For a man who was about to play a sold-out show in New York City, Aaron Bruno, the lead singer of AWOLNATION, was surprisingly calm and relaxed. Sitting on couches in the upstairs dressing room of the Bowery Ballroom, he told of the sub sandwich he had in Cleveland, how he schools kids on the drums at random Guitar Centers across the country and not to take his weird mood personally because there was glass in his feet from walking around barefoot most of the time.

He told of albums he had on cassette when he was younger, his passion for surfing as well as his dislike for surfer music. It was an average, run-of-the-mill conversation coming from a person who is creating music that is anything but average, music that people were becoming obsessed with basically over night, stemming from the band’s first single “Sail” playing on a radio station in Austin, Texas.

“I didn’t even know about that,” Bruno said. “But he started playing it, and I got a call a week later that we were number one in phone requests and all this sexy stuff, and then we went over there and had this outrageous show and it was packed and everybody sang all the words and that sort of had a domino effect throughout the rest of the country.”

Currently, AWOLNATION is playing on the airwaves in every city, except one: ironically Cleveland, Ohio.

The idea of becoming a musician professionally just came to Bruno much like a simple decision people make on an everyday basis.

“I never decided I wanted to,” Bruno said. “It just happened. I was in different punk bands and hardcore bands and I think there was a certain moment where there were bands around our neighborhood who were starting to get record deals. So I think at one point we decided to get kind of serious in just trying more and becoming professional and rehearse every day and so forth and so on.”

After a semi-successful career with other bands and other labels, Bruno is currently working on AWOLNATION, his solo project, signed to Red Bull Records. AWOLNATION has released an EP as well as a full-length album since signing to Red Bull Records in 2009. The music has been described as rock and roll with an electronic influence, a union Bruno didn’t set out to create but rather just let happen.

“They’re just sort of ideas that come to me or certain things I’ve always wanted to do since I was a little kid that I didn’t have to means to do,” Bruno said. “So when the time to make art and music that no one else had a decision in but me, of course it’s just an extension of really what I like. Anything you see or hear is what I’m a fan of basically coming out in my own way… It’s just me, so this is just who I am.”

Bruno said in an interview with LA Music Blog the band’s name actually stems from a nickname he had in high school.

AWOLNATION is currently on tour, something that Bruno has mixed feelings. He says he doesn’t like all the down time and hates flying on an airplanes, but he really enjoys playing shows because he gets to be closer to his fans.

“I get kind of bored,” Bruno said. “You know, I get very restless throughout the day so when we play it’s just like all the cliché things you hear from other bands, most of those things are true, but for me, you’re just jamming with your friends. You’re literally playing for a living, so no complaints there, but to have an energetic show where people are jumping around, sweating, singing all the words, that’s the ultimate goal for me.”

Even fans that don’t know all of AWOLNATION’s lyrics still have an affect on Bruno.

“Chewing gum, as we call it when people are just chewing gum and acting like they know the words when they don’t. I see a lot of gum chewing at our shows, which is really cute, but I’m appreciative that they want me to think that they know the words at least.”

With a wide variety of music interests such as Michael Jackson and Neil Young, it is easy to see where Bruno finds inspiration for his songs. He works hard at making songs he thinks people will like, all the while staying true to himself.

When asked what he would be doing if he weren’t in a band, he took a second and then said, “That’s an impossible question to answer because I don’t know. I wouldn’t be me, you know?”

Please visit AWOLNATION Official Homepage or just get updates on the go by giving them a “Facebook Like”

Want to listen to AWOLNATION on iTunes: Click Here

AWOLNATION Twitter: Click Here

AWOLNATION Facebook: Click Here

The article AWOLNATION: Aaron Bruno and The Music That Happened appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

“Have you ever heard of [insert band name here]?”  You can probably answer “yes” to this question eight times out of ten, whether it was on the radio, on the internet or something of that sort, and if you haven’t heard it, you have probably heard something that sounds just like it, i.e. the generic pop song.

So when I was faced with this question a few weeks ago, I was hesitant about the conversation that would take place after my answer. Long story short, after initially not wanting to listen to it, AWOLNATION some way found its way from the speakers to my ears that night.

AWOLNATION is unlike anything that’s happening right now. You can say it sounds like MGMT just to realize, further on in the same song, that it doesn’t remind of you MGMT at all. As a friend of mine put it, lead singer Aaron Bruno sounds like “Little Richard mixed with the guy from Queen.”

Aaron Bruno. This name may sound familiar to you. AWOLNATION is his latest project (third time’s the charm?),  and he has been the lead singer of both Home Town Hero and Under the Influence of Giants. AWOLNATION is his solo project.

In the single year that AWOLNATION has been an “official” band, it has produced not only an EP but also a full-length album. The 2010 EP, Back to Earth, features five songs, three of which were later featured on the album. Back to Earth was only really a preview of what was to come less than a year later.

In March 2011, Megalithic Symphony dropped. This album is the perfect mix of rock and electronic beats partnered with themes you can apply to your own life or gain an understanding of Bruno himself.

The song that sums this up the most is “Jump on My Shoulders.” It has an excellent backing that you can’t help just dance along to. The verses of this song have a pretty basic sound behind them, but the chorus definitely is built up… to get people excited!

“I say we rob from the rich and blow down the door / On to the next to dance with the poor / Jump on my shoulders / You can jump on my shoulders,” Bruno sings along with some background singers singing “La-La-La,” creating probably one of the best sounding choruses right now.  To put it simply, this song pumps people up, and even your grandma would dance to it.

If electronic beats isn’t necessarily your thing, AWOLNATION still has your back. The song “Burn it Down” still has the electronic components to it, but drums as well as guitar are a much more prominent featured. That being said, this song will still get your feet moving. It’s a fast-paced, upbeat song about people who feel the same way coming together (to dance), and asks questions that listeners can ponder deeply. And if you are into heavier beats, check out the “Burn it Down” remix on the EP. It will blow your mind.

Even better, AWOLNATION streams the whole album on their website www.awolnationmusic.com. You probably should check it out. They’re going to be the next big thing, and it will be interesting to see this band’s future endeavors.

Image Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/dsalerno/

The article AWOLNATION: Jumping on the Shoulders of Heroes and Giants appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.