Aaron Gillespie | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Aaron Roderick Gillespie |
Born | Clearwater, Florida, U.S. | July 18, 1983
Genres | |
Occupations |
|
Instruments |
|
Years active | 1997–present |
Labels | |
Member of | |
Website | aarongillespie |
Aaron Roderick Gillespie (born July 18, 1983) is an American musician, best known for being the original and current drummer and clean vocalist for the rock band Underoath [1] and the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the alternative rock band the Almost. [2] He has also worked with the band The Dangerous Summer. [3] Gillespie also maintains his own solo project and released his debut full-length album, Anthem Song, in 2011. [4] From 2013 to 2016, he was the touring drummer for Paramore. [5]
Aaron Roderick Gillespie was born on July 18, 1983, in Clearwater, Florida. Ever since he was born, he has been nearly blind in his left eye. [6] He grew up in a devout Christian family, attended private schools, and went to church regularly. [7] Gillespie's parents divorced when he was 18. [7]
At age 14, Gillespie worked at the church and vacuumed for $60 a week. He enjoyed playing the drums at church, but was told that he did not play well and that he played too loud. [7] However, one of the leaders in the church came up to him and said that he believed Gillespie would "travel the whole world playing drums". [8] At this time, he received a call from Underoath asking him to play drums for them. [9]
In 2008 he achieved the HM magazine's Readers Award for "favorite drummer", along with his bandmate Timothy McTague who received "favorite guitarist" of 2008. [10] He was one of the preaching pastors at Unveiled Church based in the Tampa Bay area of Florida.
Aaron and his former wife ran a clothing label, Pig Cloth. [11]
Gillespie left Underoath after a European tour in 2010 [6] but later rejoined the band. [12]
Gillespie did guest vocals on the song "All About Us" by indie pop band He Is We, which was released on the album "My Forever" on November 23, 2010. [13]
Gillespie has discussed his issues with hypochondria and generalized anxiety disorder, stating that they played into his departure from Underoath. [14]
Gillespie had performed on every Underoath release before Ø (Disambiguation) and first began to add clean vocals on Underoath's third album The Changing of Times , which shifted Underoath's original extreme metal music style into a more straightforward metalcore sound and was released in 2002. After lead vocalist Dallas Taylor parted with the band, Spencer Chamberlain joined and the band began to change its style of music even more.
Most of the lyrics on the album They're Only Chasing Safety are written by Gillespie and are about him ending a four-year relationship. He stated to Alternative Press "I think I would've died if we didn't write those songs. I thought I had ruined someone's life. It's hard to explain, but you can't just pretend that things are great and go on and get married." The follow-up to They're Only Chasing Safety, Define the Great Line was released on June 20, 2006, it debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 selling over 98,000 copies in its first week, the record was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 11, 2006, representing 500,000 shipped units of the album. [15]
On April 5, 2010, Underoath announced that the band and Gillespie had agreed to mutually part ways pending the end of their European tour. [16] On the same day, Gillespie posted a message on his personal blog. [17] On August 17, 2015, in an interview article for Alternative Press , Chamberlain and Gillespie confirmed that the band was reuniting. [18]
On June 11, 2013, the band released their third full-length album, Fear Inside Our Bones. [19]
In an interview released on February 8, 2015, on Emery's BadChristian podcast, Gillespie stated that he had placed lower priority on the band, citing his "busy schedule" (as Paramore's touring drummer, a solo artist and producer) and the "busy schedules" of the other band members. [20]
Shortly after leaving Underoath, Gillespie announced that he was working on a worship-based solo project. He went to The Compound recording studio in Seattle on June 28, 2010, to record the album that would eventually be released in March 2011. On his Twitter account on July 24, he posted "Finished my record. So great to be a part of it. Goodnight." Gillespie's solo album Anthem Song was released on March 8, 2011. [21]
"Anthem Song" was Gillespie's revisit to his musical beginning, which began in worship. In an interview with CBN.com, Gillespie recounted the experience and how a trip to Africa helped shape Anthem Song. He stated "I saw people worshiping God because He exists, because that's what we were created to do. I believe everybody worships something, whether it be your job or your family or a relationship or whatever. We were all made to worship just one, and that's Jesus. And it really, really messed me up, seeing these African people who have nothing worshiping God, just because He exists. It gave me the fuel to go and do this record and also convicted me to leave Underoath and to pursue this ministry area in my life." [4]
In 2016, Gillespie released the self-produced Out of the Badlands. Gillespie and his studio partner, Andrew Goldring, made the record at Gillespie's Salt Lake City studio, Soundcave. Goldring engineered, mixed and performed on the record. The album is a departure from his former worship record and instead focuses on his personal grieving and honesty. [22]
On August 26, 2013, Gillespie was officially announced as the new touring drummer for Paramore, after their previous touring drummer, Miles McPherson, suffered from an injury. [5] He was to remain only for their duration of The Self-Titled Tour's European dates, but later remained for the duration of their North American fall tour of that year, as well as the Australian and New Zealand legs of the tour. [23] [24] [25]
Aaron Gillespie operated as a producer out of Soundcave Studios from 2015 to 2017. [26] Alongside singer-songwriter, producer, and engineer Andrew Goldring, Gillespie worked on productions, most notably, Gillespie's solo record, "Out of the Badlands". Goldring also engineered, mixed and performed various instruments on the record.
