Interview with As They Sleep vocalist Aaron Bridgewater

Vocalist Aaron Bridgewater of the death metal band As They Sleep spoke with me by phone about the band’s newest release, Dynasty. If it’s death metal that you crave then look no further! This disc is a scorcher that pummels the listener with a lethal dose of killer metal. Thirty seconds into this disc I was sold hook, line and sinker. I absolutely love the energy and the intensity of these songs; they really get the blood flowing. The band is fresh off of their Christmas tour and they’re already planning to head back out again this Spring. Here is what Bridgewater had to say.

Now that your new CD, Dynasty has been released, how do you feel about it and are you satisfied with the outcome?
Aaron: I feel great about it. I actually am super stoked with the outcome and I think the rest of the band is stoked as well. We are getting a really good response and getting awesome reviews so we couldn’t be happier.

What was the writing process like for this CD?
Aaron: We all write together. I write all the lyrics and do the lyric structuring. The guitarists write the guitar riffs together and later on down the line the drummer and the guitar players work together to write the drum parts. I would say it is more or less a collective effort and not any one person.

Can you give me any insight into the title of the disc, Dynasty?
Aaron: It is a concept album called Dynasty and we decided to dabble in the rise and fall of ancient empires and dynasties and mythology comparing that along the way with the United States and the problems we are dealing with now.

Are there any tracks on the disc that are personal favorites or that have good stories behind them?
Aaron: I think all of them have good stories behind them. I don’t know if I have any personal favorites because I like every single song on the CD. I like “Oracle Of The Dead” a lot. I think if I had to pick one this is probably one of my favorites. I like “Bedlam At The Nile” and I like “The Darkest Ages”, so I guess if I had to pick 3 those would be the top 3.

You guys just finished up the Christmas tour, how did that go?
Aaron: It went great. We had a good time with our label mates. We were on the tour with Living Sacrifice, Becoming The Archetype, To Speak Of Wolves and The Famine even jumped on for the last 2 or 3 nights. It went great, I mean I love being on the West Coast in December and besides a couple of mishaps with the van we had a great time.

You had a good response then I guess?
Aaron: Yeah there was moshing at all of the shows; you can’t ask for more than that. There was only a night or 2 where there was not a lot of crowd participation but those were on weeknights and that is how it goes.

You guys are on the road a lot. How do you prepare for the physical demands of a tour?
Aaron: You just try and get as much sleep as you can, whenever you can. I mean we hit the roach motels and tried to rest up as much as possible. I guess you just kind of naturally get psyched up before a show; it has a lot to do with adrenaline and the excitement of putting on a show for a bunch of people.

What artist would fans be surprised to find on your iPod?
Aaron: You would probably be surprised to find a lot of Jimmy Buffet on my iPod.

Tell me about a book or two you have read that you think other people should read?
Aaron: I don’t read books dude.

If you had not become a musician what other career path would you have liked to attempt?
Aaron: Professional Golfer.

What 3 words best describe As They Sleep?
Aaron: Douchebags!

If you were a superhero who would it be and why?
Aaron: Superman, because he can fly and he is stronger than everything in the world.

Any closing words at all?
Aaron: I want to thank you for your time and thank everyone who has picked up our new album and we hope to see everybody real soon on our next tour.  [ END ]