AJ Newton is a Nashville Recording Artist and the Drummer for the award-winning band Rusty Shipp. With over 30 years of drumming experience, AJ developed his style through formal education in his hometown of Waldron, Indiana along with performing in several church and cover bands. After moving to Nashville, TN, he joined Rusty Shipp in 2017 and since then they have achieved multiple awards in the Christian Rock Industry, Independent Rock Industry, Charted on Billboard and Christian Music Weekly and have recorded and toured extensively.
AJ’s drumming journey began at age 7 when a neighbor friend taught him basic rudiments and he was hooked. He joined the school band in 5th grade and stuck with it throughout high school focusing on concert, pep band and marching styles of percussion while performing in church bands along the way. He furthered his musical education throughout his college years by taking courses in music theory, guitar, choir and continued playing drums for bands as a drummer for hire.
Shortly after moving to Nashville, TN at the end of 2016 he befriended Russ T. Shipp, the lead singer/songwriter of the band Rusty Shipp and their musical journey together began. They have gone on to grow Rusty Shipp as a band through numerous record releases, tours and putting their fans, “The Shippmates” at the forefront of their efforts.
AJ’s drumming influences are a vast array of artists, but the main ones that have made a strong impact in his style are Ringo Starr, Sean Kinney, Phil Rudd, Taylor Hawkins, Dave Grohl, John Otto and many more.
Rusty Shipp has been described as a “Nautical Rock ‘n’ Roll” band with a goal to “inspire people’s imagination, fill them with hope, and do our part to increase harmony in the world using the medicine of music.” They are characterized by their “dark, underwater sound, haunting vocals, and unconventional heavy riffs, the music is a perfect fusion of grunge and surf rock, sounding appropriately like a rusty ship”.
AJ has been featured in the February 2023 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine. Rusty Shipp won “Song of the Year (Rock)” in the 2023 Josie Music Awards (Largest Independent Music Awards for their song “Living Waters”. They also won “Alt Rock Song of the Year” for “Bottom of the Barrel” in the 2022 Grizzly Award and won Artist of the year, Album of the Year and three other awards in the 2020 Jesus Freak Hideout Fan Awards. They have garnered numerous top 10 hits on Christian Music Weekly’s National Rock Chart and continue on their journey today.
