AJ Young is an exceptionally gifted, passionate singer-songwriter who discovered his love for acoustic guitar and songwriting in an unusual way. “I started off as a rapper with songwriting. After a while, I got into instruments and picked up a guitar. After picking up the guitar, I started wanting to figure out how to arrange the musical portion of songs. I had the desire to work on my own musical interpretations from start to finish, instead of just the lyrics. That’s how I became a singer-songwriter.” A Kansas City, Missouri native, lead vocalist AJ Young has collaborated with a variety of music industry talents in his 8+ years of performance. Young has written and arranged songs performed in eclectic venues seating less than fifty, to large venues and amphitheaters seating upwards of 18,000 attendees. In addition to writing his own music, Young plays the keyboard, acoustic, and electric guitars. As a self-taught musician with no formal training, his profound skill with musical instruments is nothing short of astounding. Recently, Young was asked to play with Brandon Estelle and Chris Porter.
In addition to the opportunity to open for The Fray at Starlight Theatre in 2014, a first place win for Drake’s Artist on the Verge competition in 2012, and a first place win for the Sing Like John Mayer contest in 2010, Young is ranked on a variety of top charts for songwriters/performers, including Deli Magazine KC, and Reverb Nation.
Young hopes that the ability to create his own music and individual sound will help him continue to stand out in the music industry. From the studio creations to live performance, his goal has always been staying to true to himself. “…I like to create musical material that fits the stories of experiences I have had in my life; it’s fun for me. I create different arrangements that reflect whatever was going on for me at the time.”
With the release of his first independent EP, "Into The Wild", AJ Young has crafted a record that both exemplifies his passion and creativity, and vividly paints a story of his life the past few years. Despite the difficulties of working in an industry that is known for chewing up artists and spitting them out, Young continues to work hard at his craft, and is quite pleased with his current autonomy as an artist. “I see myself as an entrepreneur – I’m working for myself. I’m not working for someone, or a label. I can pick and choose what I want to do and when I want do it. So I do it because I like to do it.”
Young is currently working with talented drummer and guitarist Chris Taulborg, and bass guitarist Matt Magerkurth. The group is looking to book additional performance opportunities, and share their love and appreciation for the musical craft with the world.