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Last week, I sat down with artist and songwriter, Axel Rasmussen. New to town and with songs in his heart, he’s already making a name for himself in this town. Music City tends to draw people in with its live music and the beautiful city skyline. Axel originally came to Nashville with one of his buddies on a cross-country trip and Nashville was one of the stops. It only took that one night for him to be hooked. Axel came separately to Nashville again when he did a cross-country BIKE trip. I mean, I can barely stay on top of the bicycles when I’m at a spin class.
This guy decided to pack up and ride a bike from Virginia to Nashville, TN. When talking about Nashville, he said, “It’s a welcoming town. I went to the Commodore Grille my first night moving to Nashville and I’m just sitting here at a bar and a guy asked me to play that night. I didn’t have my guitar but another musician gave me theirs and I played my song.”
Axel Rasmussen, originally from Virginia Beach, picked up music his senior year of high school and went on to college to study mechanical engineering. Like many graduates and students, 2020 was a weird year to be in school with online and hybrid classes due to the coronavirus shutting everything down. Coming down to Nashville was a big shock to hear live music at eleven o’clock in the morning and people ready to party on tractors and buses every day of the week.
Axel officially moved to Nashville, TN this year in March and mentioned that he’s been co-writing with a few people and making authentic connections. Zach Allen and Kasey Burton are just two of the writers he’s built relationships with. Co-writing in the music industry is key, not just to write music, but to build a community of support, especially if you’ve moved here from another town or state.
Axel Rasmussen has been getting inspiration from local writers in town as well as artists like Johnny Cash and Frank Sinatra. When he was in the studio for the interview and played one of his songs, I could also hear elements of Jack Johnson. Axel Rasmussen is a smooth guitar player with a voice like honey. It makes you want to dance, either alone or with someone you love.
HOLD ME CLOSE is a beautiful song that can only be described as the love child of Tyler Childers and Jack Johnson. Guitar seems to come so effortlessly for Axel. Whether he's playing a round at the Tin Roof or playing in the studio for one, you can see and hear the passion for his music. Hold Me Close is ready for radio and would be perfect on a Coffeehouse station. It can also be described as easy listening. I loved the lyrics in this song. It was hard not to sway to the music as I was recording Axel live. Axel is an artist and a performer. He knows how to captivate a room.
"...so I'm trying to stay in this moment, won't you hold me close..."
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Great beat. The guitar seemed to walk me to the dance floor. 😎