Aaron Bruno was approached by Red Bull Records in 2009, asking if he wanted free use of the Red Bull recording studio in Los Angeles.[9][10] He recorded a few songs in the studio and ultimately signed with the label, calling it more of a "partnership", and was allowed to make the recordings that he wanted. Bruno was with numerous bands before he created Awolnation, including Home Town Hero with Drew Stewart and Under the Influence of Giants with Dave Amezcua. Bruno writes all of his songs himself, but confides in close friends and family or respected artists for guidance.[11] The band released their first EP Back from Earth on May 18, 2010.[12]
The name Awolnation is derived from Aaron Bruno's high school nickname. In an interview with Kristin Houser of the LA Music Blog, he stated that he "would leave without saying goodbye" because it was just easier, so that's where the name AWOL (slang from the military acronym for Absent Without Leave) came from."[13]
Megalithic Symphony and Touring (2011–2014)
The band released their debut album Megalithic Symphony digitally on March 15, 2011 through Red Bull Records.[14]Megalithic Symphony features a total of 14 tracks, including the singles "Sail",[15] "Not Your Fault",[16] and "Kill Your Heroes".[17] Bonus tracks for the album include "Shoestrings", "Swinging from the Castles" and "I've Been Dreaming".[18]
The band's first single, "Sail", peaked at number 10 on the U.S. Billboard Rock Songs[19] and has gone platinum in the US[20] and double platinum in Canada. "Sail" was featured in the episode "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" of CBS's television show The Good Wife, commercials for the Fox television show House, Nokia's commercial for Lumia and PT's commercial for 4G LTE, and is also the background music for Under Armour's "Are You from Here" commercial, featuring Derrick Williams. "Sail" was covered by Macy Gray (included on her album Covered) and by DevilDriver (on their album Winter Kills). "Sail" was also used for a Sonya Tayeh routine in So You Think You Can Dance season 9, episode 6; at the end of the episode "Dog Soldiers" in season 1 of Longmire; and featured on the soundtrack of the thriller horror movie Playback released in March 2012, as well as featured throughout the film Disconnect (2013). The track gained even greater exposure when it was featured during BMW's Olympic Opening Ceremony and in commercial spots throughout the Olympic broadcasts. "Sail" was used during CBC Hockey Night's opening tease in Canada on February 18, 2012, prior to a game between the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs. It was also used as of March 2013 in commercials for History Channel's new series, Vikings. "Sail" peaked at no. 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100, 27 on the Australian charts, 33 on the New Zealand charts and 17 on the UK Singles Chart. "Sail" was also used on wingsuit flyer Jeb Corliss's YouTube film "Grinding the Crack",[21] which as of October 2021 has had over 34 million views.
Another of the band's songs, "Burn It Down", is featured in the Sons of Anarchy episode "To Be, Act 1", and is also one of the in-game radio songs in Saints Row IV. Also one of their songs "Guilty Filthy Soul" has been featured in the episode "Break On Through" of The CW television show The Vampire Diaries. The band's songs "Sail" and "All I Need" are featured in the season 1 episode "Gun!" of Common Law. The band's song "Sail" was also featured in the season 4 episode "Hot for Teacher" of Pretty Little Liars. "Kill Your Heroes" is featured at the beginning and the end of season 3, episode 2 of the Canadian TV series Rookie Blue, and the remix of "Sail" together with Innerpartysystem was played in episode 8 of the same season. It was also used in the episode "The Wake-Up Bomb" of Covert Affairs. Furthermore, "All I Need" was used in the season finale of the NBC show Whitney and "Kill Your Heroes" is in Season 4 episode 9 of The 100.
On June 6, 2012, the band released an Extended Play, I've Been Dreaming, for free download on their official website. The extended play includes 3 unreleased songs, ("I've Been Dreaming", "Shoestrings", "Swinging From The Castles") and recorded live versions of "Kill Your Heroes", "Not Your Fault", and "People" that they played in Toronto.
