Aaron Lewis

Country music comes naturally for Aaron Lewis. In fact, the Staind frontman never strayed very far from country. It's something that he grew up with. It's something that he comes back to. It's something that inspires him. It's something that's in his blood. Hints of that are present in the stripped honesty and acoustic melodies of Staind hits such as "Outside," "It's Been Awhile," and "So Far Away." However, Lewis fully shows that spirit on his forthcoming five-song Town Line debut solo release for Nashville-based Stroudavarious Records and, most prevalently, via its first single, "Country Boy." With a little help from legends Charlie Daniels and George Jones as well as genre stalwart Chris Young, Lewis tells his story like never before on the song. Debuting in December 2010, "Country Boy" serves as a fitting introduction to Town Line, which hits shelves in early 2011. Lewis's voice carries a catchy chorus over a slide guitar, and he opens up about his past, present, and future. Featuring a fiery fiddle lead from Daniels, a booming verse from Jones and Young's lilting harmonies, "Country Boy" strikes a balance between classic and modern country. About "Country Boy," Lewis exclaims, "George Jones and Charlie Daniels are two of the genre's legends, and Chris Young represents the new regime. It's definitely a personal, autobiographical song, and I'm very thankful that they all participated." Their participation formally announces Lewis's arrival in Nashville with a bang. The song's music video is an event in and of itself. Not only does the video feature Jones, Daniels, and Young in the studio, but it also draws from Lewis's own family archives, giving a glimpse into his youth, home, passions, and so much more. "The video really is me. This is probably the most I've ever participated in any video that I've been involved with. I added a lot to the mix to tell the story." "Country Boy" is simply the beginning though. As a whole, Town Line signals the next evolution for Lewis. He went back to his roots, and the results are as powerful and poignant as anything that he's committed to tape. Growing up in rural Vermont, the singer/songwriter spent summers with his WWII veteran grandfather hunting and fishing. During that time, he developed a love for the land, the woods, and the simple life, which still permeates everything he does. There was one specific soundtrack to those times though. "Country was the background music to my childhood," Lewis recalls. "My grandfather listened to Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr., and all of the greats. When Staind did our first tour with Kid Rock in 1999, I rode the bus with him on a couple occasions and we bonded over this music. I haven't been able to let go of it since then." Listeners won't be able to let go of the songs on Town Line either. Lewis recorded his latest offering in Nashville during early 2010, and it brandishes the singer's trademark style and a distinct country soul. Produced by Grammy Award-winning James Stroud and Lewis, this collection proudly sits alongside Lewis's numerous accolades. With Staind, he crafted the most-played rock song of the decade, "It's Been Awhile," sold 13 million albums worldwide, had four consecutive top 3 debuts on the Billboard 200, and released multiple cross-format radio hits. However, listeners haven't heard him like this until now. In terms of songwriting, Town Line was an organic progression for Lewis. "The country accompaniment naturally complements my acoustic guitar playing," he says. "These songs are country in the sense of classic Americana. They're simple, understated, and founded on quality songwriting. If you put a country accompaniment to any of the songs that I've written over the years on my acoustic, all of them would work as country tunes. When a song comes from an acoustic, it can go in any direction you want it to go. I always write and play the same way. The only difference here is the accompaniment."