When I had first heard of the Aces, it was back in September of 2018. It was the first day of Music Midtown, in Piedmont Park in Atlanta. The sun was shining bright and hard and my colleague and I were making a game plan on the coverage we would get from that weekend. Until we heard the first artist(s) perform on that Saturday afternoon. It was the Aces, and they were definitely an impressive start to that jam-packed weekend.

Yet, even after their performance and even after the music festival ended, their music and their look stayed in my mind.

For me, I saw a group of girls who made music about the themes of young love and being young. That really hit me. I hadn’t seen that before. Most female artists do write about love and loving themselves, but I also feel like I can’t relate to Ariana Grande or Billie Eilish because they’re so much bigger than me. Yet, the Aces, were a group of girls who were friends and wrote about the things that they knew. It felt relatable, but in a way where I felt like I could sit down and talk with them about my relationship or that fake friend that I’m so annoyed by and I just want to let go of the relationship. They sang about teenage girl things and it just made sense for them.

I had to see these girls again. That was a guarantee.

From their performance back in September, I was pretty impressed. So, I sought out to see them for a second time in Atlanta when they played at Aisle 5 on Feb. 23. From the conversations of all of the teens and young adults in attendance, many of them had found their music from Music Midtown, just like I had. It really showed how strong the retention was from their 2018 performance.

If you’ve never heard of the Aces before, you’re definitely missing out on a gem. The group consists of Cristal Ramirez (lead vocals and guitar), Katie Henderson (lead guitar and vocals), McKenna Petty (bass) and Alisa Ramirez (drums). They originate from Utah and are some of the coolest chicks you’ll ever see.

Their music is full of relatable lyrics and melodies that will get stuck in your head pretty quickly.

The one thing that the Aces sing most about is love. It’s a universal theme that everyone relates to. Incredibly, they seem to have felt things that I’ve felt, like wanting your crush to stay with you because you don’t want to let them go.

One song that I really love by the Aces is “Volcanic Love.”

I’ve had many feelings of crushing on guys that I would love to be with but I never knew how to describe that feeling until I heard that song. That immediate love is like a rush. It’s volcanic. It’s music that could be a part of a soundtrack of your life or that really good coming-of-age movie you love.

The Aces’ concert started off with an opening act named joan, a dreamy-eyed, two-man group from Little Rock, Arkansas. Their looks made every girl wanna scream and those girls were definitely screaming. The music was a similar vibe to the Aces, so the crowd was warmed up to songs about teenage love and rebellion. Their music also had a super ’80s inspired vibe and represented that edgy teenager that we all want to be. Some of the songs sung by the group included, “drive all night,” “stop and stare,” and “love somebody like you.”

Alan Thomas, one of the two band members told me, “The crowd tonight was insane, to me, it was the best from the whole tour (so far).”

Steven Rutherford, the other band member stated, “If you haven’t listened to our music, listen to it.”

These guys were the best possible start to the night and it only got better from there.

The Aces’ set that night was based off their debut album, “When My Heart Felt Volcanic,” released last year. They sang popular songs of theirs such as “Stuck,” “Volcanic Love,” “Stay” and many more.

These girls interacted with the audience and of course, danced around and gave a great performance. They looked amazing, sounded amazing and gave a stellar show that for me was a nine out of 10.

I hope they continue to create the down to earth music they have been. I have a feeling that their style won’t go out of style anytime soon.

They’re one of the great female artists that deserve a highlight for their work and persistence to create and perform for their thousands of fans.

Photos of The Aces and joan live at Aisle 5 in Atlanta, February 23, 2019 by Jasmine Martin. 

Jasmine Martin, 17, attends DeKalb Early College Academy and has added the Aces to her list of favorite artists.