They released two new songs, "Thiskidsnotalright"[22] and "Some Kind of Joke".[23] "Some Kind of Joke" appears as the second song on the Iron Man 3: Heroes Fall – Music Inspired by the Motion Picture soundtrack. The track "Thiskidsnotalright" is featured in the video game Injustice: Gods Among Us. Beacon audio did a Kickstarter for a limited edition speaker.[24] They released a Deluxe Edition of Megalithic Symphony on November 19, 2013 that includes "Thiskidsnotalright," "Some Kind Of Joke", "Everybody's Got a Secret", songs from their EP I've Been Dreaming, "MF", and several remixes of other songs from Megalithic Symphony. "Everybody's Got a Secret" was used in the soundtrack for the Disney film Frankenweenie in 2012.
Megalithic Symphony and Sail's immediate success exposed the band to fans of all different genres of music. They were starting to gain diehard fans by playing various music festivals and consistently touring. Between the years 2011 and 2014, Awolnation played 306 shows, 113 in the year 2012 alone, supporting the album and its singles.[25]
Run, Touring, and Christopher Thorn's return (2014–2016)
The band released their second studio album, Run, on March 17, 2015.[26] The album received polarizing but positive reviews, and the band received its first Metacritic review; with the album getting an aggregated 68 out of 100, from 6 critics. The album's lead single, "Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)", was released on January 26, 2015.[26] The second single, "I Am", was released on July 7, 2015.[27] The third single, "Woman Woman", was released on December 9, 2015.[28]
On April 7, 2015, they made an appearance on Conan.[29]
In September 2015, Bruno said that long-time guitarist Drew Stewart had left the band to spend time with his family. He was replaced by Irontom guitarist Zach Irons (son of former Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam and Eleven drummer Jack Irons).
On December 1, 2015, Awolnation released a B-side track from Run named "Wichita Panama" for Red Bull Records "Red Bull 20-Before-16" December event.[30] Later, in February 2016, Awolnation released the videoclip for the song "Woman Woman" for Red Bull Records.[31]
In 2015, a music kit for the video game Counter Strike: Global Offensive was released called "I Am". The kit includes songs from both Run and Megalithic Symphony.[32]
Awolnation would be an opening act along with PVRIS to Fall Out Boy’s tour, Wintour is Coming. They played February 26, 2016 through March 27, 2016.[33]
On June 20, 2016, the band announced that it was cancelling many dates of its summer headlining tour so it could serve as the opening band for the Prophets of Rage tour. This announcement was met with consternation and upset by many of the band's fans, many of whom took to the band's Facebook page to express their anger at the fact that some ticket purchases were non-refundable.
On July 8, 2016, Awolnation released an alternate version of Run named Run (Beautiful Things), where the repeating lyric "capable of doing terrible things" is replaced with "capable of doing beautiful things." The music video for this shows a person in a cloak with the AWOL helmet holding a purple lantern while emerging from the sea. At times, the scene cuts away to a mermaid with the person as she swims away at the lyric "run."[34]
During the tour with Prophets of Rage, Zach Irons left the tour during the second leg to tour with IRONTOM. In his absence, former guitarist Christopher Thorn replaced Zach on a handful of shows starting in Tampa on October 1, 2016. This would mark the first time Thorn played with the band since around March 2012.
