ABC/Randy HolmesOn AWOLNATION‘s new album Here Come the Runts, frontman Aaron Bruno wanted to create an antidote to what he calls the “synthetic” sound of today’s alternative rock scene. To do that, Bruno recorded the album with a whole band, instead of doing everything by himself.
“On the last record [2015’s Run], I did everything alone and then I presented it to the band and said, ‘OK, let’s figure this out,'” Bruno tells ABC Radio. “And while I’m so grateful that they wanted to join me on that journey, there’s a different kind of camaraderie and team feel to this album.”
That translates to AWOLNATION’s live show, Bruno says. On the band’s current tour, which continues Tuesday in Atlanta, they’ve swapped out samples and backing tracks for all live instruments to reflect the more organic feel of Here Come the Runts.
“I like the idea of getting tones in the same family of some of the tones I got from the first two records, but they don’t have to be identical,” Bruno says. “I think it’s fun to see and hear something different, ’cause you could just listen to the record at home if you want.”
Like the album, the tour is also set up to combat that “synthetic” sound.
“If you appear on stage as a rock band with guitar, bass and keyboard but there’s just ukulele being piped out of the PA system but no one’s playing it, or background vocals [no one’s singing], that’s, to me, disgraceful,” he says.
With AWOLNATION’s tour, Bruno promises a more real, emotional show that doesn’t play to a click track.
“Sometimes you play something way too fast and it’s a disaster,” he says. “But it’s fun to learn from that and be human and feel alive.”
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