afraid of stepping into it, shackled in my conditioned youth. Eventually, in the light of a toxic relationship, I moved to the coastal town of Torquay, smothered by a depth of inner resistance.
Even though I wouldn’t have had the awareness of it at the time, growing up in the country taught me to notice the landscape, and set the foundation for deep inspiration from the land.
After my relationship and living situation broke down, I was left emotionally bare. That’s when I turned to the ocean. Like a hapless child, I threw myself at the water and began to confront the condition of my upbringing so that I could step into the life that called out to me. Every day that I would swim, the waves would act as a perfect mirror, reflecting whatever state of mind I was perpetuating, forcing my attention upon that internal landscape.
On many occasions, shivering in the wind and rain, pounded by unrelenting waves, I’ve been left laughing in awe at realizing that I’m just being shown what my inner landscape looks like – holding the very thing that caused me weight and anxiety. I could throw anything at the waves, and it would be received with a beautifully unbiased and unapologetic reflection.
The ocean took the role of a friend and mentor, guiding me through a time of intense growth and revealing. Amongst this dismantling of false identity, it was revealed to me a love and appreciation for the river country and my upbringing. This has bloomed into deep gratitude, for Country and ocean. This is the place where my music exists. This is the place where I surf. This is the place where I met my partner, Lib.
Lib was raised a two-minute walk from the beach, with a selection of beautiful surf breaks in her backyard. She grew up in the water every day. Despite coming to love the ocean in vastly different ways, the shared connection and admiration for the values we found in it drew us into long sunny mornings, watching the waves while doting on the philosophies we both aspired to. The metaphors we found in the presence of the ocean soon became the metaphors we found in the presence of each other – and so Ocean In You was born.
Daniel Aaron has cultivated a playlist of tracks that reflect his reflection on the connection and expansive relationship that he has with the ocean and how that spill over into his musical creations. The playlist is soaked in acoustic softness as well as raw, cut-deep fingerpicking, emotionally driven lyrics, and waves of melodic rushes. Some of the tracks below are absolutely gorgeous expressive sounds and you can definitely hear the ocean inspo that Daniel has stripped and reconstructed through them.
Gone- Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson is riddled with a soft bluesy acoustic groove that showers you with soft and warm vocal flow and melody. Daniel intertwines his guitar tones and vocal expression in similar ways in Ocean in You.
Peaches & Cream- John Butler Trio
John Butler is a king at creating landscape-inspired music and atmospheric sounds, so there is no surprise that a bunch of his tracks is on Daniel’s playlist. In Peaches & Cream, John Butler’s iconic expressive and introspective vocals and lyrics meld beautifully with the sad rustic tones of the guitar. Ocean in You revels in similar stylistic choices.
Catch my diseases- Ben Lee
An Aussie classic, listening to Ben Lee creates such a joy and attitude to just embrace all of life as it comes?
Coffee, methadone & Cigarettes- John Butler Trio
Butler’s love for acoustic string instruments such as this banger, which are used as tools for expression. The rustic twang of the acoustic and the sad, lyrical outcry can definitely be heard as an influence when listening to Daniel’s Ocean in You.
We will run- Hollow Coves
You can hear Daniel’s inspiration from this Hollow Cove’s track through the cheeky, fast-paced guitar licks and light-hearted drums, intertwining with expressive Aussie vocals.
Bloom- The Paper Kites
The Paper Kites are all up in sad, finger-picking cries and soft yet goose-bump-worthy vocal harmonies. In Ocean in You, Daniel works through his thoughts and feelings in a similar way.
It’s been a pleasure getting to know Daniel Aaron’s boundless connection to the ocean and how it has helped him move through his life and navigate his way through his music projects. A place of solace, a safe haven to always be able to go back to, Daniel has become one with the ocean.
If you haven’t heard his song yet, do yourself a favour and get this track in your ear canals!
