It’s not every day that I can answer my phone and hear, “Hello, it’s Aaron with Gemini Syndrome.” Luckily for me, this was the exact starter to an almost hour-long conversation on Sunday, February 19, 2017, with one of the most introspective and cool-vibe people I have ever had the chance to talk to in my life, not just in my time with Rock Revolt.
From music and touring to tattoos, life and beyond, no topic seemed to be off-limits for the conversation. Aaron Nordstrom may not have all the answers, but I can tell you that he has some good ideas about the big questions, and it was an absolute pleasure to delve into conversation with him about all of it. I definitely came away from the chat feeling quite enlightened and a bit less alone in the way I see the world from time to time. I hope you do the same.
Hey, Aaron! How are you today?
I’m doing well.
Great. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy day to talk to me today.
Yep. Not a problem at all.
Well, that was great. I appreciate it. So, you just ended up a pretty neat four-week or so run with Starset, which wrapped up Friday night in Pittsburgh. I was there on Friday night, and it was an incredible show! It was nice to chat with you briefly after the show. How did that combination of bands come about?
Well we went on tour with them, I want to say it was their first tour, about three years ago. So, we had a previous history with them. At some point, they reached out and asked if we wanted to do this with them late last year, and we said yeah. And it turned out – with the evolution of them and what they’ve become, which is really cool – that having both of us on the same bill was beneficial to both of us. I think we both brought different crowds that were easily overlapped with each other in terms of music taste and fan base. And we have similar styles of music, so I think it worked really well for both ends. I mean, we sold out almost every single night of that tour.
That is incredible.
Yah, so that was nice. Watching our own progress, like we’ve definitely got some steam behind us, and so do they. And putting our two bands together was a one-two punch, really. I think it worked out really well.
I think so, too. The crowd was neat. I was out there, and people were like, “Who are you here to see?” And people were commenting that they were there for you guys and hadn’t seen Starset. And then vice versa.
Absolutely.
Well, right. It was nice because there was a lot of meshing of the crowd.
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, it was a cool vibe. You guys had to have some pretty cool moments together. Do you have a favorite moment or moments from the tour that maybe the fans wouldn’t have had a chance to see?
I always get stumped on these questions.
(laughs) I’m sorry
Well, people ask, like, “Tell me a crazy tour story!” And I’m like, “There was that time I didn’t eat until one in the morning.” I always forget the cool stuff that happens. Uhm, off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything crazy. It was a smooth-flowing tour. We showed up, we all did our jobs, we slayed rock shows, and moved on to the next city, ya know?
I think “slay” is the best word for it because I can for sure tell you the crowd was left exhausted, yet still wanting more. (laughs)
Yeah, man, that’s my new verb for it all. “We slayed!” like we slayed the dragons. (laughs)
Well, I love it. (laughs) I want more of that! Speaking of touring, you guys are now out doing a few headlining dates before a big spring run with In This Moment and Motionless in White (which comes close to me, so I hope to get out there and check it out!). I have to say, man, you guys are coming to Ohio, which is where I live, and I really hope to get out there and check you guys out again.
Yep. I hope to see you then in April.
Well, I don’t think Friday was enough for me. I definitely want some more. You guys have had such diverse tour tickets, so to you, what makes a good tour ticket? What makes it all jive together?. What do you guys look for when it comes to those partnerships and collaborations for a tour?
I think there are a few different things. I suppose, one is do we have a personal relationship with the band? Do we know them? Of course, that’s not always an option. That’s not always possible to get to know every single band before you play with them, for reasons like their location and that sort of thing. Ultimately, I try to look at it from a fan’s point of view. It certainly not up to me who we go out with. They ask us if we’d be interested, but I am not the one who makes the decision at the end of it. Ya know?
Right, of course.
Like, with the Starset run: having bands together that are similar enough to get the same fans in the same room, but different enough that you’re not watching the same show for four hours or whatever. You’re not watching the same band over and over again.
Sure, that makes sense.
I think it’s important to try diversify. I think in today’s climate for music, bands need to do that, especially younger bands or up and coming bands. We have to kind of trade crowds and trade fans in that sense. You want to be exposed to people who don’t know you. That was a huge thing for us with Starset. A lot of people came up to me every night who were like, “I’ve never heard of you, but I started listening to you a week ago since you’re on tour with them. And I’m a fan now, so thank you for that” or whatever. And that’s huge for us. That means when we come back again, hopefully, they’ll come back and see us as well along with the other bands we bring along and like what we bring to the table. Now, for a band like In This Moment, that’s the favor for us. We’re not bringing them anything new to the table, ya know.
(laughs) Well, maybe you are.
But definitely from our end, to be put on a stage like that where we’re going to be playing for so many people is huge for us.
