We headed out to Nashville to chat with Aaron Eshuis about Superior Drummer 2 and what getting cuts by Rascal Flatts means to an up-and-coming songwriter.

Name: Aaron Eshuis
Location: Nashville, TN
Occupation: Songwriter/producer

When and how did you discover your passion for music?
– I remember Elvis and Elton John being some of the first music I loved. My dad had a few greatest hits albums and I remember sitting on the floor about six inches from the speakers listening to “Your Song” and thinking it was the greatest thing I ever heard. Seeing Keith Urban play “Where The Blacktop Ends” on the CMA awards, however, is what pushed me over the edge. That’s when I knew I was going to move to Nashville after high school.

What was the first song you got cut by an artist?
– My first major label cut was a song called “Payback” that I wrote with Neil Mason of The Cadillac Three and my childhood friend Ryan Hurd (we moved to Nashville around the same time). Rascal Flatts recorded it and it ended up being their summer single that year.

What’s the best aspect of working as a professional songwriter?
– It almost never gets old. I find myself inspired by something new every day. I love being able to write with so many different songwriters and artists. Being given the opportunity to write with an artist for their record is a huge honor for me and one of the coolest parts of my job. I love having that direction, that end goal in mind.

Name some of the highlights so far in your songwriting career.
– Hearing my song on the radio for the first time in 2014 was the biggest so far. We just work so hard for so long without truly knowing for sure if it’s going to work…then it suddenly does. It’s a huge relief and also energizing because you have a better understanding of what it takes to make it happen.

What Toontrack products do you use?
– I use Superior Drummer 2 every day.

“If It’s Love from “Nashville”
httpv://youtu.be/ATGHs-2loVw

Rascal Flatt’s video for Payback (live) 
https://youtu.be/ppo4CaOWFpI