Ryan ChartrandWhether he is drumming a beat on his drum kit or filling a microphone with deep lyrics, music is made by this quintessential jack-of-all trades musician, songwriter and founder of the clothing company Pig Cloth.
Aaron Gillespie has become accustomed to splitting his time as the drummer for the band Underoath and lead singer of The Almost, a band he created after hindering his singing voice as back-up singer in Underoath.
The 24-year-old, red-haired Gillespie is often compared by critics to Dave Grohl, lead singer for the Foo Fighters for talent as a drummer and his vocal strength to carry a band.
“It’s a flattering comparison,” Gillespie said modestly.
However, Gillespie truly does not sound like Grohl; his vocals fit more with the voice of lead singer of The Used, Bert McCracken.
The Almost is a Christian rock band comprised of Jay Vilardi and Dusty Redmon on guitar, Alex Aponte on bass and Kenny Bozich on drums. The album “Southern Weather,” which debuted in April, landed at No. 29 on the Billboard 200.
Originally from Florida, Gillespie adds a southern twist to the album.
“In the South, people live life really fast and really slow, but both lives can be really similar,” Gillespie said.
Gillespie’s southern roots add to the lyrics in his songs. There are two songs that set apart from the rest of the album.
The song “Amazing Because It Is” brings a modern-day twist to the hymn “Amazing Grace.” The hard-hitting guitar and lyrics juxtaposes uniquely with an angelic-sounding church choir in the choruses. The depth and intensity of the song enchants and encourages the listener to hum and sing along.
“Amazing is a concept that everyone needs a little grace, whether you are Christian or non-Christian,” Gillespie said.
The second tune, “Say This Sooner,” made a Top 10 hit on alternative radio stations along with its music video. This song provides insight into the busy world that Gillespie is wrapped up in; he not only travels with his band, but with his wife as well.
“Being on the road I sometimes don’t quite understand where I’m waking up,” Gillespie said. The song starts off with an energetic guitar opening with Gillespie’s voice quickly rattling off his lyrics:
“I can’t believe I didn’t say this sooner, I’ll just believe that I was all displaced, I’ll get to speaking, let you know how I feel, I’ll get to judging, make you see my appeal, OH OH!”
Other than the two previous songs, the album has quite a generic sound of a harsh guitar along with Gillespie’s screaming voice that creates chills, rapid heartbeats and goose bumps for the listener.
Whether you believe in God, Gillespie’s insightful lyrics will leave the listener with a mysterious yet intrinsic impression of the emo-Christian screamo band.
The Almost is currently on a nationwide tour with The Starting Line and will hit California this weekend, stopping to headline at Downtown Brewing Co. on Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m.