Yah, that was just so cool to see the crowd. Everybody had such a different experience and different expectations, and you guys – to use your word right now – you guys slayed it. Everybody I talked to – myself included – really enjoyed your set. So, hats off to that.
I’m glad to hear that, man. That’s the best compliment and the goal to have people come out and see you perform your music and walk away from it like that. Thanks.
Yah, and it’s one of those things – like you said – where if you get the differences in the crowd like, I’m here for so and so, but I’m here for you, then they all walk away as a fan of you, then you have to think, “Well, maybe we didn’t suck tonight! Maybe it was a better night than we thought!” (laughs)
(laughs) Yeah, that’s exactly it.
You spend a lot of time on the road, so I have to ask: what are some of your favorite parts of touring? What are some of the drawbacks?
One part of it is definitely coming into contact with people I wouldn’t normally see on a regular basis. Ya know, we’ve developed relationships with people all over the country – like, family and whatnot – if I was in one place all the time, I wouldn’t make it to those areas. Working a regular full time job would keep me in my area, so I’d miss those people. I’d need to take vacation and stuff, so in that sense, I’m traveling all the time.
I go through Chicago and see my family there a few times a year, and I go through other places and see my friends, and that’s definitely a huge thing, a stimulus, for being somewhere new all the time. I like the ever-changing kind of chaos that comes with touring. Yah, for sure it has stresses, but I tend to thrive on it. I get very itchy and antsy when I am home for too long after a little bit, if I don’t have something happening. Usually the first day being home, I’m up. I expect to sleep for a couple days, but then I don’t. I’m expecting movement and energy and activity, it doesn’t happen. And after a while, I get a little stir crazy.
I can totally see that.
Yah, but that’s just me. I know some people who go home and crash for a week. I’m kind of jealous of that. But also, beyond that, with touring, we get to live this awesome life, ya know? After loading is done and the gear’s ready, we have a couple hours to do whatever before the show. Whether it be interviews or whatever, we have that time to use. My stress is about going on stage and performing; that’s what I have to worry about. I don’t have to worry about clocking in or pleasing my boss, necessarily. Not to say I don’t have to please someone, since there’s a power structure in everything, but ya know, we get to play rock and roll music for a living. Every day. And that’s my concern and what gets my energy going every day.
That’s not a bad gig, I don’t think. (laughs) I think you’re okay… haha.
No, no (laughs). Not at all.
There’s no nine to five, no suit and tie there. (laughs)
Well, no, but it’s definitely work. It’s not like we can phone it in all the time. And it’s hard work. There’s a lot of stuff that happens that people don’t know about that you have to take care of on this side of things. But, again, I’d rather be doing this than anything else. There’s no doubt about that. It’s hard to gain traction by the nature of the industry. In any artistic endeavor, it takes a long time and a lot of work to get noticed, get recognized, and be appreciated. And it takes even more work to have standing power and to stay. Ya know?
You constantly have to evaluate what you’re doing and honing your craft to get better at what you’re doing. You have to write better songs, try to put on a better live show, and try to stay relevant. We live in a generation and a time period where things come and go so quickly – there’s so much information to assimilate. There are so many bands; it’s a big ocean to try to survive in. So it comes with it challenges. It’s not a cake walk. It’s not just party-party-party. And I think a lot of people wish it was.
(laughs) Right. People get into it not realizing that there’s actually work to be done.
Yeah, man. Yeah, there’s a lot. And I think to that point, there’s a degree where you get to a certain level where you have a crew and you’re not setting up your own gear or whatever. Things you do in the beginning as a band with a van, cruising from show to show, doing everything yourselves. Hopefully, you start making enough money you can start paying people to come out and help you out. Things happen, and those responsibilities get alleviated to some degree. But, then, there’s always something else. There’s always something else that needs done, something else to plan. Something to brainstorm, a new song to write, whatever. So, it’s an ever-changing kind of endeavor, I think.
Well, you’ve been around in the industry yourself for a while with various projects and in 2010, you guys started out as Gemini Syndrome. I have to say, just your own transformation as a band has been fascinating from my own standpoint just to kind of watch and observe. For a while, no one knew who you guys were, and now when someone says “Gemini Syndrome,” people know you. Your songs are on Octane, you’re selling out shows, the merch is going like crazy. You guys have definitely done well in your own rights in terms of becoming and staying relevant, and then kind of staying in that space.
(laughs) We’re just stubborn.
Stubborn is not bad.
Ha! I refuse to go away.
That’s fine. My dad always told me that he never cared what we did growing up as long as we didn’t half ass anything. So, I guess you’re along the same vein there.
Absolutely. That and always finish what you start.
