I was already a big fan of Ayron Jones as he hits home, working on putting Seattle back on the music map. His song “Boys From The Puget Sound” turned my head back in 2021. It was so great to hear that familiar guitar feedback and crunchy groove that makes you think of Seattle. On October 4th 2022, Ayron released his new single “Otherside”. In true Seattle musician fashion, he put a photo of the Space Needle on the album cover. So I was intrigued.
I remember my initial impression as I listened to “Otherside” for the first time. It started with almost a “pop” feel. I was like “ok, let’s see where he goes with this. He didn’t go boy band did he?” Then come about 30 seconds in, that thick crunchy guitar comes hammering down as the lyric says “Before death comes knocking at your door”. Perfect.
The groove was locked in, crunchy guitar, chorus hook, awesome lyrics, a great combination so far. Ayron rolls through the verses, then chorus one more time, as the song sets up for an amazing end to this tune. There is a pause at about the 2 minute mark and a primal scream from Ayron comes crying in that launches the song into an absolutely amazing guitar solo. Ayron absolutely shreds this solo. I haven’t heard a solo like this on the radio in a long time. The chorus hook comes back in as the chaos of the guitar and big thunderous riffs of the bass and guitar bring home the end of the song.
This felt like Ayron channeled some Jimi Hendricks here and all I can say is wow. I can’t wait for the new album to come out.
About the Artist
Guitarist & singer Ayron Jones whose songwriting is filled with raw emotion is the new sound of Seattle. The gritty, genre-blending artist is an amalgam of the incredibly rich history of the city from Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana. Cultivating a robust following in the Pacific Northwest his independent rise allowed him to hone his creative vision before signing with Big Machine/John Varvatos Records. His debut single “Take Me Away” cemented that vision and chart topping success, hitting Top 5 at Rock Radio and setting the bar for singles to come, including his latest “Mercy.” The song, full of charged lyrics and melodies, strongly captures a collective consciousness of the time. It is also, though, underscored by a vision of hope and endurance: through it all, we persevere. His highly anticipated forthcoming album CHILD OF THE STATE is out 5/21! As Jones continues his ascent in the Rock World he also continues breaking barriers, as he explains “being black in the rock industry, I was forging a path into establishments and onto tours that had not previously embraced an artist like me. But the one thing that always changed minds and spoke for itself was the music.” His reach now extends well beyond Seattle, playing alongside such acts as Run DMC, Public Enemy, Rahkim, Jeff Beck, Theory of a Deadman, Robin Trower, and Spearhead, as well as opening for iconic acts such as Guns ’N’ Roses at the Gorge and B.B. King.
