Discovering Aaron’s country soul and family roots

Aaron Lewis/Facebook

After seven studio albums and years of being the lead singer for Staind, Aaron decided to venture into country music. His new solo album, Town Line, has brought his country soul to life. Aaron is now a family man and enjoys having the freedom to write about taking his daughter to the beach on weekends something he was never able to do in a rock band. After catching up with him while in his hometown of Massachusetts he mentions how even now he doesn’t “get to keep his feet still very long”. But for this former rock star his drive hasn’t changed, he pursues his country career as passionately as when he was in Staind just with his family in mind this time.

What inspired your songs in your solo career vs. when you were in the band?

-Both are the same. It’s life most of the time and just different aspects of it.

Do you think your original fans are still by your side in your solo career or do you have new fans?

-A mixture of both. There are some old fans that aren’t really all that enthusiastic about what I’m doing. But there’s old fans that are very open minded to it and have the respect of me as an artist to allow me. My new inspiration (new music inspiration took me to country direction which allowed me new fans as well.

Do you think the country was your stepping stone to “adulthood”?

-It’s morphed into that. That’s part of the reason. For me I miss yesterday’s country. I miss the George Jones, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams. The stuff that you don’t hear. The country music is inspired from the country music that my grandfather listened to, not what’s on the radio today. I find myself confused by the radio today by what is country and what it’s supposed to sound like.

 What do you think of Taylor Swift and music like hers?

-You can’t argue with the success that she’s had, and she’s adorable and she writes her own songs but she definitely has pushed an envelope of pop into country that no one had ever been there before and it caused a major shift in what dominated the top 30 in the country genre.

You write songs that represent you. Which track is the most meaningful in your new album?

-In my career as a singer, the lyrics have always been mine. I’ve never been able to write a song about taking my daughters to the beach for the weekend. That wouldn’t have worked in the landscape of Staind. Songs like that, that I couldn’t have written under the guidelines of Staind are the songs I’m enjoying. They don’t all have to be tortured and soul bearing.

 It’s a different side of me. It’s me; it’s always been there, it’s just never been appropriate for the setting. Whether I do it acoustically or not, a song about taking my daughter to the beach wouldn’t have gone over in a Staind setting. It’s nice to have another avenue to express that.

With country music most of the time the message is somewhat positive. In today’s country for sure. That dirty country that doesn’t exist anymore was a little bit harsher it talked about hard times and heartbreak. Today’s country does that too but it’s more family oriented.

Is there a reason why you formed this charity in specific (It Takes a Community Foundation)?

What started it was for me trying to save the elementary in my town. Small towns are falling victim to consolidation and no one has ever proven that our kids can get a better education piled on top of each other. They keep closing more schools and piling more kids on top of each other all to pay for tenure, union fees and stuff that have absolutely nothing to do with educating our kids. Our educational system has been broken ever since the federal government took it over.

What is one item or person, thing that you need in your tour?

-One item. It can’t be just one. I’ll pick 3; my bow to go hunting with, my fishing pole, and my golf clubs if there’s no hunting or fishing.