Aaron Goodvin

Aaron Goodvin merged the unpretentious tone and everyday sensibility of current country sounds with a glossy pop sheen and bursts of rock energy, establishing himself in the genre after departing his Canadian homeland for Nashville. Born in Spirit River, Alberta, he developed an early fascination with music and delivered his first public performance at age 12 by entering a singing contest hosted by a neighborhood shopping center. During high school his family moved southeast and settled in St. Albert; after turning 18 he began composing songs and started his initial band. At 25 he advanced his ambitions by relocating to Nashville, Tennessee, a city he had already visited to pitch material. He performed his compositions in every bar that would book him and eventually obtained a publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music. Recognition as a writer grew when “Out Like That,” which he co-wrote with Adam Sanders and Cole Swindell, was cut by Luke Bryan for the 2013 album Crash My Party. Canadian country artist Johnny Reid guided Goodvin’s development as a performer, supplying key counsel and hiring him as an opening act. Warner Music’s Canadian operations signed him to a recording contract, and his self-titled debut album appeared in April 2016, reaching wide success in Canada on the strength of three Canadian Country Top Ten singles—“Woman in Love,” “Miss Me Yet,” and “Lonely Drum,” the last of which became the only Canadian Country single certified platinum in 2017 or 2018. In 2018 he was named Entertainer of the Year at the Alberta Country Music Awards and Songwriter of the Year for “Lonely Drum” at the Canadian Country Music Awards. While touring and playing festivals, he prepared songs for his second album, V, released in February 2019 and featuring the singles “You Are” and “Bars and Churches.”