Other examples of Gillespie's producer credits include Collington's, We Swim in Seas that Never Rest. [27] Gillespie produced the record, played drums and did other various session work with Goldring and Collington. The album was debuted by Relevant Magazine on their series "The Drop". Gillespie and Collington crossed paths when Collington was opening for Aaron Gillespie in Boston. Taking a liking to Collington's music, Gillespie invited Collington to Salt Lake City to create a record. [28] Collington originally laughed at the offer thinking it was a joke. [29]
While on tour with Underoath in 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Gillespie underwent emergency surgery due to an infected thumb. Instead of canceling shows, Underoath recruited Kenny Bozich, former drummer of The Almost, to fill in on drums. Spencer Chamberlain and Timothy McTague shared duties in singing his vocal parts. [30]
With Underoath
With the Almost
| Solo
Appearances in other albums
|
Underoath is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997 in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional members were from Tampa, including drummer, clean vocalist and last remaining original member Aaron Gillespie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, keyboardist Christopher Dudley, lead guitarist Timothy McTague, bassist Grant Brandell, and lead vocalist Spencer Chamberlain. Originally, the band identified as a Christian group; they have since distanced themselves from Christianity.
They're Only Chasing Safety is the fourth studio album by American rock band Underoath. It was released on June 15, 2004, through Solid State Records. Following the release of their third studio effort The Changing of Times (2002), half of the band's members were replaced. After finalizing the line-up with vocalist Spencer Chamberlain, the band recorded their next release with producer James Paul Wisner at his home studio Wisner Productions in February 2004. The album has been tagged with various genres including screamo and melodic hardcore and features subtle references to Christianity. Drummer Aaron Gillespie had more of a vocal presence to contrast Chamberlain's screams.
The Changing of Times is the third studio album by American rock band Underoath. The album was released on February 26, 2002, through Solid State Records. It is the first album to include guitarist Timothy McTague and bassist William Nottke, the latter leaving the band afterwards along with vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Octavio Fernandez. The album is the best-selling Solid State debut.
Act of Depression is the debut studio album by American rock band Underoath. Released July 4, 1999, through Takehold Records, the album was out of print for some time as there were only 2,000 copies originally released. Solid State reissued this album alongside Cries of the Past on August 20, 2013.
Cries of the Past is the second studio album by American rock band Underoath, released on July 4, 2000, through Takehold Records. Only 3,000 copies of the album were pressed and, like Act of Depression, it was out of print for years. The album is the last to feature guitarist Corey Steger and the first to include keyboardist Christopher Dudley. Alongside their debut album, this album was reissued through Solid State Records on August 20, 2013.
The Almost is an American rock band from Clearwater, Florida, fronted by Underoath drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie. Formed in 2005 as a solo project by Gillespie, the band currently includes guitarist Jay Vilardi, bassist Jon Thompson, and drummer JJ Revell. They released three albums via Tooth & Nail Records: their debut Southern Weather (2007), Monster Monster (2009), and Fear Inside Our Bones (2013). Following a hiatus in 2015, Gillespie revived the project and released a fourth album, Fear Caller, in 2019 through Fearless Records.
