An interview with Aidan McMahon

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing musician Aidan McMahon, a 15 year old sophomore in high school from NYC. We discussed topics such as his music career, inspirations, identity, life, and of course, bubble tea. Here’s how it went:

Lily Boyd: So tell us your name, age, a bit about yourself, and any cool tidbits you’d like to share!

Aidan McMahon : My name is Aidan McMahon, I’m 15, a sophomore in high school, and was born and raised in NYC. I’m in my school’s theater program and I’m part of a swim team in the summer. I’m addicted to bubble tea. This sounds just like a Tinder profile. A cool thing is that when I was like 4, Liam Gallagher from Oasis offered me a beer in Ireland. How fun!

Lily Boyd: What got you into music?

Aidan McMahon: Around 7 years ago, I started taking piano lessons every week and while I initially thought they were pointless, I eventually realized how I could use music to express my feelings in a way that normal conversation couldn’t. In 7th grade, I got a ukulele for Christmas and I would play songs that I loved every day for months. In 8th grade, I wrote my first song which was like 1 minute of fluff that I still remember word for word. I started realizing the freedom I had while songwriting and was inspired by others to express everything I felt in my writing.

Lily Boyd: What or who has been your inspiration in your life?

Aidan McMahon: My main inspiration is my family since they have taught me most of the lessons I’ve learned about life up to now. They also never fail to make me feel safe and loved and they support everything that I do (except for the quarantine beard I’m trying to grow). Another big inspiration is dodie, a British artist who started by posting her songs on YouTube. In 2016, she posted a video coming out as bisexual and around a year later, when I discovered her, I was struck by this video because it was the first time I had really understood that term. I later came to identify myself as bisexual thanks to that video.

Lily Boyd: Who have your biggest musical inspirations been?

Aidan McMahon: The first person that I can remember that inspired me to write was also dodie. I was specifically inspired by the personality she was able to put into her music and the simplicity of her songs. Other than her, I have also been inspired by artists like twenty one pilots, Lorde, Clairo, Vampire Weekend, and Conan Gray for years. I have been listening to them for a long time and they continue to amaze me with their music. Recently, I have been really into Phoebe Bridgers’ and Maude Latour’s music. While they’re very different, they both make art that speaks to me and I can only hope that people feel that way when they listen to my music.

Lily Boyd: Do you think being immersed in NYC culture and schooling had any influence on your music? Style, topics, etc?

Aidan McMahon: I definitely think that growing up in NYC has influenced my music. I specifically think it’s had a huge impact on the topics discussed on the project I’m working on at the moment.  I’m currently making another EP that revolves around the experiences my friends and I have had in the city and our love for each other. One of my released songs, “A Million Words,” is just about me and my friends messing around in Central Park, which is what we normally do on Fridays after school.

Lily Boyd: What is the favorite song of yours you’ve written?

Aidan McMahon: I wrote a song called “Number One” on Valentine’s Day this year and the second I finished writing it I fell in LOVE with it. It sounds different from most of what I’ve put out before but I think that it sounds a lot like the music that I’ve been trying to write for a long time. It’s actually coming out on April 17 and I’m so excited for people to hear it!

Lily Boyd: What was the inspiration behind “Number One”?

Aidan McMahon: I wrote half of the first verse on Christmas Eve after I was really attracted to this one person and I desperately wanted to feel seen by them. I kinda forgot about the song until Valentine’s Day when I was completely head over heels for someone else. I picked up my guitar and wrote the rest of the song in like 20 minutes. I wrote it about this one guy who I quickly fell for but the only issue was that he was straight. Instead of accepting this, I was in denial that he couldn’t like me back and told myself that him liking me was possible. This went on for weeks until I finally realized that I was just making myself sad by keeping hope in this one sided attraction. 

Lily Boyd: Where do you see your music going?

Aidan McMahon: If I’m being honest, I have no idea how this will play out. I mean I hope that more people hear it because that would be pretty cool. I like my music and I hope that more people start to like it over time. I know this is so cheesy but I believe that the amount of work I put into my music will pay off eventually.

Lily Boyd: Who do you hope hears your music? Any specific person or type of audience?

Aidan McMahon: If literally any of my inspirations listened to my music, I would burst into tears. It seems impossible but I won’t stop dreaming. I think it would be cool if people my age listen to my music since I feel like my age group can really relate to what I write. However, I just hope that anyone who can connect with my music enjoys it.

Lily Boyd: Where do you see your career in the next five years or where do you hope to see it?

Aidan McMahon: I’m starting to go through the whole college process which includes me having to think about what I want to do as a profession. At the moment, that’s still undecided but I’ve definitely considered being a full time musician when I leave college. Even if I’m not, I’ll definitely continue making music in my free time since I’m so passionate about it and I can’t wait to see how I evolve artistically. And if all else fails, I could always become a professional TikTok dancer!

Lily Boyd: Lastly, what message do you want people to hear?

Aidan McMahon: People hear this all the time but practice makes perfect! If you really want to excel in something, you’re going to have to work hard and always try to do the best you can. Never give up! Also drink water and stay safe!

~~~

It was lovely getting to talk with Aidan about all of these important and wonderful topics. Music, and any other form of art are such healthy ways to process the stress of life around you. Whether it be playing or listening to music, having an escape to let yourself get lost in the lyrics, or swayed by the melody can be something so freeing. During these difficult times, it’s important to cherish the things we hold dear, like a favorite song, or harnessing such a talent like Aidan’s. That being said, go check out “Number One” released April 17th! And be sure to follow his music in the future. He’s definitely one to keep your eye on.