There's many a word that describes Aaron Liao. But what people don't know is that Liao was first and foremost "a troublemaker."
"One year, I had been suspended for selling candy bars, lighters, and other small random trinkets during lunch," Liao admitted. "Home completely alone, I got to listen to all my favorite radio stations at hours I normally wouldn’t be able to, writing down all the names of songs and bands I liked.
"Despite having played piano and cello for years, this was a turning point where the music I was infatuated with as a listener began to connect to my ability to create it as an instrumentalist. By the end of my suspension, I had a long list of music (and basslines) I was diving deep into. I also ended up buying my first bass with the money I earned that got me in trouble!"
What was supposed to be punishment for a misdemeanour ended up being a moment of catharsis—an experience that eventually led to the world seeing Liao in the many hats that he wears: veteran bassist, sessionist, show director, member of Moses Sumney's live band, composer, songwriter, and producer for artists Raveena and Sid Sriram, and many others.
We sat down with Aaron Liao to talk about the stories behind the many roles he plays in the industry.
On living a musical life
How long have you been in the music industry and what pushes you to stick around?
I started piano when I was 5, but it wasn’t until I was 14 that I had the determination to make music my living. Making a record with an artist and then playing it live to fans who are singing along is the craziest full-circle experience ever. As much as I love doing music for fun and for the pure sake of art, feeling the proof of my work touching listeners around the world firsthand fully cements why I wake up every morning to do this.
What drew you to playing the bass? How did you get around to playing bass for other artists?
I loved that it was the glue in the band between the rhythmic and the harmony. Meshell Ndegeocello told me once that bass is a percussion instrument that makes sense of the chord and that has stuck with me.
[I started playing bass for others through] word of mouth. My early days in NYC felt like I was Spiderman, except instead of jumping from building to building, it was shows. Whether it was my own or someone else’s, I’d go out of my way to meet as many musicians as possible. I’d put myself in situations where folks who needed a bassist would hear and see me, then give me opportunities to continue the cycle of being seen and heard.
What was your experience studying at Berklee like? Did it somehow feel like you were in a music-themed movie?
It was like being dropped in a sea of music materialized as candy and having to eat your way out alongside 4,000 other starry-eyed dreamers from around the globe. My only job then was to learn. There was a depth of knowledge and experience in every avenue of the music industry at arms reach. I took arranging classes and business classes, and attended every visiting artist’s clinic I could, asking as many questions as possible and soaking it all up. It put me in front of real-life examples of anything being possible and also subconsciously honed my networking skills in the process.
Are there any people you met at Berklee you really connected with and still work with today?
Too many to name, but Cale Hawkins and Tyler Newson, both of which have been playing with me in Raveena’s band since the beginning of her live performance journey come to mind immediately, as well as artist/producer/pianist/singer extraordinaire Ben Lusher. Jamahl Smith remains one of my best friends and favourite bassists/musical directors/humans.
The first two volumes of Hailey Niswanger’s project Mae.Sun features some of the best musicians I’ve ever worked with and some of my own personal favorite bass playing. Perhaps most monumental is my best friend since college Ethan Schiff, a manager-turned health coach who runs a program centred around touring artists called Optimized Touring which has really helped me stay in shape and in touch with my body while on the road.
Tell us about the current landscape of the AAPI music community in the US.
It has been growing, both in terms of participation as well as visibility. We’ve always been here, recording, performing, producing, managing, working, and creating in general, but the past few years has shown an increased awareness of this. As more Asian creatives gain recognition across all spectrums, it will be more normalized to see us doing our thing. Often at performances I’m a part of, I’ll see younger fans that remind me of myself when I was their age, and it really makes my day when they come up to me and share that I’ve inspired them or that I exemplify what they’d like to do in their own career.
What struggles do you currently face as an Asian artist in the US?
Figuring out how to celebrate my Asian background without making it the focal point. I see this more as a growing pain rather than a struggle because all perspectives are needed in highlighting Asian voices. Keeping in mind that everyone’s takeaway will be different, I try to just work on projects I’m passionate about and let the rest take of itself.
On working with other artists
What made you decide to walk down the path of a sessionist rather than working on music for yourself?
