Under the Radar: Aaron Smith

We first encountered Aaron Smith at our Wide Days convention earlier this year, where we ended up in a conversation about yoga. Three months on, his first release Unspoken has met with an unprecedented response from rival streaming services Apple and Spotify, with each placing the track at the top of their leading new music playlists when it came out on 19 July.

Smith’s vocal style has a strong echo of Chris Martin and the single’s piano infusion will certainly appeal to fans of early Coldplay, not to mention Keane. Hailing from Polmont, where he set up a makeshift studio in his school to capture his early compositions, he is managed by Scott Kirkwood, the man who discovered Noel Gallagher-baiter extraordinaire, Lewis Capaldi. And adding additional clout is a deal with the Apple-owned digital label Platoon. An EP is in the pipeline and Smith plays the Belladrum Festival on Saturday, www.facebook.com/aaronsmithsmusic

Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run the Born To Be Wide music industry seminar and social events. For more information visit www.borntobewide.co.uk

AIM is a trade body established in 1999 to provide a collective voice for the UK’s independent music industry. The sector produces some of the most exciting and popular music in the world, and makes a huge contribution to the country’s economy. AIM’s 800+ members include the largest labels in the world, small start-ups and individual artists releasing their own music. For more information visit www.musicindie.com