Exactly. It’s like talking to my dad, but you’re not since we’re the same age. But I totally get that; I was raised on that vibe.
(laughs) That’s great.
Let’s get off the road for a bit. Your album, Momento Mori, has some themes in it that many people may miss out on if they’re not listening closely. I know it’s the follow up to Lux, another incredible album. How did this concept – a trio of albums to come out and take the listener along a life journey – come about and where is it headed next? The idea fascinates me.
In a lot of ways, it came out naturally and organically. That’s not to say we didn’t think about it or try to fight it, but it was kind of based off of another one of those cliché sayings, “Does life imitate art, or is it the other way around?” And for me, personally, being the main lyricist of the band, these concepts come from my personal trip. What I’m going through. And all of us, to a degree in this band kind of relate to that. Ya know, especially with the first record, the first creation from this band, and conceptually it dealt with a lot of adolescent kind of stuff, childhood stuff, family ties, coming of age, figuring out who you are, and that kind of stuff. Just because, at the time, I was digging back into that period of my life. That was the stuff that was in my head – falling in and out of love, breakups, and the heartache that comes with people maybe being in your life for a short period of time and then gone again.
So, it was just those things that you learn about when you’re young. And this record (Momento Mori) started dealing a lot more with the realization of mortality. The fact – or at least the idea, since I am still alive and haven’t died yet, but apparently I am supposed to at some point. It’s the whole “Live forever or die trying” idea. That kind of midlife crisis kind of thing almost to an extent. I kind of joke that, “I’m having a midlife crisis” but I’m not sure if I’ve achieved enough or something. That’s a real heavy thing – accepting the fact that this is temporary, and what does that mean in the long run for me as a conscious being, whether it be a spiritually conscious being or just a physical person, a primate living on planet Earth or whatever, this giant rock in an infinite universe or some sort of thing. What the eff does that mean? Ya know? What does that mean for me?
It’s such a big question to me, and I find myself thinking about it on a daily basis. Like, probably at least once a day, the thought goes through my head that, “Hey, Bud. You’re going to die.” And I find that sort of morbid in my own right; I wonder why more people aren’t like me. Or maybe they are – I can’t be in everybody’s head. I don’t know; maybe a lot of people think like that. This record absolutely talks about that and addresses that question. And it addresses that realization. Like, what are you going to do with your time? What’s your purpose here? Are you just here to play video games? Are you just here to cause chaos and discord in people’s lives? Are you here to get married and have a family? All those things are choices you make. Are you trying to make the world a better place? I sound like a total hippie right now, but this is reality. With every waking moment, you have an option to put out whatever you choose to. It can be dark and horrible and chaotic and discord-ish. Or it could be beautiful and life-giving and creative at the same time. You have that option. So, how do you spend your time? And ultimately again, back to the same question of “What the eff does that even mean?”
(laughs) Right?
Ya know? What’s the point of it? It’s really easy to get into a nihilist kind of mindset and say, “Nothing matters anyway because I’m going to die, my body will decay, and that’s it. Maybe I left my mark on society through some good deeds I did, and they’ll talk about it in ten or fifteen years, but maybe they won’t. Maybe I’ll end up a crackhead and dead in a gutter somewhere, and nobody will remember I existed at all.” Or, there’s some other point, some bigger scheme happening that we’re all a part of simultaneously, and I tend to lean that direction.
I love that answer. That hit me right where I needed it to. I have the same thoughts as you. After any loss, I have those kind of thoughts as well, like, I’m going to die, too. And what does that mean for my kids and my husband? My family and friends? What does that mean for the world? So, yeah, I totally get that.
Absolutely. And it’s a big question, man.
It is!
It’s easy to gloss over and ignore it and be like, “Well I’m going to die, so whatever.” But I’m like, no, man. It’s going to happen at some point; it’s guaranteed. I know Jim Morrison fascinated about death all the time, and that was one of the first people that I learned about who thought that way. And I wonder, how is it going to be. There’s an old song by Porcupine Tree, “Arriving Somewhere but not Here.” The first lines of the song are like, “Did you ever imagine the final sound of the gun or the smashing windshield of a car?” And, I think about that stuff. Or, is it going to be some cancer or a heart attack or just old age or maybe in my sleep. I wonder if I’d be conscious at that last moment and what that would be like. And like, what would it be like just to die? Ya know, I mean, I’m fascinated with the subject. I can’t wrap my brain around it – I have no idea what comes after this, if anything at all.
Right. Yeah. It is!
It’s like, that’s life’s great mystery to me. Do you leave this place and suddenly get to look back on your whole life and go, “Well, this is where you screwed up really bad. This stuff was really great, so good job there, so you get a mark there.” Do you get graded or something? Ya know? I don’t know; I just don’t know. So, no, no one does.
