By Dan Moffat

Listen to the Allston Pudding premiere of “Calculated” by Adrian Aiello. 

Adrian Aiello (Air Traffic Controller, Bronze Radio Return) is premiering his debut single “Calculated” and we’re here for it. It begins with a banjo sound and builds with flourishes of percussion and electric guitar. The track blends elements of americana with pop production value.

Photo by Jesse Dacri

Aiello, who grew up in Somerville and now lives in LA, makes the kind of sun kissed California folk rock that first gained popularity with Lindsey Buckingham in Fleetwood Mac, and has since been interpreted by bands such as Lord Huron. He subtly adds electronic elements to create harmonic developments that have a contemporary feel. There’s an unexpected bonus at the end, where a dissonant buildup fades out – which I find to be a cunning move. I imagine a band getting warmed up just as I’m leaving the room, perhaps leading to an endless jam that I’ll never hear.

2020 has obviously been a much different type of year than expected for Aiello (and all of us). He’s not interested in flying back to Boston until the end of the pandemic so he’s LA bound for now. Luckily his day job is a 5-minute walk from home where he enjoys working at a recycled clothing shop called Suay.  

And of course, music has been a welcome escape for him.  

“Writing music is one of the aspects of my life where I am able to be decisive and have confidence in myself and know what I’m doing… Going forward with the [solo project] has helped [me with] that in general. 

When asked about a singular piece of advice to give to musicians right now he says “Don’t stop doing it because you’re never going to get anywhere if you stop.”

Photo by Jesse Dacri