Awolnation toured over 80+ plus dates in support of the album Run including multiple festival appearances and their own headlining tour that brought the band to Europe and South America.[35]
Here Come the Runts and touring (2016–2019)
In a late 2016 interview, Aaron said he had a vision for the next album's sound. "I think people are getting really burnt out on hearing robotic instrumentation..." He said guitar-driven songs should be brought back to the forefront. "It's been a little abandoned, and it seems like most labels have been chasing songs like 'Sail' and all the other songs that followed in its path."[36]
By late 2016/early 2017, Awolnation had started posting cryptic messages to their various social media accounts in regards to a new album. The main theme of these posts seem to reference inspiration for new songs, recording new material, and the future of Awolnation. One of these photos was of Aaron sitting down on an amplifier with a guitar in his hands.[37] Another was of Aaron and drummer Isaac Carpenter with guitar in hand.[38] Some of the hashtags included with these photos were #2017, #trilogy, #newalbum and #thesagacontinues.[39]
On January 24, 2017, Red Bull Records confirmed on their Facebook page that Awolnation was indeed back in the studio.[40]
On February 7, 2017, bass player Marc Walloch posted a photo on Instagram of him in Aarons' personal home studio with producer Eric Stenman, confirming his involvement in the work of a future album.[41]
In March 2017, longtime keyboardist Kenny Carkeet announced his departure from the band to spend time working on material for his own electro-alternative band with former member of the band Eve 6, Max Collins, called Fitness.[42] Singer Aaron Bruno also took to e-mail to offer an update to fans on the state of the new album and the future.[43]
In October 2017, Marc Walloch updated his Instagram profile to indicate he is now the "former bassist for Awolnation". No announcement or other statements have been made as of November 2017.[44]
On October 12, 2017, the band released a new single called "Passion" to be featured on the third album.[45] On November 6, 2017, Aaron announced the new album's name, Here Come the Runts, alongside the release of a new song "Seven Sticks of Dynamite".[46] The band followed the album release with the Here Come the Runts Tour, kicking off on February 11, which included concerts across North America and Europe.[46][47] Before the album was released, the band released a promotional single, "Miracle Man", on December 15, 2017.[48] Another single, "Handyman," was released on January 19, 2018. The album was released on February 2, 2018.[47][49]
DJ LAM of Self Expression Music with Awolnation in 2018
The band also released an alternate version of their song "Table For One" featuring singer Elohim on October 18, 2018.[52]
Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders (2019–2021)
While on tour with Twenty One Pilots, Aaron's home studio and much of his property were destroyed by fire. This event, as well as a shooting in nearby Thousand Oaks that claimed the life of 12 people, inspired Aaron to write the songs that would become the album Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders.[53]
On November 5, 2019, now signed to Better Noise Music, the band released the single "The Best" from their upcoming fourth studio album.[54][55] The single was released along with a music video.[54][55] They also announced a tour for the summer of 2020.[54][55] This tour would be called off on April 14, 2020[56] due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[57] On November 29, 2019, the band released the second single "California Halo Blue".[58][59] The song was released along with a music video and a cover of the song "Drive" by The Cars.[58][59] The third single "Mayday!!! Fiesta Fever" was released on February 4, 2020.[60] The fourth single "Slam (Angel Miners)" was released on March 13, 2020.[61] The band released Angel Miners & The Lightning Riders on April 24, 2020.[62]
On August 28, 2020, the song "Carry On" was released by The Score featuring Awolnation.[63] Aaron Bruno and The Score appear in the official music video for this song which released just a few days later on October 2, 2020.[64] They performed this song together on an episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden that premiered on October 22, 2020.[65]
My Echo,My Shadow, My Covers, and Me and The Phantom Five (2022–present)
On January 4, 2022, it was announced that the band would be releasing a covers album. It was also announced that the lead single would be released in January.[66] On January 20, 2022, the band released a cover of "Wind of Change" by Scorpions. The cover features members of Portugal. The Man and Brandon Boyd of Incubus and is the first song from the band's covers album My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers, and Me. The covers album was released on May 6, 2022.[67][68] On February 27, 2022, the band released the second single from the covers album, a cover of Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning". The cover features Tim McIlrath of Rise Against.[69] On March 31, 2022, the band released a cover of Madonna's "Material Girl". The cover features Taylor Hanson of Hanson.[70] The digital version of the album consists of 11 tracks while the physical album has 10.[71] Their cover of the song "Drive" by The Cars was the one song that was excluded.[72]