I genuinely love helping others achieve their dreams. I love watching a deeply intentional, carefully crafted vision unfold, and see my artistic stamp and personality color it in the process. That’s not to say all the music I work on on my own won’t manifest in the form of a solo release at some point. I also have a punk band with my good friends Maddie Rice and Tim Merle called Yo!Komodo which is releasing music soon. It’s a goofy passion project we started in college and brings me great joy.
How did you get into becoming a producer?
The pandemic stapled this in for me. The uphill battle that formed for me in becoming a session player was that I usually looked to someone else for bigger-picture creative calls, and I became fearful of making them myself. With touring schedules completely vanished, I figured I could either sit around and wait for shows to come back, or face these fears head-on, so I went with the latter.
What was the first project you worked on as a producer? What was the experience like?
Raveena’s Asha’s Awakening holds my debut credits as a producer. I had already been working extensively with Raveena in her live band, and recording on her albums under the direction of producer Everett Orr. The quirky, yet pop-leaning sensibilities of Raveena’s singing and songwriting, along with Everett’s brilliant sonic ear and concise, tasteful knack for arrangement [were] hugely influential in [my] eventually stepping into the producer role. The experience felt like a journey of forks in the road, where each exploration brought new challenges and exciting opportunities to push ourselves.
How did you get into directing shows? Would you say it's another creative outlet for you?
My high school jazz band director asked me one day if I wanted to put together material to have our rhythm section participate in a jazz festival as a combo. That was my start to creating sheet music, which inadvertently made me the musical director by way of knowing everyone else’s parts and getting asked all the questions. It’s certainly a creative outlet for me. With live music, you have a whole visual component that isn’t present with the records, and you’re mixing/arranging the shows with crowds and powerful PA systems in mind. I love playing with the subtleties [of] bringing a record to the stage, especially if I was part of the record.
Tell us about how working with the likes of Raveena, Moses Sumney, and Sid Sriram, helped you grow as a musician and producer.
Not only are they incredible in their own rights, but they all really know themselves. They know what they have to offer the world, they see what others offer, and respect both. Seeing them all curate has inspired me to lean into my own strengths and embrace the things that only I bring as a musician and producer, as our most unique traits are often so second nature to us they escape our awareness.
On sharing his craft to the world
Do you have a favorite project you've worked on so far?
Asha’s Awakening hits the marks on so many levels for me. I really felt like we carved out another dimension to our songwriting relationship and pushed each other in new ways. From jazzier elements like in 'Asha’s Kiss' with the legendary Asha Puthli, to experimental moments like 'Arrival' and 'The Internet Is Like Eating Plastic', my skills in sound design, arrangement, and instrumentation were really put on display in a way that feels very me.
Moses Sumney’s Blackalachia (2021), a film featuring a version of the live set we never got to tour because of the pandemic, featuring Moses’ outstanding direction, band leading, and of course massive stage presence. Filmed in North Carolina at the height of the pandemic in 2020, it was a vastly surreal experience to see come to life with the beautiful imagery, transitions, and performance all around from the band. Despite having participated in it, I easily get lost in it when I watch the film myself.
Liv.e put out a game-changing album recently called Girl in the Half Pearl (2023, In Real Life). The two songs I produced with her called 'Clowns' and 'Heart Break Escape' came from such an organic place, and combining our drastically different musical upbringings and tendencies made for something that only she and I could have created. I also played a little piano on 'Ghost', so it felt like a return to my roots in a lot of ways.
Having spent a chunk of your career touring the world with so many musicians, how has being stuck in one place (due to the pandemic) affected your creativity and productivity? How did you manage to keep going over the past year?
While the pandemic shifted the industry forever, the aspect of needing to adapt with the environment has always been in practice as someone working in the music industry. I personally experienced so much growth during the pandemic as it forced me to really think about what is important to me. Remote recording, writing, and production all came in handy as professionals moved towards Zoom for their sessions and performances.
What dream projects do you look forward to achieving in the near future?
New releases from Raveena, Annahstasia, Kathleen and other exciting new artists. Would love to make more ambient music and perhaps score a film or cartoon too!
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