Nope. We don’t.
Absolutely no one does.
Right, and that’s why it remains a mystery because no one can tell us what’s next. NO one.
Exactly! Because I’m sure if they could, they would.
Yeah! I’d hope so. Someone would want to.
Right?
That’s really cool. Man, I need to spend more time actually talking to you because that’s fascinating. I love it. I wish we had more time!! Speaking of dying, excellent segue there, “Remember We Die” has got to be one of my top favorite tracks I keep in regular rotation around the house – even my eight-year old knows the words and rocks out to it! I first heard it on the road to Massachusetts back in October, and I was instantly hooked. Luckily for me, Octane plays a lot of the same songs over and over, so I got to hear it quite a bit, haha.
(laughs) Right?
In our society today, with everything as it stands with being fast moving, and instant – you’re in and then you’re out. Why is that message – living while we’re alive basically – so important to you in a time like this?
Well, I mean, there are a few angles you can take that from in a macrocosm, bigger picture way. Our lives are very much like that in the grand scheme of things – very “flash in a pan.” If you live to be a hundred years old, that’s a very long time. But, really, a hundred years is nothing in the timeline of the Universe. So, that makes our existence really kind of small and almost unnoticeable in a sense. Yet, for us personally, it’s our entire world.
The Universe does revolve around your ego, make no mistake, ya know? With that being said, utilizing your time because it is short is important. Let’s just say in the grand scheme it is all science and there is no purpose to it, then the purpose itself becomes experiencing it, and that’s it. Even if that’s the worst case scenario and there’s nothing after life, you still have the capacity to live a life. And that’s still going to influence the environment you’re in and beyond, if you choose to go that route. Like, for me, music can affect people, so I can affect people that don’t even know me for what I do.
Oh, for sure, yeah.
So, how am I going to spend that time? And if you’re not an artist who is making records that are sold places you don’t live and you’re doing something else, maybe it’s a smaller circle of people or a smaller sphere of influence, but still every little thing you do affects everything that you touch. I think, at the end of the day, why would you choose a negative path? I think that’s part of this whole process: trying to create a prettier picture than you had before.
I love that! That’s an incredible byline for life: “Trying to create a prettier picture than you had before.” I dig it. It makes sense.
Yeah, and hopefully you got the 200 box of crayons instead of the eight. (laughs) Maybe you did, and maybe you didn’t, ya know? But, do what you will with it.
That’s so true. And like I said, I am so afraid that people are going to miss out on some of these messages because your sound is incredible. Can we talk about your sound? Your albums are heavy and so hard-hitting, but so beautiful and intricate in their details. I know you have an extensive musical background yourself with prior gigs. How easy has it been to take your collective experiences and really weave them all into the music now to create that sound that we all have to come to know and love?
Ha! How easy has it been? (chuckle)
Or how hard? You make it look easy, so maybe that’s on you!
(laughs)
But, how does that come together? It’s beautiful. I’m going to tell everyone that the record is something, but you to experience Gemini Syndrome live because it’s just next level. It’s wonderful.
Well, thank you very much. I think I can answer that by tying it into this entire conversation. Like, my entire experience here as me has led me to this point. I have played music my entire life. I was an avid reader as a kid. I was very fascinated by the mental sciences – sociology, psychology, philosophy. And I was very into esoteric stuff, mystery schools, conspiracy theories, religion. All of that stuff. It was what interested me when I was young. And ultimately, it led me here. Now I have the knowledge of the stuff I studied; I have the skill set for the music I learned and instruments I practiced, and I have the life experience from all of the other extraneous details about my life in particular that leads us to the story we come up with. Ya know?
To tie this into a question you had earlier about the records, and you asked me, why three? Well, it seems that everything happens in a state of twos or threes – the bicycle or the tricycle if you will. And so you have birth, and then life, and then death and the transformation into whatever the next thing is. And that can be tied back to the yin yang of Eastern philosophy. You have the Yin and the Yang, but you also have the Line that separates the two and makes them discernable. So, there are actually three things there to that.
Just like you’re talking about the deeper meanings of these records and what we talk about. There are three groups of people. There will be the people who totally get it and totally dive into the underlying messages there. There will be people who totally get it. There will be people who kind of get it and are curious, so they take a glimpse into it and see it and recognize it but don’t dive headlong. And then there will be people who are totally oblivious to the fact. And that’s cool, too. It’s all good. They’re all good groups. If they want to enjoy the music but aren’t picking up on the esoteric stuff I talk about, so be it. That’s fine. So be it; they don’t need to. But it’s there if they need it or want to dive in. That’s why we use the symbolism and stuff; everything has layers like a nice ice cream cake. Cuz I like ice cream.