On May 2, 2022, the band announced that they would be going on the "Falling Forward" tour with special guests Badflower and The Mysterines. They visited 30 different cities across the United States beginning October 6, 2022 in Salt Lake City, Utah and concluded on November 11, 2022 in Seattle, Washington.[73]
On September 23, 2022, the band released the single "Freaking Me Out".[74] Aaron Bruno intended for the next album to be the band's last, because "most bands (he's) known haven't done well after releasing more than five records".[75] On November 4, 2022, the band released the single "We Are All Insane".[76]
On September 22, 2023, the band released the single "Candy Pop". An EP with the same name was released on November 10, 2023.[77]
On March 28, 2024, the band released the single "Panoramic View". It was also announced that the band will be joining 311 and Neon Trees on the "Unity Tour" in the summer. The tour will start in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 20 and runs until August 31 in Redmond, Washington.[78] The album's title, The Phantom Five, was revealed on May 23, 2024.[79]
On Instagram, Aaron Bruno mentioned that The Phantom Five would sound like a more mature version of "Run", the band's 2015 studio album. On May 31, 2024, the band released the single "Jump Sit Stand March" featuring Emily Armstrong.[80] On July 19, 2024, the band released the single "I Am Happy" featuring Del the Funky Homosapien.[81]The Phantom Five was released on August 30, 2024, along with the single "Barbarian".
Eric Stenman is an American record producer, engineer and mixer. He has recorded projects with The Barbarians of California, AWOLNATION, Will Haven, Irontom, Thrice, Senses Fail, Saves The Day, Deftones, Far, Gameface, M.I.A., Dashboard Confessional, Lovedrug, Tokyo Police Club, Earth Crisis, Snapcase, Strife, and many more.
Red Bull Records is a record label headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It is a subsidiary of the energy drink company Red Bull GmbH and has offices in Los Angeles, London, and New York. Since its inception, Red Bull Records has been home to artists and bands such as Awolnation, Twin Atlantic, and Beartooth.
Imagine Dragons are an American pop rock band formed in 2008, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and currently consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and bassist Ben McKee. The band first gained exposure with the release of their single "It's Time", followed by their debut album Night Visions (2012), which resulted in the chart-topping singles "Radioactive" and "Demons". Rolling Stone named "Radioactive", which held the record for most weeks charted on the Billboard Hot 100, the "biggest rock hit of the year". MTV called them "the year's biggest breakout band", and Billboard named them their "Breakthrough Band of 2013" and "Biggest Band of 2017", and placed them at the top of their "Year in Rock" rankings for 2013, 2017, and 2018. Imagine Dragons topped the Billboard Year-End "Top Artists – Duo/Group" category in 2018.
"Sail" is a song by the American rock band Awolnation. It was released as a single on November 8, 2010, first featured on the band's debut extended play, Back from Earth (2010), and later on their debut album, Megalithic Symphony (2011). The song was written and produced in Venice, California by group member Aaron Bruno, with Kenny Carkeet as audio engineer.
Back from Earth is the debut EP by American rock band Awolnation. It was released digitally by Red Bull Records on May 18, 2010 for iTunes. "Sail", "Burn It Down" and "Guilty Filthy Soul" appear on Megalithic Symphony, the band's debut album. The EP also features a dubstep remix for "Burn It Down" by Innerpartysystem, which appears on the deluxe version of the album along with "MF".
Megalithic Symphony is the debut studio album by American rock band Awolnation, released on March 15, 2011 through Red Bull Records. The album is the band's first full-length release, following the release of the extended play Back From Earth (2010). Megalithic Symphony has since peaked at number 84 on the United States Billboard 200 and at number 57 on the Austrian Albums Chart. As of March 2015, the album sold 581,000 copies in the United States.
"Not Your Fault" is a song by American alternative rock band Awolnation. It was written by frontman Aaron Bruno and recorded by the band for their debut studio album Megalithic Symphony, where it appears as the twelfth track. "Not Your Fault" was released to American modern rock radio on October 17, 2011, and was also released as a single in the United Kingdom and Bosnia on February 26, 2012. The single peaked at numbers three and eleven on the US Billboard Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts, respectively.
