BAKER CITY — Aaron Golay lives in Idaho’s Magic Valley, but a lot of his music is played in the Boise area where his bandmates live.

This month he’s heading farther west, to Baker City, for a solo show at Barley Brown’s taproom, 2200 Main St., on Friday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m.

Golay grew up around music.

“My dad had a real love for music — it was an easy way to communicate with my father,” he said.

His mom, an artist, also influenced his creativity.

“I got that artistic ability and then music appreciation,” he said.

Records brought more music into his life.

“I’d sit in my room, listen to records, and try to figure out how to sing the songs,” Golay said.

He picked up a guitar at 13.

“I started teaching myself how to play,” he said.

He began writing songs in high school and by his late 20s, he really started to focus on music.

“2018 to 2019 were big growing years for me,” he said.

He pursued music full-time about seven years ago and managed his own schedule until 2024 when he got a booking agent and manager.

He played 200 dates last year.

“This last year I did more touring than I ever did before,” he said.

He played across the Northwest, Southwest, Montana and Wyoming.

Golay said his musical influences are too many to mention but he does point to the 1960s and 1970s — the Eagles, Steely Dan and Led Zeppelin, among others.

This will be his first time to play in Baker City while kicking off another touring season. He’s released three albums, with the most recent titled “Songs for Sad Folks Like Me.”

He’s committed to music — a passion cemented when he overcame possible hearing loss after a serious car accident in October 2023.

“There ain’t no other option for me,” he said.

He doesn’t have a set list, and instead chooses songs based on his mood. At least 75% of his show is original material.

“If I can make you cry and rock on the same night, that’s a success,” Golay said.