Weiser High School graduate releases a single and music video

Weiser High School graduate from the class of 2000, Aaron O’Harra recently released a single and music video “Something Human.” The song is available on all streaming services and the video is available on YouTube under his music project title: The Polaroid Tide.  
 O’Harra was first introduced to music through learning to read music as he learned to play the recorder in Andy Nelson’s fifth grade music class. Quickly, he continued in band, playing trumpet through his sophomore year of high school.
 During his sophomore year, O’Harra joined a local band called Mile 40 in which he played the lead guitar. That group stayed together until he was 20, but he has always written music and has never stopped playing or writing even while not officially pursuing music in a band or group.
 O’Harra started working on his newest single, “Something Human,” back in March, and wrapped up production in early June. From the time he recorded his first notes, until the time he  finished with the final mix, it took about three months. O’Harra shared that the project took a long time and consistent hard work and patience to bring it all together.
 Throughout the recording process, O’Harra typically woke up at 5:30 a.m. and spent about an hour writing, recording, or brainstorming new ideas. However, many of these ideas never saw the light of day. For O’Harra, the brainstorming and writing process means sorting through ideas and scrapping a large portion of them. Making sure what his audience hears are the ideas that he does like.
 O’Harra’s music project, The Polaroid Tide, began with the EP release back in January. It’s a five song album that has overtones of photography, and the ability that a camera has to capture a moment. One can easily pick up on those themes just by reading the song titles. (Photo Booth Nights, Candid, Behind the Lens, Overexposed, and Black and White).
 O’Harra shared that releasing a song, and having some success with it takes more than just good writing and recording – that’s only half of the battle. After he finished writing, recording, and mixing “Something Human,” he sent it to be mastered by a professional (the process of balancing volumes, tones, and frequencies on a large scale). After this, the music is finished and ready to be sent to a distributor, which in his case is Songflower.
 The biggest challenge for any musical artist is getting their music heard. 60,000 songs are uploaded to Spotify every single day. So the question really is, “How am I going to make my song stand out?” And that’s the other half of the battle – promotion.
 O’Harra began creating short videos and photographs that built up some level of anticipation for his audience on Facebook and Instagram. As the release date approached, he consistently posted about the release. This kept his brand on the forefront of his audience’s mind.
 He released “Something Human” on July 23 and continued to promote it with posts, playlist shares, and even a merchandise contest.
 “Something Human” was written on the tail end of lockdowns, and regulations. O’Harra shared that he felt a lot of frustration throughout 2020 with how many of his relationships suffered because of the lack of in-person interaction.
 “It really is my personal reflection on my need for face-to-face relationships,” O’Harra said.
 As things have begun opening back up, O’Harra noticed more of the special qualities of human interactions. O’Harra said that online, we can be who we want to be, and choose not to see those who are not like us. It’s safe – but it’s also shallow, and unfulfilling.
 “I’ve noticed that the times I feel most fulfilled are those times when I take the risk of human interaction. Yeah, coffee with a friend may not go as I had hoped. Maybe I stumbled all over my words. Maybe they give me a funny look at one point, and I feel like I haven’t made much sense. But isn’t that who I am? And when someone sees the human in me, and still loves me, I just feel like there’s not much better than that – to be known and to be loved. It’s a touch, a hug, a look, a smile – it’s something human that I really need. That’s what the song is about,” O’Harra said.
 You can support O’Harra and his music by following “The Polaroid Tide” on Spotify, Instagram, or Facebook. You can also buy his music on iTunes and leaving a review really goes a long way. The biggest way you can support him is by listening and enjoying what he has created to be enjoyed.
 O’Harra lives in Eugene, Ore., with his wife, Jena and six children. In addition to his music, O’Harra started a church called Redeemer Fellowship, where he serves as the pastor. He has also written three books that can be found on Amazon: Pillars, Renegade Prophet, and Center Stage.