Donn Aaron Mixon Premieres His “Coal Miner & Little Boy Blue ...

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With life experiences such as those of Donn Aaron Mixon, it’s only natural that you would become a songwriter. There’s lots of nostalgia in effect on his new single “Coal Miner & Little Boy Blue.” Today marks the debut of the song’s accompanying video, a very innovative take on a traditional performance video. It’s from Mixon’s new double album, The Welcome Mat, which will arrive on October 25th.

“Coal Miner & Little Boy Blue” is a nice introductory track to the album’s themes. It’s a song looking back at Mixon’s youth and the experiences that have still stuck with him. Those experiences form the foundation of his identity as a musician and songwriter.

Commenting on “Coal Miner & Little Boy Blue” and its direct inspirations, Mixon tells us:

“It’s an autobiographical song about talking to my damn dad on the CB radio every night when he was driving home from working at the Monsanto plant in his Plymouth Fury III. The song deals with the wonder and excitement of our early years together and the regret of lost time between a stubborn father and son. The Coal Miner was his CB handle and Little Boy Blue was mine.”

The album is titled The Welcome Mat as a tribute to the place Mixon lived as a child. He was raised in a trailer court that was called ‘The Welcome Mat,’ located in Pensacola, Florida. It’s a place that holds a lot of memories and emotions for Mixon so he wanted to pay tribute to it. The Welcome Mat is composed of all very personal, autobiographical tales of his youth. Some moments are more dramatic, while others more comedic.

Like a lot of musicians from the South, Mixon has been on the road for what feels like most of his life. He spent three years on the road with a Southern rock band when he left ‘The Welcome Mat.’ He also has released six albums with different bands as the primary songwriter.

The Welcome Mat album is different for its entirely Mixon’s vision. It’s his life story, with no one else’s input. He received some recording assistance from Skid Row drummer Ron Hammersmith and Russian violinist Maria G., but otherwise, this was his own conception. It’s a combination of traditional Americana and Southern gothic blues rock. It’s a musical memoir like no other, and Mixon hopes it will inspire listeners to conjure up their own positive memories of their childhoods.