AJ Mitchell is performing LIVE from our iHeartRadio Southwest Sound Stage at 4pm on Wednesday, August 22, 2018. Catch our exclusive live stream above!
Hailing from Bellville, Illinois, AJ gravitated towards music at an early age, sharing his talent on social media with acclaimed short form videos and cover versions. He initially posted videos to get feedback ‘from other people than my parents,’ he says, but at thirteen his following blossomed. He moved to Los Angeles, CA, in 2016 to pursue a music career full-time, releasing the self-penned, bittersweet single “Used To Be” in 2017. Other songs followed, “Somebody,” and “Mind,” showcasing his multifaceted range and silky vocal style all his own. Epic Records signed AJ to a recording contract to kick off 2018, a dream come true. With over 35 million streams under his belt, and heady live notches already on his resume like sold out performances at both the legendary Roxy in Los Angeles where Prince once performed (one of the first artists his parents every played for him) and at Webster Hall in New York, AJ is ready for even bigger heights. He views the aptly titled Hopeful EP as a reflection of the determination it’s taken to get this far, and the generational optimism he feels along with his peers about the future. “I guess being Hopeful has kind of been an idea in my whole journey in music so far,” he says. “I started to notice my friends are all pursuing dreams; acting, singing, dancing, politics, doing stuff on social media. Kids are having a voice and people are paying attention. And well…I think it started as hoping people would be into the covers I was posting. Then I was Hopeful that people would like my music, come see me play live, and sing along to my lyrics. Putting out this music is something I’ve been Hopeful about for a while. I’m just so excited to share it with my fans and everyone.”