Songster Sounds, Singer-Songwriter, Aiden James is making waves in music, creating many amazing tracks/videos during the pandemic, Aiden is back with his epic new single, ELIXIR and the accompanying video, premiering only on PopWrapped. Written in physical isolation while still remotely connected to others through technology, the new track blends empowering, emotionally-charged lyrics with nostalgic synths and epic drums. It tells a story of how James dealt with, and ultimately overcame, the feeling of helplessness – a tonic for the soul, music for the ears.

When the pandemic hit, he was grounded at home – alone – in Philadelphia. It forced him to face the unknown, the fear and isolation of COVID compounded by the near-daily news of music venues shuttering and an industry shut down indefinitely. AJ took pen to paper in his mostly empty apartment. It was rough. Technology only helped so much. But eventually, the empathetic connection returned … somewhat ironically, during a marathon of the popular AMC series “The Walking Dead.”

For James, writing has always been a somewhat solitary experience, but one that still happened out in the open. He often wrote in public places – while on tour, in coffee shops after sound check or when traveling on a red eye by the glow of a laptop – his previous work was infused with that energy. The words were very much his and his alone, but they were still influenced by the world moving around him.

“I was sitting there binge watching TWD and one of the main characters dies. A main character! It triggered a chain of thoughts. The pandemic brought to light our human fragility – that no one is immune to the tragedies of life. This fictional dystopian landscape seemed to have been lifted off the screen right into reality” he recalls. “When the government started setting up medical tents in Central Park, I was shook. As an artist, how do I write an antidote for a sea of hurting people? Something to help cope. We desire to help those whom we love that are struggling. Be it sickness, sorrow, you want to be their cure. The elixir.”

All the sudden, the pages and pages of thoughts and ideas and half-finished lyrics without a common thread found their purpose. They came together into a song about a serum that protects our memories and keeps them from vanishing. An elixir that keeps the people who matter most from just slipping away.

Lyrics finalized, the next part of the process was something he was already used to, having for years produced music remotely. He spent a few months sending files back-n-forth with collaborating artists Elliot Jacobson (drums) and Daniel Bryne (electric guitar), trading different sections and arrangements as the song took shape across different time zones. The human connection was restored. Hope returned.

The “Elixir” that emerged draws heavily on 80s pop classics like Roxette’s “It Must Have Been Love” with some more modern influences reminiscent of The Weekend. It’s “hauntingly synth forward yet driving and uplifting” said James.

Aiden is set to release more singles in the coming months. The releases represent his latest work since a Live EP release, (“Isolation” in 2020) and a streaming performance for the Recording Academy’s emergency financial assistance program, MusiCares, which was a benefit the legendary The Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. In 2012, Aiden also released his crowd-funded album “Trouble with This” which reached the iTunes Top 20 and followed with a live performance on SiriusXM from their studios in Rockefeller Plaza.

“Elixir“, the new single from Aiden James is available on all streaming platforms now. If you want to keep up with the next releases from Aiden, be sure to follow his journey on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.