Haha, well I don’t know anybody who doesn’t unless they’re lactose intolerant.
Ha! No kidding.
And I feel bad for them. Because ice cream is delightful.
Truly. It really is. Yes it is.
I love the lyrical content of your songs. I always focus in on lyrics; I usually hear the words before I hear the music, if that makes sense.
Absolutely, it does. I get it.
I am a writer myself, so the writing process of others I admire always intrigues me. When it comes to writing, what’s your process? How do you pick what you keep and how do you choose which darlings to kill, as the saying goes? Then, when you have what you love, how do you tweak it to make it sound like it does on the final cut?
Well, that’s an interesting question…Generally speaking, I don’t usually finish anything unless I know it’s going to be a keeper.
I like it!
Like, for example, when we were doing Momento Mori, we were compiling songs to decide what the album was going to be. We came to the table with, like, at least thirty or forty songs. And the first step was to sit down and listen to every single one – and some of them were in demo form, some were polished, etc – but we had to sit and listen to everything. We sat and took notes on everything to ourselves from which we liked more, and through that process we narrowed it down to about twenty songs or fifteen songs or whatever it was.
And then I picked that particular moment to choose whatever was kind of tickling my fancy at that time. “I want to write that song. Well, what does that make me think about? How does it make me feel?” or maybe what was happening that day in my particular sphere of existence. “What am I obsessing over today or beating myself up over or reminiscing on?” Ya know, like that. That’s how things get finished and how things get picked. I can usually tell what I am going to be into doing when we get started. From the get go, it’s like, “this is going to be a keeper, so I am going to put my time and energy into that.”
And I do a lot of stuff on the other side of that where I’ll write a couple lines one day, driving down the road moving into the next city or whatever. I’ll have a little thought, and I’ll jot it down. And maybe that will get revisited for a song one day, maybe it won’t. I’d say the majority of time it doesn’t. It was a spot on moment and it’s gone. Usually, if I can see a song through to the end from where I am standing – I can see the finished product in my imagination – then it gets followed.
That’s a great process. You know right away what is going to work and what’s not going to work, and you can go into it and put your time and energy into what’s going to work out for you.
I mean the only bummer to that process is that sometimes things get finished and don’t get used, so there is that aspect. There were definitely a few songs for this album that when we were recording, we were like, “Well, let’s try to write a couple more while we are in the studio!” And we did. We wrote “Anonymous” in the studio. That one wasn’t preplanned. And so something else got bumped off. So, there are definitely things that get finished full circle and then have to sit there and wait. And maybe we’ll use it in the future, and maybe we won’t. We’ll revisit some of the ideas and change them.
Yeah, I was going to ask you if you ever do that; do you keep things around for next time, or just for fun.
Absolutely we do. Absolutely.
Okay, that’s a good idea. More people should do that if they don’t.
If it was up to me, we’d put out a new record every six months. We easily have the material to do it. But that doesn’t work in the construct of what we need. We have to tour on a record, so that takes time and energy, and we have to be different places. And I certainly don’t have the budget or the skill set to produce a record on my own, so that’s not an option. But maybe someday.
Well, I would say in this instance, maybe quality over quantity is definitely much more appreciated in this kind of circumstance.
Sure. Makes sense.
When you’re not on tour, where can we find you? What do you do when you have down time? Any plans for this upcoming break?
Well, I live in Vegas with my wife and dog. So I spend time with them as much as I can. We’ve been on the road a ton in the past two months, so I haven’t been with them much. I study traditional Chinese Kung Fu with my teacher in Ventura, California, so I spend time there. That’s really my hobby. I try to relax at home when I can. I try to train and keep myself relatively healthy if I can. I have the lazy bug at times, too, so I have a good DVD collection.
(laughs) I think that you need that brain break there once in a while. It’s important to have.
Yep. Absolutely. I remember being younger, when I first started studying the Chinese martial arts. I was so hungry for it; I just wanted all of it at that moment. And my first teacher would give me assignments like, “Okay, we won’t see each other for five days.” I remember one time in particular, he said, “I don’t want you to do any Kung Fu for a week.” And, at the time, it was the hardest thing for me. He said, “No kicking doors open when you’re leaving a restaurant, no push kicks, none of that.” And, I didn’t get it. I hadn’t realized I had been training so much and trying to absorb so much of it that some of it was going to get left or sifted through and filtered. He wanted me to sit on what I was doing and let it soak into the brain like a sponge instead of keeping putting more information in on top of it.
