From living in the small town of Oakfield, with a population of less than 300, to getting thrown on stage in front of thousands, Simpson College sophomore Aiden Flathers isn’t your typical student. He spends his weeknights with a guitar in his lap creating melodies, and his weekends performing at venues across Iowa. 

Flathers was gifted a guitar when he was seven years old. He wanted to follow in his uncle’s footsteps, who went on to teach Flathers the basics of the instrument. Flathers didn’t start singing, however, until 11 years later during his first concert, where he had the opportunity to perform with country singer Chase Rice at the Guthrie’s River Ruckus.

“A lot of it was just adrenaline, because I wasn’t really doing music at the time or even singing in front of people,” Flathers said. 

Rice had asked the crowd for a volunteer to sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” and the people surrounding Flathers all pointed at him after hearing him strum a guitar the night prior. 

“I was like a deer in headlights. He handed me the mic, and I just sang a chorus, and that’s really where it started,” Flathers said.

Since this chance moment three years ago, Flathers has taken the once-small hobby head-on and is now cementing it into his identity. 

Without the guidance of a vocal or guitar coach, Flathers took the basics he learned from his uncle years ago and has taught himself everything else, including how to write an original song.

Flathers has written five songs, which stem from personal experiences or feelings. His favorite song, titled “Dollar Sign,” is about his grandparents, who met while working as a mechanic and waitress at a truck stop. 

Flathers posts his original songs and covers on social media platforms, where he has garnered over 17,000 likes on TikTok alone; one post has received nearly 50,000 views.

However, his performances go far beyond social media, as he books every weekend he can to perform at venues of all sizes across the state. 

“Sometimes I reach out to places that I think would be cool to perform at or they reach out to me,” Flathers said. “I’ve played at bigger venues with a lot of people, and then also some smaller dive bars with not too many people, which can be discouraging, but comparison is a thief of joy, so I’m just grateful that there are even people there to listen.”

Flathers’ humble and gracious attitude towards his music is also evident in his everyday life. His roommate, sophomore Matthew Florence, testifies to this. 

“My favorite thing is how he doesn’t like the attention that much,” Florence said. “There was one time where his TikTok was going viral, and I asked him about it, and all he had to say was ‘God is good;’ that’s just the kind of guy Aiden is.”

Flathers has performed at many venues, including Indianola’s Zoo, the Iowa State Fair’s Bud Tent, Outlaws in Ames and, recently, at famous country singer Riley Green’s bar in Nashville. 

“On a random Thursday night when he played a show in Ames and didn’t get back till three in the morning, and I asked him how he can do that, and he just said ‘I love doing it,’” Florence said. “It’s really inspirational because he doesn’t see it as a job, and it doesn’t matter if there’s a hundred people or only a couple, he always puts on a good show because he never knows who’s going to be there.”

Flathers’ ambitions and quests to promote his name and music may sound like a full-time gig; however, he’s still managing to do it while being a student. 

“There are so many welcoming people here, and I’m so thankful for everybody who’s complimented me or come out to support me,” Flathers said. “I can’t say my classes all that much help me with my music, but my biggest takeaway from Simpson is being able to work and interact with people from so many diverse backgrounds.”

When asked about his post-graduation plans, Flathers said he chooses to live in the present and see where this takes him. However, he would like to tour across the country and play at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines. He emphasized music is where his heart truly lies and that he doesn’t want to live with any regrets. 

“I’d probably tell 6-year-old Aiden, standing in the living room, holding an acoustic guitar in his underwear and cowboy hat to just keep playing and don’t worry about what other people think because, like in all things in life, there’re going to be haters but if your passionate, keep working at it and the rest will fall into place,” Flathers said. 

His next show will be Nov. 21 at Shotgun Betty’s in West Des Moines. He will also be performing at Indianola’s Mojo’s on Dec. 6.