Aaron Richard Bruno is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, who is best known as the founder, lead singer and last remaining original member of Awolnation. He is a former member of the indie rock band Under the Influence of Giants, the post-grunge band Home Town Hero, and the post-hardcore band Insurgence.
"Kill Your Heroes" is a song by American alternative rock band Awolnation. It is written by lead singer Aaron Bruno and musician Brian West for the band's debut studio album Megalithic Symphony, where it appears as the eighth track. "Kill Your Heroes" was released as the third and final single from Megalithic Symphony and reached the top 20 of the United States Billboard Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts.
Bleachers is an American rock band from New Jersey. Formed in 2013 by singer and multi-instrumentalist, 11-time Grammy winning producer and songwriter, Jack Antonoff. Antonoff was the only permanent member of the group until 2023, when longtime touring musicians Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Evan Smith, Michael Riddleberger, and Zem Audu became official members.
Starset is an American rock band from Columbus, Ohio, formed by Dustin Bates in 2013. They released their debut album, Transmissions, in 2014 and their second album, Vessels, on January 20, 2017. The band has found success in expanding the ideas of their concept albums through social media and YouTube, with the band generating over $230,000 in revenue from views from the latter as of November 2016. Their single "My Demons" had accumulated over 280 million YouTube views in the same time period. Their most commercially successful song, "Monster", peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in May 2017. A third studio album, Divisions, was released on September 13, 2019, with their fourth studio album, Horizons, released on October 22, 2021.
Run is the second studio album by American rock band Awolnation. It was released on March 17, 2015 through Red Bull Records. It was the band's first studio album in four years, succeeding Megalithic Symphony (2011).
"Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf)" is a song by American rock band Awolnation. It was released as the lead single from their second studio album Run (2015).
"I Am" is a song by American alternative rock band Awolnation. It was released as the third single from their second studio album Run (2015).
American rock band Awolnation has released five studio albums, three extended plays, one covers album, twenty singles, and twenty four music videos. The band is signed to Better Noise Music since the release of their fourth EP, previously being signed to Red Bull Records, and their first EP, Back from Earth, was released on iTunes on May 18, 2010. They released their first studio album, Megalithic Symphony, on March 15, 2011; it featured their biggest hit single, "Sail", which peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, number four on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, and number five on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. The song has been certified 6× platinum by the RIAA and has sold 5,500,000 copies in the United States. As of February 29, 2016, the album has been certified platinum. The band's second studio album, Run, was released on March 17, 2015.
Here Come the Runts is the third studio album by American rock band Awolnation, released on February 2, 2018, through Red Bull Records. It is their first album to be released since Run was released in 2015. The name of it was inspired from "scenes from Bruno's own home in Malibu, where his wife fosters puppies." Bruno explained the meaning of the album in depth in an interview: "We always are drawn to the runt of the litter in a lot of ways. They have to scrap a little bit more. They're overlooked in many cases, and they shouldn't be. A lot of people who are against all odds and are maybe unnoticed, I think, with all the obstacles end up being stronger and have to find a different way to stand out. That even goes in the music industry as well. It felt like that for me anyways."
Lovelytheband is an American rock band that formed in 2016 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The band consists of vocalist Mitchy Collins, guitarist Jordan Greenwald, and drummer Sam Price. The band is most known for their single "Broken" which charted on several US Billboard charts.
Angel Miners & the Lightning Riders is the fourth studio album by American rock band Awolnation, and their first release since Here Come the Runts in 2018. It is also their first release under Better Noise Music. It was released on April 24, 2020.
My Echo, My Shadow, My Covers, and Me is a covers album by American rock band Awolnation, and is their fifth studio album overall. It was released on May 6, 2022.
The Phantom Five is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Awolnation. It was released on August 30, 2024.
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