I think that’s necessary for any endeavor. Ya know? Whether it be something you’re learning or even relationships. One of the things that helps in the band setting is that you get to go home. You spend all that time with so many people in a closed, confined space, and then you get to take a break from it. Even from a romantic relationship. From my perspective, being a touring person, that distance allows for it to be nice to go home and see your family and your friends, see your lover or spouse because you’ve been away for however long. It is good to take breaks from everything, I think. Everything in moderation, including moderation. And I am full of cliché statements today.
(laughs) That’s okay. The readers will love it, I am sure.
Beautiful. (laughs)
What are some things about you that fans may not know or would surprise them? have read interviews before and know you’re pretty open and honest about your life and experiences, so what about you would surprise someone?
Well, uhm, I’m adopted. So, there’s that.
Oh, you are? I had no idea.
Yep. I also have albinism, if people haven’t figured that out yet. So, I’m not an old man with gray hair. I had a dude come to me a few days ago after the show, and he was completely sold on his own idea. He didn’t bother asking me how old I was or anything; he didn’t even imply that I might be younger. But he just told me how much ass I kicked on stage up there for being such an old dude. And he was like, “The guys up there around you are so young, and you were just up there slaying for an old guy.” So, I smiled and asked him how old he
thought I was. The reality is that I am the second youngest guy in the band. And I asked him how old he thought I was, and he said I had to be at least in my forties – at least! I was like, “No. I’m not.”
I just laugh. It’s funny. And the first time that happened to me was ten years ago, so I was even younger! I had a guy come up and say, “We couldn’t believe Grandpa rocked out on stage like that.” I was in my 20s then! (laughs) It’s laughable. I don’t know what else would surprise people. I’d like to think I am normal-ish. I don’t know. I study Kung Fu. I’m a huge fan of esoteric religious thought and mystery schools, stuff like that.
I did not know the adoption part; as a fan, that was news to me. That’s pretty awesome. As an ink lover with quite a few tattoos myself, I couldn’t help but notice your tattoos on stage on Friday. Do you have a favorite piece and why?
Uhm, no. I really love a few. I have two eyes in the pyramid pieces; I just had one touched up and redone by my friend in Jersey. A couple of them are Tarot cards. I have the Jacob’s Ladder from the Kabballah. I have a sacred geometry piece on my ditch on my elbow. I have a Praying Mantis that I love that’s the style of Kung Fu I study. I have my first Kung Fu teacher tattooed on my right leg. Both of my calves are completely covered.
Yeah, I was trying to pay attention and focus in on the ink, and you were moving all over the place. And I was like, “I just want him to stand still for a few minutes so I can see these things!”
(laughs)
They say tattoos and music both tell their own stories; do you have any tattoos that relate directly to the music in some way, either via an influence or a direct reference?
Well, I have the band logo tattooed on my arm. There’s another piece on my shoulder that my friend Chris from Colorado did that has some of the symbolism from Lux on it. A couple of the symbols are just buried in it. If anything, it’s probably they coexist together. Like I said, a couple of them are Tarot cards, and the stories that kind of go with those particular cards influence the music and go along with the concept. They’re all kind of related to some extent.
Yah, I have some lyrics and music related things as well. And, as with anything awesome, once you start you can’t stop. I think I’ll run out of skin before I run out of ideas.
I have about three or four artists that I go to repeatedly. The past four tattoos I’ve gotten from these three artists, by the time we start, I always say, “Okay, this is my last one.” And we all laugh because they know I am totally full of crap. (laughs) I hate getting tattooed. I absolutely hate the process. I hate the pain. I don’t think that people who say otherwise are liars; I think they’re crazy people. Like, people who can fall asleep during tattoos baffle my mind. More power to them. I could never. I’m starting to run out of room, and all of the areas I have left to tattoo are areas that suck. So, I might be slowing down, I am thinking. I got two this week!
You did? What did you get this week?
I had a star on my left arm, and I had the five elements from Chinese medicine around it, and I had it redone, so that’s a new forearm piece. And I had the eye in the pyramid completely revamped about four or five days ago. I got two in about a week’s span. My buddy Brett said that when he gets tattooed he’s about done for a month. He doesn’t know how I was able to just jump right back into the chair. And I was like, “To be honest, I don’t really get it, either.” I think it was just the fact that I was on tour, and I was in these areas where my friends live who tattoo me, so I was like, “Well, I don’t know when we’ll be back again.” And the time permitted, so I seized the opportunity.
Yeah, I can see how touring puts that sense of urgency. It’s like, “I’m here right now. Let’s do this.”
AND I had the day off! When those stars align, it’s so hard to say no to. I don’t want to deal with the pain and draw it out. It’s hard to keep them clean on tour; it’s definitely hard to heal on tour. You’re exposed to so many people, environments, and germs; it’s just yuck. Touching door handles at truck stops and gas stations. You have to be really careful and clean them constantly. My one got really peely and gnarly; it looks pretty gross, and I was in some pain for a few days. But, I did it to myself.