August Burns Red is an American metalcore band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, formed in 2003. The band's lineup of guitarists John Benjamin "JB" Brubaker and Brent Rambler, drummer Matt Greiner, lead vocalist Jake Luhrs and bassist Dustin Davidson has remained consistent since 2006. The band was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for Best Metal Performance for the song "Identity" from its 2015 release Found in Far Away Places, and again in 2018 for "Invisible Enemy" from Phantom Anthem (2017). The band has released ten studio albums to date; their latest, Death Below, was released on March 24, 2023.
Define the Great Line is the fifth studio album by American rock band Underoath. It was released on June 20, 2006, through Tooth & Nail Records. Five months after the release of their fourth studio album They're Only Chasing Safety, the band were already in the process of working towards its follow-up. Recording took place between January and March 2006 at Zing Recording Studios in Westfield, Massachusetts, and Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage, Matt Goldman and the band as producers. Define the Great Line is predominantly a metalcore and emo album, which has also been tagged as Christian metal, post-metal and post-hardcore. The variety of styles was an unintentional move by the band, who took influence from At the Drive-In, Beloved and Cult of Luna, among others.
Southern Weather is the debut album by Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie's solo-project, the Almost.
Zachary Wayne Farro is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the rock band Paramore. He is the younger brother of Josh Farro, who was Paramore's former lead guitarist and backing vocalist. After he and his brother exited Paramore in 2010, Josh formed a band named Novel American, which Zac was also a part of. Farro is currently the sole member of the band HalfNoise. Farro rejoined Paramore in 2016.
Dustin Wesley "Dusty" Redmon is an American guitarist primarily known for playing in alternative rock band The Almost and former guitarist and songwriter for Beloved and Dead Poetic. He is cousins with his former bandmate, Joe Musten.
Daniel Travis Davison is an American musician, songwriter, artist, and filmmaker. He is also a co-founder and former drummer of the band Norma Jean and a former drummer of Underoath and Every Time I Die.
Lost in the Sound of Separation is the sixth studio album by American rock band Underoath. It was released on September 2, 2008, through Solid State and Tooth & Nail Records. Following the release of their fifth studio album Define the Great Line (2006), relationships between members became strained to the point they almost broke up. They decided to go on a hiatus; Lost in the Sound of Separation was recorded at Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, Georgia in March and April 2008. The band produced the album with Adam Dutkiewicz and Matt Goldman, both of whom worked on Define the Great Line. The album has been described as metalcore, post-hardcore and screamo, with elements of industrial, recalling the works of Refused, At the Drive-In, and Cult of Luna.
Monster Monster is the second album by American rock band The Almost, released on November 3, 2009.
Ø (Disambiguation) is the seventh studio album by American rock band Underoath. Released on November 9, 2010, through Tooth & Nail Records, the album was the band's only without founding member Aaron Gillespie, and is the first and only record by the band with Daniel Davison, formerly of Norma Jean. It was also their final album before a two-year breakup from 2013 to 2015. They would not release another studio album until 2018's Erase Me. Ø (Disambiguation) was met with acclaim and was recorded at Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, the same studio where the band's previous album, Lost in the Sound of Separation was recorded.
Andrew Tanner Wayne is an American drummer, best known for his participation in Underminded, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and Chiodos. He has also filled in on drums for Underoath. He is currently the drummer for Swedish Melodic death metal band In Flames.
Tonight Alive are an Australian rock band from Sydney. As of 2023, the band consists of lead vocalist Jenna McDougall, guitarists Jake Hardy and Whakaio Taahi, bassist Cameron Adler, and drummer Matty Best.
Erase Me is the eighth studio album by American rock band Underoath. It is their first album in eight years following Ø (Disambiguation) (2010), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in the band's career, and their first one with founding drummer and clean vocalist Aaron Gillespie since Lost in the Sound of Separation (2008). It was recorded in mid-2017 with Matt Squire and mixed by Ken Andrews. The album was released via Fearless Records on April 6, 2018.
Collington is an indie rock, Christian rock, and worship band fronted by American singer-songwriter James Collington. The style of Collington ranges from more acoustic tracks to full out rock production, including alt rock, indie rock Christian rock, and worship. The band has released one full-length album We Swim In Seas That Never Rest (2016), and an EP In Between (2018) and various singles