Known for his vulnerability through addressing complex topics, AESTHETIC is an artist who shines a light on serious subjects such as mental health that are often deemed taboo for bringing up.
Constantly finding a way to package them into an upbeat, modern sound, through the years, AESTHETIC has been building his platform to spread an honest message of love, positivity, and community to all who listen.
Through lush guitar riffs and an atmospheric sound bound to sweep you to a sentimental place, AESTHETIC's latest single, "CARE," has the Telford-based artist opening up about one of the lowest points in his life.
The poignant instrumentation wraps you in a vessel of self-assured tranquility as you hear AESTHETIC convey his relatable struggles in a passion-fueled manner. Walking the fine line between self-care and self-destruction, we hear the vulnerability of AESTHETIC's journey overflow into something utterly profound. Building in intensity as harmonies rise to a crescendo, the sonic destination of "CARE" mimics the highs and lows one feels when one mentally surrenders to the energy weighing them down.
Being AESTHETIC's ninth studio single, his fan base isn't unfamiliar with the emotion-backed themes he tends to address. However, "CARE" remains his most constructive approach to mental health. Embarking on the first chapter of his recent mental health journey, this is merely the starting point as AESTHETIC plans to stay candid with his audience.
While the spotlight may not always shine on us in this consumerist world, AESTHETIC reminds us that we bring beauty and significance to every setting we exist in, all through aesthetics.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, AESTHETIC! Congratulations on the release of your heartfelt ballad, “CARE.” The way you get personal on this record really speaks to who you are as an artist and individual apart from the music. What prompted you to begin sharing your recent journey with mental health?
I’ve been on a pretty long journey with my mental health. I’ve dealt with depression since I was 14. While I have been on this up-and-down journey for half my life, it hasn’t been until the last year that I really began doing some of my best work with it personally. I’ve been with a great therapist I work with and have felt bought into a therapeutic program. I turn 30 on the day of this release, and I am incredibly fortunate to say that life has been good to me lately. Being in such a good place, I felt good enough to reflect on a very dark day in my life constructively, and I’m hoping that telling my story will make others feel more okay in whatever they deal with personally.
Through this single, you aim to help people feel less alone in whatever they struggle with on the inside. Who is that artist that continues to help you through your struggles? How have they affected your life?
Linkin Park has always been a band that I’ve looked up to when speaking on the harsh realities of one’s mental health. Since my middle/high school days, I’ve listened to and connected with their music long before I could even mindfully say what their music exactly means to me. While I didn’t have the self-awareness back then as I do now, I’ve always felt at home listening to their music, and I still do to this day.
With “CARE” being your ninth studio single, how does it compare to your previously released discography? What makes “CARE” stand apart from the rest?
What’s cool about this one is that, in terms of production? We aimed to do a lot with a little. While my previous releases have been mainly huge productions full of synths, 808s, etc., returning to my roots of playing acoustic guitar and just singing from the heart felt good. For this song, I think we succeeded in capturing that rawness with a little whipped cream on top, if that makes sense. Haha.
In terms of lyrics? This song was so effortless because I feel like I am just naturally telling a story vs. constructing one as I have with previous releases. It might sound cliche, but this is the most real s**t I’ve ever written.
The name AESTHETIC is unique, and your mission to the world truly fits into this. What inspired you to choose the name that you have?
So in the build-up to my very first release back in New Year 2018, I had a song ready but didn’t have an artist name. I didn’t want to use my real name (Brandon Karasinski) because it’s syllable heavy and not super-marketable. Haha. AESTHETIC came from a conversation with a friend about the beautiful aesthetics used in Star Wars movies. I’m a big nerd. While I didn’t assign meaning to it until after the fact, I feel like we live in such a profoundly consumerist world anymore. We like to hone in on whoever the center of our attention is but in doing that, we often neglect the individual value that we bring to every setting we exist in. We are all beautiful. We all matter. We are all AESTHETIC.
How can we expect the rest of your written mental health journey to be conveyed? What does your audience have to look forward to?
So “CARE” is the first chapter of this mental health journey I am sharing. Once this release has run its course, I will be locking in to write the remainder of an EP I hope to have ready by the middle of 2024. The storyline is already in place. It’s just a matter of turning those stories into songs I can be proud of, like this one. In the interim of writing and recording that? I plan to do feature work with other artists/DJs I have been itching to work with.
On top of that? I am finally starting to play live shows as a solo artist! It only took me 5+ years, but I made my live music debut on September 28th in Allentown, PA. We’ll see how it all unfolds, but there is a lot to be excited about, and I can’t wait to dive headfirst into this new chapter I like to call “My 30s.”