Right! I feel ya. I hate needles, and I am so afraid of them, so I always tell my artist I have to imagine he is using a pen.
Yep! It’s just a Sharpie!
That’s what I say, “Get out your magic pen!”
Yep! (laughs) My buddy Brett said I get to tattoo the band logo on him next time I am in town.
That will be sweet!
I’m kind of scared. I’ve definitely never tattooed anyone, but he’s letting me do it. So that will be fun.
Well, obviously he’s got faith that you won’t totally gnarl up his skin.
Yeah, maybe I’ll find my second calling….
Man, you’ll be a rock and roller AND a travelling tattoo artist. Look out!
Legally blind tattoos! That’s another thing people may not know; due to the albinism, I am legally blind. So, “Legally Blind Tattoos by Aaron.” I’m thinking this could be a thing.
So, being legally blind, what is that like in terms of being on the road? I was aware of it, and since you brought it up, I’d like to talk about that.
It’s hard to explain solely because I have never seen what anybody else sees. I have no grounds to compare it to. But, yeah, it’s definitely hard in a dark place to recognize faces. It’s hard with repeat fans who come to shows a lot – and I feel bad – but it’s hard to recognize faces a lot. I might recognize them to some extent. Like, this happens a lot. Maybe I’ll see someone in a new city. Maybe I’ll meet them in Memphis, and then they come to a show in New York. And I’m not expecting them to be in that environment. So I’ll stand there looking at them dumbfounded for a second. I feel rude, but it’s my brain trying to place them with the minimal visual input I am given. So, if anybody’s reading this, and I have ever offended you, I am so sorry.
There were kids in college who would have other friends I didn’t know, and they would wave to me and I wouldn’t even see them. And they thought I was an asshole, I was some stuck up music prick walking through the school like I was better than everybody. But I was like, “No, dude. I literally can’t see ten feet away to know who you are.” So a lot of my stuff comes from voice recognition. My hearing is really good. I recognize voices really quickly. All of those kind of little subtle cues – like environmental cues – like if I know I am going to see someone in a particular place, my brain is prepared for that. It becomes easier to try and traverse. But it’s definitely something that has its challenges. Different stages are more cramped, lighting is different; I have to be careful not to fall off the stage or trip over a pedal board, or whatever.
Well, that stage was so small in Pittsburgh! I don’t know how you did it! I was up against the stage, so I could see everything. And I was so impressed you used that space as well as you did. It was crazy.
We’ve played smaller than that, for sure.
Oh, I’m sure you have. But, for me, I was like, wow.
Yeah, that was a tight one for sure. But, there have been places where I couldn’t move from where my feet were planted for the entire set. And it becomes awkward.
Right, how do you get into it?
Well, you learn. You just kind of own your real estate as much as you can.
That makes sense. Thank God you can do that. So, to switch gears before we wrap up, you have been very vocal in your discussions about using music to overcome depression and anxiety in your life. So, how does it feel to have come full circle and be the one making the music to help others do the same? What’s that experience like when you hear from your fan base that you helped them heal in their times of need with your music?
It is absolutely indescribable at this point. And it’s funny you ask that question.
Oh, really? Why?
This tour in particular… I just put up a post on my artist’s Facebook page a week and a half ago or so basically saying thank you to everybody who has been coming up and talking to me either at the shows or via email. Just telling me their stories. Thanking me for making music and telling me their personal details about how it helped them deal with death or cancer or whatever. They tried to kill themselves and “Remember We Die” came on. It’s been crazy shit.
It reminds me of Pearl Jam and when they talk about the peek of their career and Eddie Vedder’s situation – and this is not to say we are by any means in that category – but I was feeling this on a much smaller level. I mean, it’s mind-blowing. I don’t know what else to say. To be getting these message and knowing that the same thing it did for me as a kid, listening to Maynard’s lyrics, or I listened to Chino, or Peter Steele, or whoever it was, and those were the things that got me through my darkest years of attempting suicide.
Being miserably depressed and trying to take your own life, that’s like a serious thing. And it’s scary to talk about, and it’s scary to open up about, because you feel weak or like you failed, especially when you’re already in that space. Let’s say you try to kill yourself, and you fail at that too, you’re like, “Oh my God I suck at everything! I can’t even die right!” You think fucked up things; you really do. So, for people to be using the music as a catalyst to open up is just absolutely huge. It’s huge. And it’s very, very redeeming and encouraging. Going back to the beginning of this conversation, it’s like, what are you doing with your time? What are you doing while you’re here? Well, if that’s what I am doing, then so be it. God bless.
Well, it sounds like you may be slaying on the stage, but you’re saving some lives. And that’s pretty incredible.
