Off The Record: Limerick singer-songwriter Aaron Hackett opens up about anxiety

AT THE age of six-years-old, Aaron Hackett couldn’t help but fall in love with Elvis’ music. After listening to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Dooradoyle artist learned how to play guitar - with the guidance of his siblings.

“The first artist that I found myself being obsessed with was Elvis. I remember just being so infatuated with his music, and I don't know where it came from. I must have just heard a song on the radio and just loved the sound,” Aaron recalls.

“My brother and sister both played guitar when I was younger, so I actually had them as a guide. My brother taught me the guitar when I was 10 years old. I came from a kind of musical background, which really inspired me to become a songwriter eventually down the line,” he says.

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Aaron began recording music at the age of fifteen. After releasing several singles, he entered RTE’s television program, The Hit, as a contestant. During his time on the show, musical artist Duke Special chose Aaron’s track, 1969, as his pick to record and release.

Since then, Aaron has released two albums, Tides in 2018, and Public Interest in 2021. Aaron received a first class honours MA in Songwriting from the University of Limerick. Recently, he shared his latest offering, Rose Shades, a song which delves into his experience with anxiety.

Speaking of the new release, Aaron notes: “This is something that I've been dealing with for years and years, but I haven't really written about it too much, and I thought it was a good message to spread.”

A song about anxiety, Rose Shades touches on the fake scenarios or arguments created by our minds.

“It’s about anxiety, which is different to a lot of the other songs that I've written, which have been about heartbreak or love songs, that typical kind of thing. But this is a song that I've kind of wanted to write for a while, it’s about dealing with an overactive mind,” he explains.

“I guess a lot of people could relate to this, but your mind's creating fake scenarios or fake arguments with people when you're just alone, and it's basically trying to deal with those intrusive thoughts. The whole idea of the Rose Shades is trying to live your life with rose-tinted lenses on, trying to be a bit more positive about your current situation.”

Aaron found it therapeutic to write Rose Shades. The artist sees songwriting as a form of therapy.

“It's almost like a form of journaling for me, just getting those thoughts out of my brain and down onto paper, it’s very therapeutic. I suppose songwriting in general is a way of just getting things out, getting them down. It’s very freeing just to be able to speak about those things so openly. Anxiety is something that I've been dealing with for years and years, but I haven't really written about it too much, and I thought it was a good message to spread,” he adds.

With his album Tides, writing the story of his breakup helped him deal with it.

“I kind of wrote that as a story from start to finish, the start being a breakup. Until the last song where you kind of accept it and move on. That was really helpful to me at the time, to be able to turn heartbreak into art,” he recalls.

Since the release of his latest single, Aaron has received positive feedbacks from people who can relate to his words.

“I've had a lot of messages from people saying that they can relate to the music, which is really, really nice to hear. That was my intention the whole time, to have people feel represented.”

On the surface, Aaron, who is an extrovert, says he might come across as outgoing and carefree. But  when it comes to his songwriting, it’s a different story.

“When it comes to my songwriting, I am very deep. There’s definitely a very emotional side to me, even if I don't like show it as much in person. I suppose it does come through my music, so I think it is important to know that there is, with everyone, many, many layers.”

His biggest goal is to make a career out of music.

“I would love to even just be a songwriter and write songs for other people, that would definitely be the dream.”
At the moment, Aaron is working on another single, one that his biggest fan and sister, Tracey, is awaiting impatiently.
“She listens to my music all the time, she's constantly promoting my music, always listening to my music, sharing it,” he says.