And it’s weird to say that!
I’m sorry! (laughs)
No, no, no. It’s good because I have to accept that as reality now. It seems like surreality; it doesn’t seem like a real thing, but it is. But, every city we go to, people are seeking me out and saying thank you. Some of them cry. I’ve held people while they cry at the shows, and it’s baffling to me. But, at the same time, it’s not in a bad way. It’s part of the goal. Like, if I wasn’t trying to get to that place, trying to achieve that particular thing, I’d be singing about something else. The band would be about something else. The message would be different. But it’s not. This is exactly what we’re doing. Maybe I didn’t realize it at the time; starting out there wasn’t an agenda like, “I’m going to go out and save the fucking world!” It was very selfish on my end; I was like, “I feel like shit, and I don’t want to anymore. I want to feel better; I want to get on stage and forget this feeling.”
Like, I had a crappy day before one show. I was in a shitty mood for whatever reason. And I went on stage, and I was so amped up because I was aggravated about whatever miniscule crap happened that day that was truly passed by the time for the show. But, nonetheless, I was aggravated and mad and upset, and within two songs, all that aggression was out. I definitely a little harder than I normally would, and maybe hurt my voice a little bit, but I didn’t care. I was like, “Music is fucking therapy.” And in that moment, I was doing it for me; it was purely selfish in that moment. In that, it still affected other people outside of my sphere.
Well, right. And I bet you that was one of the best shows you’ve ever done.
Probably, right?
I bet that’s one of the best you’ve done. You were probably like, “Damnit I should get mad every day!”
Right, but then I don’t want to live in that space, either.
No, no please don’t. There is too much negativity. Please don’t get sucked down that rabbit hole.
No, I had lived there too long. I don’t want to go back. I had my tenure there.
Well, I know that you have a show tonight, and I would love to talk to you forever, but I don’t think we can do that necessarily.
Feels like we could, doesn’t it?
It really does! Well, I know you have a show ahead of you tonight, so I don’t want to keep you. Thank you so much for talking with me tonight. Is there anything you want to add before we say farewell and Godspeed today? You’re in St. Louis, right?
Yeah, we’re here. We’ve played this place quite a few times. We’ve never sold it out, but we did tonight, so that’s always encouraging on a Sunday in St. Louis. We always play here on a Sunday. I know this because there is a barbecue place that we always try to eat at, and it’s always closed on Sundays, and we never get it. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s terrible barbecue. Maybe it’s bad, and the Universe is like, “You don’t want that.”
Or maybe it’s Biblical Barbecue, and they take Sundays off on purpose…
(laughs) This could also be true. At the end of the day, I only have to say thank you for all of the love – for all of it. The fact that we get to tour. The fact that people care about what we do. The fact that people are really digging into what we’re about and are identifying with it and helping us spread that and continuing to do what we do. In the climate of today, it’s amazing. And we are really lucky. As hard as it is sometimes to be away from home and sleep in a moving vehicle pretty much every night and to eat maybe not the best food all the time, I get to play my music every night. And that’s incredible to me.
And we wouldn’t be able to do that without the Synners, without the fans, without the other bands who are taking us out on tour, without the whole team behind us pushing us and believing in what we do. Without all of that, this would all be a pipe dream like everybody tells you it is when you’re a teenager. And here I am, years later, and I’m doing it.
My good friend Kyle plays drums for the band 10 Years. We’ve been 
friends since we were twelve. And we grew up in bands together, in bands together, and then playing in shows for a couple decades. We both have shit days and will call each other to kind of vent, and whenever I call him to vent, he’s like, “Remember what the fifteen year old you would say to you right now, complaining about the fact that you had to eat food at Pilot again. Remember what the fifteen year old you would say when you’re going out on tour and going to be playing in front of 7,000 people. What would the fifteen year old you say to that? The fifteen year old you would be totally stoked and smack you in the face for complaining at all.” And he’s right. He’s absolutely right.
Well, I like that as a gut check for life. It’s a reality and a great way to look at life for everyone who feels that way from time to time.
Oh, it’s a reality check smack to the face, for sure. When he says that, I’m like, “You’re right. I have nothing to complain about. All I have to drink is water; there’s no soda. Oh, boo hoo. Life could be worse.” Shit like that, it’s like, right come on. You’re right.
(laughs) And then there are people who would kill for water, so then there’s that reality. And you’re like, “Aaaaand, I’m an asshole.”
Exactly! Exactly! (laughs) All I have is this purified mountain spring water in this 24-pack of bottles. Woe is me. I’m suffering. Ya know? (laughs)
Thank you so much for your time. Slay some dragons tonight, okay?
(laughs) You know it. I will definitely talk to you later.
